| 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. |
| alan2525 |
I just bought an IP Engineering Jane!I visited the Cambridge Garden Railway Exhibition earlier today. The show was quite low key, with just a few trade stands and show layouts.There was a great display by the Association of 16mm Garrett owners. A fantastic coal fired example with the glow from the firebox was great! I saw a little green IP Jane, it looked to be a little tired paintwise and seemed to be brush painted, with a wobbly chimney too. I made an offer and brought it home with me. Lubricated the loco, filled up the Roundhouse lubricator with steam oil, gassed it up (it has the Gas conversion fitted too) after a slow start whilst the oil got to the places it needed to get to. It ran brilliantly! Was rather enthusiastic unloaded but with a rake of three IP engineering open wagons loaded with an adjustable spanner and a pair of pliers was much better behaved! Had a good long run filling the boiler with the refil valve and gassing it up until I was out of butane! I've taken it to bits to sort the paintwork, and what I assumed was handpainted paintwork was actually just a coat of ronseal varnish over the top of the Green enamel. It had a sort of odd pinstripe and the previous owner had varnished over those with a brush. The varnish was all discoloured or it might have even been a coloured varnish to begin with! After a soak in the sink and a rub with some ajax, most of the varnish is now removed! I've rubbed down the paint with some rubbing compound and a quick polish and is looking almost as good as new! 
I'll post some pictures once I've cleaned it up, I was going to take some before photos but I couldn't help just trying to get rid of the ghastly looking pinstripes and dodgy paint! |
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| pauly |
great I cant wait for me own to arrive 
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| Graham-Jilly |
looking forward to some pictures
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| bessytractor |
sounds good!
what gauge is it? And do you have pics of your railway (if you have one that is!) |
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| Les |
Congratulations and look forward to seeing the pictures.
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| alan2525 |
Does anyone know of the company that produces these modifications for the IP Jane / PPS Janet?
I'm after a dome to hide the rather unsightly looking water filler ontop of the boiler for my own IP Jane. Alan |
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| tmuir |
http://www.pps-steam-models.co.uk/ Go to the MSS & Mamod Modifications section and you will see exactly what you want. Sounds like you had a good buy |
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| CCairns |
Another member of the IP Jane Club - Welcome.
I've scanned the IP Jane review from Garden Rail, and have a few more tips on their little faults, etc. If you PM me your e-mail address, I can send you those tips & review by e-mail, but it will need to wait until I'm next in Glasgow (probably in about a week). Otherwise PM pauly or MTA who should be able to give you a copy of the information I sent them. As well as controlling the direction, the reverser/regulator valve at the front can be used to tame runaway Janes. Try putting it at half open in the desired direction when running light engine to see if that makes your control easier. Be careful with the gas burner, as the water sight glass tube suffers from air bubbles, and you can end up boiling the boiler dry (been there, done that). You do not have this problem with the original meths burner fitted. You will find my IP Jane here - http://modelsteam.myfreeforum.org/ftopic4212-0-asc-0.php , and MTA's here - http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/ftopic409-0-asc-0.php |
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| alan2525 |
Here's some photos of "Jane"
The Cab and Spectacle plate look different colours here - in reality they look the same! 
The Buffer Plates needed painting as they are very tatty looking. I made up some scratchbuilt plates with some rivet detail and a bolt on plate for the centre coupling too. I also painted the smokebox as Mamod quality control was very poor and it was covered in lots of dust under the paint, a rub down with wet and dry and some semi gloss heat resistant paint later... 
I took the loco apart to clean up the Cab and side tanks - they had a dry transfer pinstripe applied like a go faster stripe! It was varnished over with really thickly applied varnish! Looks much nicer now. 
The running gear works great - nothing much to do here, apart from replace a couple of "O" rings and fix the screw thats been threaded into the top of the lubricator. 
This little doohickey was wedged onto the top of the chimney..I pulled it off but the old chimney was decidedly wobbly too. I had a new smokebox going spare so used that instead. 
