Hello from Singapore

kevininasia · Hello from Singapore

Hello,
My name is Kevin, I'm Canadian, but currently working in Singapore, which seems to be about as far away from the rest of the live steam world as I could possibly be.

In 1976, for my 9th birthday, my parents gave me a Mamod Minor, and it was by far the coolest thing I had ever seen. I promptly filled it with meths and water and fired it up. I sat there for many minutes basking in the meths fumes and watching steam hissing from the safety valve, happily thinking “It doesn’t get any better than this!” Then I started thinking that the wheel on the side must be there for a reason, and gave it a nudge. “Wow! It DOES get better than this!” It whirred up to speed in a blur of motion with clouds of steam billowing from the exhaust port, and I was hooked for life. That engine was a cornerstone of my childhood. Later on, my parents divorced, and somehow, probably during the sale of the house, my Mamod went missing. Not sure which was the greater disaster.

Anyway, 30 years later I find myself living and working in Singapore. The steam bug never let go, and about a year ago it started to consume me with a vengeance. I bought a couple of Wilseco’s, a D14 and a D405. First project – conversion to methanol, after the D405 nearly set my rug on fire. Not sure what went wrong, but on the very first run, it left a trail of flaming blobs of molten Esbit across the floor and onto the rug. Methanol has been a lot more consistent and predictable, for me anyway. A few months later I bought a Mamod TE1A and Open Wagon on e-bay, and I’m very happy with them. My 1 and 3 year old daughters like putting their Pooh bears in the wagon and letting them ride around the flat. Then, inspired by videos on YouTube, notably IndianaRog’s first-class work on Old Smoky, I did a bit of work on the D405. Nothing special - new paint and a handful of parts from ebay, but it was a new engine altogether. There is a video here if you want to have a peek. Next purchase was a Marklin 16051, which by some truly unbelievable stroke of good luck I found on sale brand new right here in Singapore, of all places. Then the latest purchase, a Mercer Type 2 traction engine, which I finished assembling over the weekend. It was running for the first time, on air, this afternoon, and I just steamed it for the first time this evening. What a beautifully machined model, I must say.

I must also take a moment here to give credit to my wife, who has allowed me to buy these engines one after the other without so much as a peep of complaint. Much eye-rolling, and exasperated sighing, but no actual complaining. At least not yet. But I think after the Marklin and Mercer, I’d better lie low for a while

.

I’m very happy to be part of this forum – learned a lot already. I’ll post a few pictures/videos of my models shortly. Nice to meet you all, and have a steaming good day. By the way, if anyone else on this forum lives in Singapore, or anywhere in Southeast Asia, let me know!

Regards,
Kevin

Mitch

hi kevin welcomr to the forum how long did it take you too write your intro wow

johnreid

Welcome to the forum from Indiana USA, this is truly an International forum.

CuriousSteam

Welcome kevin

IndianaRog

Hi Kevin and welcome to the forum as well!!! Like John Reid above, I hail from Indiana, USA as does one other forum member...so we are forming a hotbed of steam here in the corn and soybean belt of the US.

Loved your intro and glad to hear my Old Smoky conversion inspired you...of course you went on to actually get a Mercer, something I was trying to emulate putting a new dress on my Old Smoky.

Hope you can get some photos and videos of your growing collection posted up here so we can enjoy...I especially want to see that Mercer, but since I just sold off an identical Marklin, I will try to skip past that bit!!!

Again, welcome aboard, we are indeed an international bunch of steamers, growing in numbers and reach everyday.

cheers,
Roger

Alf

Bugsy

Welcome to the forum, Kevin.

I am envious of your climate as well as your machines.
Your backyard looks great.
Here is a photo of mine at the moment:

I wonder if anybody has made a working model steam driven snow plough?

Dampfmaschine

Hi welcome from Scotland.
A wife who does not complain!!
Hmmm that maybe stretching the imagination a bit

Steamfan

You've come to the right place for steam. Welcome!

Nick

from Minnesota, USA!

