Walter steams

Here is a short clip of my steam engine in action.

Joe Dobson

More video footage

Anna at Nottingham Video 1

Anna

Here is a link to a YouTube video of Derek Brown and his loco "Anna"

7 1/4 inch gauge Manning Wardle "Anna", visiting Station Rd Steam for its first steam test. A beautifully built engine that ran impeccably "straight out of the box".

Cutting a Fusee

Howard Davis has sent these pictures of cutting a fusee using a wood turning chisel with the tool holder held down with a stiff spring to allow it to rotate by hand the tip of the tool is set to 1 inch and 11/16
.
The lathe is set 12 threads per inch and across slide screw is removed by rotating the mandrel with his left hand and pushing the cutter into work with the right hand you can cut the thread quite easily.

I reverse the rotation to start cutting again to avoid disengaging feed. HD

Gearboxes

In the past few days I have been embroiled in a complex little job helping a good friend of mine sort out the details of helical gears for a tractor. What? I hear you say? Someone challenged why a tractor builder should ever have gone to the lengths of putting in helical gears when good old straight cut ones would have done the job - hang the extra noise! The answer appears to be that you can make small differences in diameter of any pair of them merely by changing the helix angles. For further details please contact me.

Derek Brown

Steam Land Speed Record

We are all used to seeing John Hennessey ambling gracefullly around in his steamer but how many of us associate steam cars with extreme speed?

The longest standing Land Speed Record was set in 1906. A Stanley Steamer driven by factory man Fred Marriott managed to get to 127.659mph

From 1999 graduate students at Southampton University developed a vehicle that would, in theory, set a new record. They devised the shape and general concept of the project including the amount of power required to push that shape to the 170 MPH mark.

At the conclusion of the project, Dr. Richardson suggested to Lord Montagu that the project would make an interesting addition to the collection at Beaulieu. Lord Montagu pulled together an assortment of personalities and the project began to take on a life of its own.

In 1999, the British Steam Car Challenge was launched with the twofold aim of breaking the land speed record for steam powered vehicles as well as creating some excitement in the arena of alternate fuels. It is hoped that the project will help the trend toward more fuel efficient and cleaner burning vehicles for the future of transportation.

The project was officially kicked off in June of 1999 with a luncheon hosting members of the team, sponsors and distinguished guests including Lord Montagu of Beaulieu as the patron of the project. The car, named Inspiration after the effect we hope it will have, is to be on loan to the National Motor Museum Trust at Beaulieu after the 170 MPH barrier has been broken.

Tthe first couple of dynamic runs of the steam car at Newtown Park have been completed and discussions are taking place with Edwards Air Force Base, in California, about the possibility of running the car on the dry lakebed, once it has dried out following winter rains.

More information from http://www.steamcar.co.uk/

Going it alone ?

Having spent many years building my first and only steam engine there are some tips that I would like to pass on to prospective first time builders to help them avoid the pitfalls that inevitably occur when tackling what is quite a sophisticated undertaking.

Join a good Model Engineer Society, preferably one that has access to a track, and discuss your intentions in order to get an opinion on what might be the best design to start with. Some designs for beginners are quite daunting but a wise word will advise you on the gauge and scale to start with. There are several suppliers of kits, castings, boiler materials, paints, plans and all sundry fittings. However costs can mount up rapidly.

Always work within your own capacity unless you are prepared to extend your knowledge by going to classes. There may be adult education classes catering for moldel engineeing where machines are available to use and be instructed upon. The down side of this is that classes may only be two hours a week and cease in school holday periods.

If you are going to purchase machines look carefully at what is on offer. Many people scoff at some of the imported machines available at reasonable prices preferring to spend thousands on rebuilding British machines to original specification. Ask yourself how many steam engines you expect to build. Of course if you belong to a club that has all the facilities needed then you are in heaven.

Once you have taken advice on the most suitable designs, check to see which suppliers offer laser cut parts. Taking advantage of these facilities will incur expense obviously but, the time saved and the precision with which parts can be produced will enhance your building experience. Having your boiler made by a someone with a good track record of boiler making, professionally or an experienced club member, is another avenue to explore especially if you do not have access to the necessary equipment.

You have chosen your design, purchased the castings and all the necessary metal to make a start you then need to make a decision on what to do first. If you are a novice pick a few small parts to start with that will test your skills and the quality of workmanship you aspire to. Above all, stick to the design. Do not make little alterations here and there as these will have a knock on effect on everthing else and time will run away.

How much time do you want to devote to building your locomotive ? Have you a family to be involved with, a house to look after, a full time demanding job ? To maintain the interest and impetus in your project, an hour a night is not unreasonable. Leaving lengthy periods between activity means that you have to give serious though to where you left off and perhaps completing parts left half finished. Work methodically even at a slow pace. Check parts frequently as you make them, when finished store them safely . Maintain a tidy work ethic, things are easier to find and will last longer if you do.

Encourage people to see what you have done and take note of their reaction. You need to show your work to experienced colleagues and ask them for feedback on what improvements can be made. They will have probably carried out the same or similar processes many times and their advice is always invaluable. Do not give up if things are not working out the way you expected. Progress may be slow or mistakes may have to be rectified but you can be assured that there will always be someone to support you.

These suggestions are arrived at from my own hard experience as I generally did none of the above. My locomotive has taken nearly twenty years to complete. After its initial steaming I dismantled it to paint and make improvements. It is of freelance design but utilises available casting and was built based on a set of drawing called "Romulus" available from Reeves, a reputable supplier. Not being tied to prototype a design gives you the freedom to add individual touches to your locomotive but beware of my comment above, there is a price to pay. After two decades of intermittent building I am please with what I have achieved. Endless hours of toil have resulted in a unique creation that will chuff happily around my garden.