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| pauly |
looking good how much did she actually cost
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| alan2525 |
It's 32mm, I don't have a railway but run on my Dad's garden layout. I'll post some pics but it's still quite new so doesn't look established yet!
Thanks - I didn't realise PPS sold a dome too! |
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| alan2525 |
I paid £160 for the loco. Which I think is pretty good price for the loco as it's a great runner and just had some superficial work needed to clean it up a bit. |
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| Les |
It hasn't taken you long to strip it down and start sorting her out.
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| Graham-Jilly |
Its looking great | ||||
| alan2525 |
I painted the Buffers for Jane - couldn't resist having a quick look to see what they'll look like assembled.
I think it looks the business! Needs the loco number on there in gold block shaded lettering too! 
I also engraved some nameplates for the loco to dress it up a little, more brass to polish too! 
I think it also needs an oval shaped loco works builders plate on there somewhere too - It might be worth trying to etch one of those as the lettering might be a little too small to engrave! I'm going to fit a dome, safety valve cover and sandboxes too. Just need to try to find a paint that matches up to the green IP-Engineering used. It's not my favourite colour but the paint is pretty good, if it was tatty i'd probably repaint it too. I was wondering about making some coal bunkers ontop of the sidetanks to add a little extra detail, maybe some handrails on the top of the tanks too. Although it might look a little overdone, i'll have to try to find a prototype that I can base it on - I guess the loco is basically freelance so anything goes! Alan |
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| pauly |
looking good Im interested in giving mine a re-paint when it arrives to set it out from torak and was wondering are they riveted together or bolted. 
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| alan2525 |
They are bolted together - so you can have it all taken to bits in minutes!
Do you have any photos of the Jane that you've purchased, was it an Ebay find? I should have taken some photos of mine before I started cleaning it up - It did look a little on the manky side! |
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| andysleigh |
its looking grand.
i want one!! |
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| Graham-Jilly |
its looking really good mate | ||||
| pauly |
yes it was an ebay find and should arrive today 
http://modelsteam.myfreeforum.org/about11065.html |
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| Garratt100 |
Hi Alan,
Glad you liked the garratts! Love the Jane, especially the bufferbeam - excellent job! We're having a running day at the South Arbury Railway (Cambridge) on 15th June, you'd be most welcome with Jane. Please pm me if you'd like details. Chris - 16mm Garratt Owners & Operators Association |
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| pauly |
how did you atta #ch the name plates
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| alan2525 |
I'm going to carefully drill the sides of the tanks and rivet them on with some tiny copper rivets. | ||||
| CCairns |
Your Jane makeover is going well.
Interesting that you have decided to fit a Mamod Smoke box, as IP Eng made their own smoke box & chimney for the Jane, and it is a far superior casting to the Mamod one (it is the one on your bench with the front part cut out to allow easy removal of the reverser/regulator valve), which is fitted to the PPS Janet as well. You should also have had a circular smoke box handle, and not the standard Mamod one I see fitted in you photos. I would also recommend soldering in 2 x 6BA nuts on the inside face of the boiler front, which allows the use of 6BA screws to hold the side tanks & boiler in place. Much better than the posidrive screws which are usually a loose fit. You can use the old Mamod Steam Dome, and just use a large diameter washer on the water top up valve, so the dome is a friction fit. Looking forward to some video action in due course. |
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| alan2525 |
The smokebox my loco came with is just a regular Mamod part thats had the corners sawn off and the middle section cut out. I replaced it with a new part as the funnel was a little distorted and very loose fit. Whats the best way of soldering these cast parts? I was under the impression they were of an aluminium / zinc alloy and couldn't be soldered conventionally? EDIT: Sorry bit of a senior moment then - I realise the nuts would have to be soldered on the inside of boiler! |
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| bessytractor |
its looking really good! That buffer beam looks the biz
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| CCairns |
Yes it was not clear in your photo, but it looks like someone has tried to replicate an IP Eng smoke box, as they do not have the centre portion in front of the valve, and the corners have a cut out to allow the buffer plates to fit without an overlap.
