New Member Rural BC Canada

[AlanS]

New to this forum. I've been building steam and IC engine models for over 40 years.
My IC engine models are all ETW designs, the Road Roller and the 1831 shunting locomotive - both of these have alternate transmissions, the roller has the full size 4 speed twin clutch transmission and the 1831 locomotive has a version of L Mackey's harmonic transmission.

I'm currently in the final stages of building a Seal Major engine, modified internally and externally. I've been running the engine but with a bought distributor and carb. I'm making my own distributor and a vertical axis housing. The cooling system will be next as I've been cutting my running sessions very short which makes tuning difficult. Next will be replacing the bought carb with one as per ETW and Braid's design, already 90% complete.
The engine, once complete and running to my satisfaction, will be installed in a 1 1/2 inch to the foot model of a Caterpillar Sixty crawler tractor as a test bed and as a precursor to building a model of the Cat Sixty Holt style engine. The Cat Sixty model is complete already (sans engine) and has the prototype 3 speed transmission and steering clutches and brakes.

 

[minh-thanh]

Hi
Welcome
Glad to have you !

My IC engine models are all ETW designs, the Road Roller and the 1831 shunting locomotive - both of these have alternate transmissions, the roller has the full size 4 speed twin clutch transmission and the 1831 locomotive has a version of L Mackey's harmonic transmission.


The engine, once complete and running to my satisfaction, will be installed in a 1 1/2 inch to the foot model of a Caterpillar Sixty crawler tractor as a test bed and as a precursor to building a model of the Cat Sixty Holt style engine. The Cat Sixty model is complete already (sans engine) and has the prototype 3 speed transmission and steering clutches and brakes.

Can you take some pictures ?

 

[GreenTwin]

Welcome, glad to have you.

Sounds like some interesting things you are into.

.

 

[SmithDoor]

New to this forum. I've been building steam and IC engine models for over 40 years.
My IC engine models are all ETW designs, the Road Roller and the 1831 shunting locomotive - both of these have alternate transmissions, the roller has the full size 4 speed twin clutch transmission and the 1831 locomotive has a version of L Mackey's harmonic transmission.

I'm currently in the final stages of building a Seal Major engine, modified internally and externally. I've been running the engine but with a bought distributor and carb. I'm making my own distributor and a vertical axis housing. The cooling system will be next as I've been cutting my running sessions very short which makes tuning difficult. Next will be replacing the bought carb with one as per ETW and Braid's design, already 90% complete.
The engine, once complete and running to my satisfaction, will be installed in a 1 1/2 inch to the foot model of a Caterpillar Sixty crawler tractor as a test bed and as a precursor to building a model of the Cat Sixty Holt style engine. The Cat Sixty model is complete already (sans engine) and has the prototype 3 speed transmission and steering clutches and brakes.

Welcome to the group

Dave

 

[petertha]

Welcome from the province next door. Look forward to some pictures. Your projects sound amazing.

 

[Sprocket]

I'd like to see the CAT models.
Your Fowler BB is beautiful!
Doug

 

[AlanS]

This picture’s for Sprocket (Doug), who requested a picture of my Cat Sixty.

This is my model of a Caterpillar Sixty crawler tractor. My current build of a 32cc four-cylinder Seal Major IC engine will be the preliminary power for this model. Once I have satisfactory running with the Seal Major in the Cat I’ll change it for the engine pictured here (with substantial detail changes inside and out). The scale appearance engine has never run…yet.

The model is built to a scale of 1 ½ inches to the foot, no plans used but I’ve measured and photographed several full-size Sixties. I’ve used no castings, all the parts were machined from solid or fabricated from steel using silver solder. Transmission wise, it’s similar to full size, three forward and one reverse, steering brakes and clutches and a single main clutch. I’m more interested in building working model transmissions than the power units.

My shop machines are all conventional, I made a lot of use of my turret lathe for track parts and special scale fasteners. The track pads were a chore, 14 machine operations in each one, two full track chains plus lots of spares.

