| Archive for The Unofficial Mamod and Other Steam Forum The Original Unofficial Toy Steam Forum Established 2006 The biggest, most popular steam forum around! Accept NO imitations! We have a growing community of regular posting members who chat about all aspects of toy and model steam. |
| bessytractor |
Big Jimi have no pics atm but im going to start dismantling the valve gear on "Big Jim" my OO gauge live steamer (you might have seen it as an EOTM contestant a few months ago). Hopefully once its sorted we can see it in action. I never have!!!For those that don't remember it, it looks like this: http://www.lner.info/locos/O/s160.shtml |
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| Lewis |
I have traveled behind one of those at the NNR a few years ago 
was a different experince to are british built locos they have the loudest whistles i have ever heard 
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| bessytractor |
yes Lewis they don't half make a racket!
I piloted a lovely 7 1/4" one at the GCR gala last year. Sounded almost like the real ones. here is jims chassis sans boiler and tender before I start pulling it to bits. the second pic show the chassis once all the motion was moved and the offending crankpin removed ready for thread locking. You can see it lying near the screwdriver handle at the top right of the pic. I swear whoever built this loco was either a masochist, or bloody brilliant 
third pic shows the now firmly glued in crank pin. fourth and fifth pics show the now repaired loco, Big Jim rides again! Well hopefully he does, going to steam test tomorrow, at least all the motions in good order again and turns over smoothly. 
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| tmuir |
That will be nice to see going.
Keep us updated with your progress |
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| bessytractor |
ARRGHHH 
I hate valve events. There is no improvement to before, only things thats better is that the loco turns over smoothly! The steam just exhausts straight up the chimney, its either the valve timing, or the slide valves (yes you read right) aren't seating properly, in which case I shall have to remove them (fiddly  ) and lap them.
Its cooling down in front of me now. I'm going to air test it, its the only way I can see whats happening without burning myself (the whole thing gets as hot as hell and hotter). At least the burner lit straight off first time! |
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| rough-shunter |
what about running it in on air to see if it helps on a rolling road im very interested about this model where did it come from | ||
| Les Marsh |
At least some progress has been made.
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| bessytractor |
I shall eventually test it on air, its the only way you can hold it to see whats happening without giving yourself vicious burns. I have asked my mate already if I can borrow his rolling road, he has a good one made by Hamment and Morgan. The engine was bought for the sum of £130 from the magic land of Ebay. Allegedly it was built in 1975 and was test steamed then. Its superbly built, and I know it will work, it just needs some sympathetic work done. I had the Mechanical Engineer at the Great Cockcrow Railway have a look at it last night. He reckoned I've timed one side right, but one side is wrong. The tolerances on the thing are so immensely tiny you could sit for hours twiddling the return cranks to get the timing right. We decided the best thing to do was take the boiler off (groans), and take the steam chest covers off to see whats happening with the slide valves. Its going to be fiddly, and I shall be having a cup of strong tea before I start, and summon some dutch courage! I've done it before, didn't enjoy it though. |
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| tmuir |
I need to reset the timing on my Lady Anne and although in theory it is easy I do find it a right pain in the arse job to get just right. | ||
| bessytractor |
yes its a lot easier on big engines as you can make little marks and indents for the compasses to line up with. On summat this small its all very hit and miss. |
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| Graham-Jilly |
look forward to seeing it in action 
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| DLR |
Tmuir wrote
I need to reset the timing on my Lady Anne... well if you dont want it
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