Yes do not try to solder the smoke box as it is made of Mazak and will melt before your solder (been there, done that!). |
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| alan2525 |
I made some little lamp brackets from some brass sheet, I'm not too sure how best to attach the bracket to the top of the smokebox as there isn't enough wall thickness to tap threads and a rivet picks up on the top edge so I can't piene it over. I think I'll just make a larger bracket so I can have a larger glueing area and just use the rivets to locate it.
I also started modelling some little coal bunkers for atop the side tanks. I'm in two minds about these but I think it'll help add a little more character to the loco! These will be satin black, I might go for a repaint on the sidetanks too, possible a darker GWR shade of green... 
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| Graham-Jilly |
looks great
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| pauly |
its gonna look grand when its done
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| Les |
It looks better every time I see it.
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| alan2525 |
The lubricator on my Jane was a little heath robinson, the thread didn't really feel too positive on the filler cap and there was an odd tapped hole in the top with a BA screw and nut threaded in. I've got a Roundhouse one but the pipework is perpendicular to the drain on the bottom, on the old one it was at 45 degrees so the pipework could be routed.
I couldn't reach the drain on the other one, so I put the drain so it pokes out the opening on the cab, just to realise that it wont fit when the gas tank is also fitted! Bit of a shame as I've silver soldered and cut down the pipework now! Time for a rethink! I think I might turn up my own one and have the drain poke through the side of the cab or under the footplate to make it a little easier to use. |
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| pauly |
Itll sort itself out in the end 
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| alan2525 |
Here's a couple of pictures of my IP Jane with the new Dream Steam Pressure gauge fitted. The pipework routes around the bottom of the boiler, on mine I also have the lubricator fitted so ran the pipework up between the pipework on the lubricator. It's very tight in there but it does fit!
One thing I need to do - I don't like the way the previous owner routed the pipework on the gas burner, I'll try to adjust it to make for a neat job. 
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| rangerssteamtoys |
Looks great, is that oil build up in the sight glass? | ||||
| alan2525 |
Yep, it's a bit of oily residue, I cleaned out the threads on the sight glass with a tap and a quick burst of oil, prior to fitting the gauge. | ||||
| alan2525 |
One thing about these IP Janes, the displacement lubricator works really well, once the cylinders are warm and the oil has permeated they can run at a lovely and smooth, slow scale speed.
They do seem to use a fair bit of steam oil though! |
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| Graham-Jilly |
i would love a gas conversion one day but at the moment cant justify the $150.00 
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| tmuir |
Keep watch on ebay or this forum for a second hand one, thats how I got my Merlin burner.
Also the Mike Chaney regulator came from a fellow member on this forum and so did my second Mamod. So this forum seems a pretty good place to pick up loco parts.
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| Graham-Jilly |
thanks Tony
so has anyone out there have one going cheep
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| alan2525 |
Etching builders plates for IP JaneI seem to be one for doing things the most difficult way possible......rather than a quick wipe over with an oily rag, my IP Jane is getting a complete rebuild. I'm going to make new sidetanks and a cab back, with extra detail, rivet detail and also a hatch in the rear of the cab to allow an open wagon behind the loco to be used as a small coal bunker. I've also drawn up some builders plates for the loco cab sides, which I've had a go at etching, I've done a trial one and I'm pretty confident those will come out looking great!
I used my Laser printer to print the reversed design onto Epson Glossy Coated photo paper, then Ironed it onto a sheet of brass. I used a hot iron, and taped the design down to the brass to stop it sliding out of register. Once the brass had cooled down I imersed it in a dish of water, and whilst it soaked rubbed away the paper with my finger. Once most of the paper was rubbed away I carefully peeled the soggy paper off the brass to leave the laser toner bonded onto the brass. 