 

[kuhncw]

Wow, that's very nice work! The gas Cat 60 is a favorite of mine.
Would you please post some photos of your "scale appearance engine"

Regards,

Chuck

 

[Sprocket]

Alan,
Thanks for the pictures. I really like the riveted assemblies, both here and in the traction engine (wheels particularly).
The track pads had to be a chore, but it all came out well.
Do you make your hardware?
Doug

 

[AlanS]

Alan,
Thanks for the pictures. I really like the riveted assemblies, both here and in the traction engine (wheels particularly).
The track pads had to be a chore, but it all came out well.
Do you make your hardware?
Doug

Doug:
I buy scale nuts and bolts but for special lengths I make them myself, same with flanged nuts. I buy the rivets but the heads are a bit over scale. All the rivets are press squeezed with home made dies to get a dome head on both ends.

 

[petertha]

Very nice Cat!
I'd like to know more about your Seal engine, particularly your comments about mods to carb & ignition system.

 

[SmithDoor]

This picture’s for Sprocket (Doug), who requested a picture of my Cat Sixty.

This is my model of a Caterpillar Sixty crawler tractor. My current build of a 32cc four-cylinder Seal Major IC engine will be the preliminary power for this model. Once I have satisfactory running with the Seal Major in the Cat I’ll change it for the engine pictured here (with substantial detail changes inside and out). The scale appearance engine has never run…yet.

The model is built to a scale of 1 ½ inches to the foot, no plans used but I’ve measured and photographed several full-size Sixties. I’ve used no castings, all the parts were machined from solid or fabricated from steel using silver solder. Transmission wise, it’s similar to full size, three forward and one reverse, steering brakes and clutches and a single main clutch. I’m more interested in building working model transmissions than the power units.

My shop machines are all conventional, I made a lot of use of my turret lathe for track parts and special scale fasteners. The track pads were a chore, 14 machine operations in each one, two full track chains plus lots of spares.

I almost purchased a cat Sixty to rebuild. Instead I purchased a cat 8 because desiel.
Back 1980's I did only full size. Models are easier than full size.

Dave

 

[AlanS]

Wow, that's very nice work! The gas Cat 60 is a favorite of mine.
Would you please post some photos of your "scale appearance engine"

Regards,

Chuck

 

[AlanS]

I don’t have any pictures of the engine on its own fully assembled, the majority of my pictures are of machine setups. The best shots of the engine are of it installed in the tractor, so I’m going to post them as a separate post rather than tuck them in with a reply. They show the engine as well as any of my pics.

 

[AlanS]

Very nice Cat!
I'd like to know more about your Seal engine, particularly your comments about mods to carb & ignition system.

I spent a lot of time in attempting to get my Seal Major to run. Four problems:

• I was using inappropriate fuel, I now use 95 octane gas with no vegetable oil additives.
• Bad quality ignition systems, I returned two to the seller. I’ve now found one which is reliable and gives a good strong spark, no name unless it’s the stuff in mandarin.
• Poorly insulated plug leads, I’ve now found a source for silicone insulated conductors.
• I was unable to get any kind of running to let me tune the Westbury/ Braid designed carb. I bought a carb which let me run the engine and do some tuning. A running engine will let me fit the ETW carb again and make some running adjustments at last. Once again there’s no name on the bought carb.

The engine runs now and I’m gradually making changes and test running in between each change. The first change has been to make a right angle, 2:1 reduction drive for the distributor. That will be on test (hopefully) in the next few days. Then I'll switch the carb out for the ETW one. There are several detail changes I've made mechanically: Ball bearings on the crankshaft, gear drive between crank and cam shafts extended in a Caterpillar Sixty style gear housing driving water pump, cooling fan and distributor.

 

[petertha]

Thanks. Maybe when you post your pics I'll be able to recognize some components. I built my 5-cyl radial with glow plugs because that was the design & my prior RC familiarity & arguably simpler, at least for me. But I'm now venturing into gasoline/spark ignition territory. Distributers still seem like a stretch for me so I'll try an RCEXL ignition box & 1/4-32 plugs to get my feet wet. Carb TBD. Anyways, your comment caught my eye, hence the question. Again, compliments to your workmanship.