New Locomotive

marmite · New Locomotive

I need some advise on a new purchase. I won a locomotive in a local auction. It was cataloged as a gauge 1 engine. On collecting it I thought "my word that's big" or words to that effect. Yesterday I measured the gauge and found it is 2 1/2 inch gauge. For a suburban back yard this is too big and no local tracks run this gauge. Some of the engine looks like it has been commercially built spring, buffers etc. It was cataloged as a kit, would it have been a commercial kit. Has any one got plans or information on the build of "Sir Sam Fay" in this gauge?

I haven't quite worked out where everything goes yet. There is a lubricator which I'm unable to see where it fits, the blower pipe needs re soldered. The boiler has no flues but there is a super heater in the firebox. A stupid question but I have to ask, what sort of burner unit is it spirit or gas. Some of the plumbing seems incomplete, there is an elbow behind the front buffer which I have no idea what it should attach to and some of the cab bit are threaded but I don't know what attaches where.

made-in-england

could the burner possibly be pressurised meths?

marmite

Wow that didn't take long!
I was wondering if it would be meths or white spirits a bit like the old blow lamps. It seems to be a pressure vessel of some sort.

bessytractor

I can tell you now its most likely Bassett Lowke and it has a Smithies boiler. Will is correct it looks like a pressurised paraffin lamp.

stationroadsteam had a 4-4-0 equivalent once http://www.stationroadsteam.co.uk/archive/1649.htm

SKIPRAT

Hi Marmite
A pal of mine here in the uk has a model marine boiler with a burner like yours and it runs off Paraffin (Kerosene) and i am sure that is the fuel for your burner.

Cheers Paul

alan2525

Is the pipework and elbow under the smokebox the plumbing from a blow down valve fitted to the boiler? On some of my loco's I've fitted pipework from a blowdown to direct steam under the front bufferbeam so it looks a little like cylinder cocks when it operates.

marmite

I hope I've got my terminologies correct. I'm calling the blow down the pipe that runs from the cab along the boiler and into the smoke box as shown in the photo. Once in the smoke box it runs down the box and comes up alongside the exhaust pipe. I think it helps draw the flame in the firebox. The elbow is attached to a pipe that protrudes from the valve chest, I've got no idea what attaches to the other end of the elbow . There is a bracket on one side of the chassis just above the front driving wheel. Might there be a pipe that returns to the cab? Or might it have something to do with the lubricator the only problem is the threads on the lubricator don't line up with any of the hole in the chassis for mounting.

Bessytractor thought it might be a Bassett Lowke product, it would be nice if it was- I'd be more compelled to keep it. I wasn't picking it to be that old.

AzRob

Quite the machine! Wow!

steam4ian

G'day Marmite.

A good win!