The last stage was to etch the item using a PCB etching kit from Maplin. On my test piece I made one error though, I tried to pick up the item with tweezers and slipped, scoring through the toner and damaging the resulting test piece, however the rest of the etching came out brilliant! So I'm one happy bunny! I'll post some photos of the resulting plates and maybe a step by step of the process too. |
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| alan2525 |
Was this style of tender locomotive prototypical on 2ft gauge narrow gauge industrial railways?
I don't think I've ever seen an example but it does look rather nice to me, with ample space for R/C Gear, water pumps etc
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| James |
Titan!! 
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| CCairns |
Sorry Graham, but my answer is No. As you've posted elsewhere it can be beneficial to buy a bad engine just for the burner, and this also applies to locos as well, as the burners on their own command high prices on ebay. I bought the troublesome SL1K, which came with the Cheddar Models style ceramic gas burner. That has now been fitted to my IP Jane. Sadly these burners are now no longer available to buy. I purchased an SL4, which came with an RW3 & RW5, and was fitted with a Merlin gas burner. I sold the RW5, and of course this is the Merlin Burner that Tony purchased - but we've yet to see it in action! A recent purchase is an SL1K, which has been heavily modified with Mike Chaney upgrades, including his fine regulator, and it is also fitted with a Merlin gas burner. Unfortunately it is suffering badly from the 'Loose wheel syndrome', so I've yet to steam it. Hopefully get a posting done on it soon. A 2nd SL1K from the same seller came with a gas & meths burner, but I got outbid. The good news is with my current new job training, and no internet access in Aberdeen yet, I've no time for further ebay purchases so the auctions are clear for others like yourself. alan2525 Not sure if you saw the IP Jane which was wrongly listed on ebay recently. It had exactly the cab back mod that you are talking about. 
I now regret not purchasing the spare cab backs that IP Eng was selling in their clean out at Merstham a few years ago. Here is my IP Jane cab with the ceramic gas burner fitted. 
As you can see, the standard regulator fouls the vertical gas tank, so I extended the shaft on the regulator so that it operates from outside the cab. I also suffer from oil contamination of the sight glass tube, and this is caused by oil being sucked back into the boiler from the lubricator by the vacuum that is created when the boiler cools down after a run. Closing the regulator fully at the end of a run should prevent this. It is one reason why Cheddar Models fitted a steam valve to their Iver. The pressure gauge and siphon is nice, but I'm looking to fit a 1/2" gauge instead, as it is more scale like. I have a heavily modified SL1K, which has an R/C Mike Chaney regulator, but a rather clumsy extended bunker with trailing pony axle to carry the radio gear. I intend converting this layout to have a tender made on a flatbed wagon, in much the same manner as our 'Titan'. |
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| alan2525 |
I like that conversion on the cab back, thats just the kind of thing I'll add onto my Jane.
Is "Titan" one of you loco's then Chris? I'd like to see how the linkage works for controlling the reverser, the extended buffer makes for a very neat arrangement. I added the handrail brackets for fixing a handrail around the smokebox, I've also had a go at etching the builders plates. They look a little ropey in these photos but you have to bear in mind they are only 16mm x 10mm. The text is only 1.6mm tall, the space between the text and the border is 0.2mm! I decided to just go for pure fantasy for the builders plate. Briggs & Co ltd is me! I'm going to bolt the plates on, when I get some Ferric Chloride I'll prob try redoing them and see if it works better than the Sodium Persulphate I used here. 