Nice job on the Wilesco!

steamyjim

Welcome to the forum

logoman

welcome kevin, I like your intro - steaming a Mercer and then joining the forum - a memorable evening!
It's great to have another member who's handy with the camera too.

Bugsy - there's ghost in your garden.

Kevin Klein

Welcome from snowey North Dakota.

Bugsy

Graham-Jilly

welcome to the forums from the great land downunder

made-in-england

Welcome!

madeinenglang

Kritika

Hi Kevin

Welcome

from the South of England - brilliant intro and great video!

I get over to Singapore around 2 twice a year. Next trip I will drop in for a coffee say hello and talk TE’s. I never dreamed we would get a forum member out there.

Steve_S

Welcome to the forum Kevin! I enjoyed your introduction, and I'm looking forward to the pictures.

Wallace

Welcome to the forums, and what a great intro

flywheel61

Hi Kevin,

And another welcome to you from Australia, my we are getting multinational,

.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here, they are a friendly bunck and there's lots to lern, even for an oldie like me.

Now down to your esbit problem

Not many of us use esbits or the Mamod solid fuel tablets any more, except when we have to. There are a few reasons, they smell very bad and some of the older ones have been known to kill budgies (pet birds). The exploding tablet occurs occasionally and it's usually due to tablets having been left open for awhile, thus drawing moisture from the atmosphere. Living where you do, high humidity is common, so you need to keep them in a sealed container , and even put in some silica gel if you can access it.

Most of us now use metho/s (denatured alcohol in the US) and the appropriate burners for them. A good source for the burners is Forest Classics, in the UK and has been our numbere one dealer for the past two years, and the direct link to his burners is here, http://www.forest-classics.co.uk/Other%20Burners.htm,

He posts worldwide and has exceptional service with most of us using him at one time or another. You can also buy second hand ones on eBay, many of us would be only too happy to guide you.

Cheers

Chris

Les

Hello and welcome to the forum from Bournemouth.

tmuir

Hi, and welcome from Perth Western Australia.
As Chris has already stated moisture is drawn into the tablets and when they get hot it tries to boil out and shatters the tablets sending burning bits everywhere.

Hurry up and get yourself a meths burner.

A couple of other members here also have Mercers.
For harmony with your wife I hope you don't take a liking to live steam locos as they really eat your money.

Have fun.

Tony

willsy

hello and

from sunny somerset uk

mogogear

A late welcome to you kevin from Oregon!!

welcome to the madhouse!!

kevininasia

Thanks all for the nice welcome.

By the way, I converted to methanol right after I bought the Wilescos. After the first rug-scorching experience with Esbit, I never used it again. Methanol is cheaper and more readily available, at least for me. I made a couple of burners out of copper pipe and brass strips. They have 3 loosely-fitting wicks, and start vapourising after a couple of minutes. Keeps the steam pressure up nicely.

By the way, I still have 4 boxes of Esbit (minus my first 4 tabs) lying around - if anyone wants them you're welcome to them. But they have been exposed to Singapore's humidity, so your experience with them may be much like mine. Better have a squirt bottle close at hand...

Regards,
Kevin

Kevin Klein

Kevin, I would like to see how you made your wilesco burners. I am needing to make one or two for my TE's and Roller. Like you I do not care for the solid fuel indoors, otherwise I have been using Sterno but it is a little pricey to use all the time.

dampfmaschinenjoe 1967

Hi, Kevin,
I saw your video on youtube and thought " This guy with his wonderful Wilesco conversion must get a member of the forum "
and now you are with us !

Welcome from northern Germany

cheers Joe

BTW : Is the little lady in the video bitten by the steam bug now ?

kusuchi

Hi Kevin,

A warm welcome from Richard and Andrew in the US Virgin Islands.

I spent part of my childhood in Singapore when my father was stationed at the British Naval base there. (c 1963). Boy, does that date me. Have loads of pics from that era, including many of the Tiger Balm Gardens in Malaya. We actually lived across the Straits in Jahor Bahru.

Do they still sell Tiger Beer?

Can't do better than a 16051.

kevininasia

kevininasia

kevininasia