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| CCairns |
No it is owned by Titan, who is one of our Forum's regular & very knowledgeable Mamod locomotive owners. And your photo features Titan the loco on his portable track at the recent Merstham Model Steam Show in Marquee 1. Your loco & builders plates are very good. Would you be interested in doing some plates to special order? I've got at least 3 locos or projects that could do with name plates. |
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| alan2525 |
I'll have to send Titan a message! I'd be happy to supply some plates for your locos. If you could email me the details or drawings for what you need to: alan2525@yahoo.com I was also thinking of doing a board to go on the front of the loco curved around the smokebox. I thought I could make a "Mamod Forum Special" or something! Would be fun to have that on front when running at any shows and would be a good ad for these here forums too! |
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| CCairns |
A great idea. It is a pity that the title of our Forum is so long to fit around a Mamod smoke box, but how about: - www.Mamodforums.co.uk Steam Special Sorry have not managed to work out how to put this in a curve on my graphics program, and if you colour it in this posting it underlines the URL instead. I'm sure a few Forum members would be interested in these headboards. |
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| alan2525 |
Something like this?
Although red doesn't actually contrast very well to the brass, it might be better to go for a darker shade, it could fix on with a simple band around the funnel and a couple of small BA screws. I think it'd look great! 
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| alan2525 |
Here's my Jane with the handrail fitted on the smokebox and the sandpots. I'm going to paint those satin black along with the rest of the cab and tanks, just with a narrow red line on top and bottom.
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| CCairns |
Yes, that headboard looks the part Alan. I actually like Red, although agree a darker shade would be appropriate.
It would probably be a bit big and heavy for a lamp iron that I'm fixing to my smoke box, just above the door. Your Jane is really coming on, and I look forward to seeing it in video action soon. I'm waiting to find out when I'm next due back in Aberdeen for my new job's ongoing training, but hope to get a loco in steam in the next day or two before then. I need my steam fix! |
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| James |
That sounds like a bloody brilliant idea mate!! 
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| IndianaRog |
Jeez, what a grand idea. No locos on my end, but I bet a fair number of folks would love something like that.
Bravo for thinking it up!! |
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| pauly |
I would love 1 of them for my locos
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| James |
So you make nameplates??
I might have some business for you
What price do you charge?
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| alan2525 |
Price varies depending on size, number required and complexity of the artwork required too. For engraving with my cnc machine I need the artwork as a dxf or wmf file, or can obviously create custom artwork. What sort of nameplates do you need?
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| steamyjim |
I could do with a set for County Of Somerset
Just rectangular shaped ones for a Mamod
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| alan2525 |
If you give me the dimensions for the plate and the style of typeface, I can draw some up! |
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| alan2525 |
I can make you a headboard for your loco, but I'll need to work out a nice neat means of attaching them to the loco, I've already started cutting some out... ...they do look rather nice too! |
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| alan2525 |
Traction Engines can also have headboards fitted.
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| Sandman |
Jeez we have some talented guys on this forum.
What a great idea.
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| Titan |
Well, the tender is loosely based around that of 'Blanche' which runs on the Festiniog Railway see here: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=r-bGCUrErzM So there is a full size version of this type of tender running with an 0-4-0 tank loco, even if the loco does not look much like a Mamod! Hmm, I would like to have a headboard too, I just need a little inspiration. |
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| alan2525 |
Thats a hefty looking whistle lurking inside that tank!
Does it still use the old mamod whistle to open the valve? |
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| alan2525 |
I changed the layout slightly so the dot's in the website address have now been replaced with 14BA roundhead screws!
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| pauly |
clever
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| alan2525 |
Here's one I made earlier in brass!
How's that for inspiration?
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| Les |
Very nice indeed. 
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| pauly |
GI ME GI ME GI ME GI ME you must start selling these
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| CCairns |
Excellent job Alan.
I'm just getting my loco names together and I'll send you an e-mail. |
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| Titan |
All I can say (or should that be type) is WOW!! | ||||
| Sandman |
Fantastic workmanship.
I'm gobsmacked at the quality.
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| alan2525 |
Here is what it looks like on the loco, actually it's just propped up in that photo, but come to think of it...the rest of the loco is too!
I thought it might look a tad large to begin with but after getting used to it the loco looks underdressed without it!! |
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| CCairns |
Absolutely fantastic.
I'm sure you will have several requests for these great Forum headboards. |
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| alan2525 |
[quote="CCairns"]
I was just trying to find some images of a cab back with these doors fitted to see how the runners are fixed and see what stops the doors from sliding out! I imagine it's just a couple of bits of angle iron or a piece of channel flush riveted to the angle to allow the doors to slide. Does anyone have any pictures showing these? |
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| alan2525 |
[quote="CCairns"]
I was just trying to find some images of a cab back with these doors fitted to see how the runners are fixed and see what stops the doors from sliding out! I imagine it's just a couple of bits of angle iron or a piece of channel flush riveted to the angle to allow the doors to slide. Does anyone have any pictures in their archives showing these details? |
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| Chris |
Blinking heck Alan, some really great work here and in some of your other posts.
Are you making bits for others (name plates etc), or just for your own use? |
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| alan2525 |
Actually I'd love to make bits for others, custom cab backs, replacement tanks, buffer plates, dummy cylinder covers - Open to options!
The purchase of the IP Jane was really just to get a closer look at one so I could figure out how to setup this project loco with the gas burner etc. The Jane was going to be a quick wipe down with a rag, oil it and steam it, only problem is now It's getting the aftermarket parts, new cab back, new spectacle plate, new tanks, rivet detail, repaint and lining...ahhh I'll probably have enough Jane parts left over to make...another Jane!
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| CCairns |
Sorry Alan, but that was the only photo on the ebay listing that showed the cab back. | ||||
| alan2525 |
Apparently those doors on the back of the cab (thanks to Tony on the 16mm Association Yahoo Group)
"are to allow easier lighting up and disposal of the fire at the end of the day. Much easier to stand behind the loco and work through the doors than have to kneel on the floor and work on a fire below the level of your feet! They also allow long shovels (paddles) to be used for digging out the fire, which would otherwise be too long to get in the firebox without hitting the cab backsheet." Nice to know! Also here's a nice pic of them on a 1-1 scale loco. Quite prominent feature really! http://ronfisher.fotopic.net/p46520787.html http://andrewjohnson.fotopic.net/c1005292.html |
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| CCairns |
They are fitted to a full size Barclay 0-4-0ST that I've footplated as a volunteer in Ayrshire, but that explanation is not applicable to the meths or ceramic gas burners that we use on the model IP Janes. Unless of course you have a coal fired Jane! | ||||
| alan2525 |
The reason they will be fitted to the back of my IP Jane is that I've added so many bits to the front end - the back end looks very plain!
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| CCairns |
Do you intend to use a tender? | ||||
| alan2525 |
I was thinking about Radio Control, not in this loco as I like it like it is...but there are other future projects! One of those will have to be a mamod Double Fairlie. But that's one for a rainy day.
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| GUTMACH |
Projects, projects.
How about a Pechot-Bourdon instead ? Wayde |
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| CCairns |
Also referred to as the Duplex Jointed Locomotive. Here is No.215, built for the French Military, and preserved in the Verkehrsmuseum, Dresden, Germany.
And this is 'Kostolac', built for the coal mine of the same name, and preserved at the narrow gauge museum in Pozega, Serbia. 
These are the only surviving Baldwin built Pechot-Bourdon locomotives, both from 1916. |
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| bessytractor |
I don't know much about these locos, are they basically the same principle as a Double Fairlie? | ||||
| CCairns |
Read more about them here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairlie |
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| tmuir |
Great looking name plates alan.
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| Graham-Jilly |
great name plates would go well at our displays on marvin
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| bessytractor |
thanks Chris, now I understand the difference. |
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| alan2525 |
This is the plan for the fixing bracket for the headboard:
http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/5633/bracketmg7.jpg A band of 0.5mm brass around the chimney with a 1mm brass plate silver soldered to a machined 1/4" brass spacer. Mounting brackets will be chemically blackened brass and complete with Brass cheesehead machine screw for fitting, and 12 BA screws and nuts for fitting the headboard! 
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| CCairns |
Fantastic.
I can see several Mamods / MSSs / Brandbright & IP Janes & even an IPS Janet sporting these headboards in action for the Steam Toys World Wide Weekend. |
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| alan2525 |
Do you think there would be much demand for fretted out laser cut accessory parts for mamods, and IP Janes?
I was thinking of footplates, saddletank conversions, replacement cabs and open back canopies etc? They would be similar to the Roundhouse Home builder body/cab kits, just with the fold lines etched in so you fold along the line and solder them up? I really think that the Mamod Loco would lend itself so well to this treatment. |
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| pauly |
that saddle tank 1 sounds like a good idea especially since the MSS saddle tanks are s**t
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| alan2525 |
It'd be great to see some Mamodforum headboards on our Australian members mamod locos! A liittle global shared identity for the Mamod Railway Loco owners!
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| CCairns |
I would say not really. Most of the hardcore 16mms have moved on from Mamods, and they rarely get a mention these days on the 16mmNGM Yahoo group. And of course the IP Jane was dropped by IP Eng some time ago, although it is technically still supported by PPS. Interestingly whilst some members have posted that they would like a PPS Janet, we have not seen one featured on this Forum yet! Also most of the small traders that offered Mamod upgrades & makeovers have moved on as well (Mike Chaney, IP Eng, etc.) And you would need to compete with the Dream Steam (Mamodevon) offerings planned. The Saddle Tank would be an interesting idea, but given that MSS do not appear to have sold many of their offering, and it is currently still not available as a kit & thus not easily upgraded, this must indicate a very small market. Apart from mine, plus one other one which was sent back in disgust after 2 manufacturing failures, I've not seen another Saddle Tank featured on this Forum. Even Dream Steam has not put these on ebay yet. |
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| alan2525 |
That's pretty much what I was thinking too. I guess for the amount of work involved it would be time better spent developing loco parts based around Roundhouse or Accucraft home builder parts / cylinders etc.
But then the price jumps up alarmingly! |
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| GUTMACH |
Promoting, marketing...Isn't there a way to make the Mamod locomotive more attractive to themarket, without pushing the price point into the realm of Roundhouse or Accucraft ? Aren't the Roundhouse and Accucraft locomotives more complicated and more difficult to operate than a Mamod ? Really a newbie in regard to live steam. Wayde P.S. The Monsoon Season is finally here, not a moment too soon, Tucson has the most 106 degrees days in a row (16 days), since they started keeping record of temperature. |
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| alan2525 |
Re: Promoting, marketing...
With my homebuilt loco, the plan was basically to just use the mamod running gear / dream steam upgrade parts, boiler etc and then produce the chassis and cab for it to make for a unique loco, with much better build quality, detail and finish than the regular mamod. This would really move it into the Locobox type of loco. Posibly I could also use the locobox cylinders as they give a more protoypical appearance as the con ron, drives the rear wheels, so the cylinders don't "wobble" so much! Larger cab would also facilitate fitting of R/C and extra space to simplify the fitting of the mamod upgrade parts. I think the mamod upgrade parts make for a nice loco, which is great fun to run, but there is still little in the way of modifying the look of the locomotive. My parts would be along the lines of laser cut cab parts, so just fold and solder, bolt together with BA screws, and maybe tap or drill a few holes. I'd leave the finishing, paint etc to the builder. |
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| alan2525 |
Re: Promoting, marketing...
Roundhouse Locos are excellent, pretty reliable, look great, run great but very expensive. I like the mamod as it is so simply designed, it's cheap enough to be messed around with and hasn't got the same "I can't drill a hole and fit a new buffer beam because it's a £1500 loco" dialema. The only problem, when working on a project, if upgrade parts are used the price soon rises to the price of a roundhouse Millie, so any additional dress up parts makes it compete with the roundhouse loco's which have slide valve cylinders etc. |