The Home Machinist!

Most definitely. In some cases the machines are just as expensive as the locomotive. The build will probably encounter delays as time and money is spent in acquiring what's needed at each step.

But that's the game, isn't it a fun one?

Well, this isn't much for an update. I'm slowly getting more castings and parts. I have the wire-EDM links and blocks from Allen now, as well as the smokestack, and some miscellaneous jewelry I'm picking up here and there. No more machining has been done since I started on the tender truck wheelsets...

Same here. Bead rolls have been a game changer (and shoulder saver). A previous employer refused to buy one, and continued to bead tubes the old fashioned way despite the time savings! I think the bead roll would've paid for itself in just one or two tube jobs.

Because I have preferences, for better or worse. If I can get it, I will. If not, will figure something else out or bite the bullet on shipping costs.

I'm looking for two short sections (about 4', or 8' total for the two) of steel rail to build an engine stand.

Shipping is killer from any suppliers for this small of an amount.... so does anyone in the St. Louis, MO area or nearby have some to part with?

Look, I understand some prices are high.... but a $100,000?! How does any person conclude a tabletop-sized model is worth THAT? It'd better have been built by hand by Mathias Baldwin himself for that price!

Beautiful model though.

I will take some of them. PM sent

My two cents is simple: A basic boiler wash has never hurt. Scope your boiler and see what it looks like inside. Worst case, even if it wasn't the best wash ever done, you did something. And it won't take too much time to do either.

considering all those pipe couplings that got welded onto the shell are not rated for the purpose and don't even appear to be schedule 40 I would say if you are not going to make needed repairs its a condemned vessel. Good eye. Makes me wonder if they are even real coupling fittings, or protective ...

A weldor can assess the welds, but may not have a clue about pressure vessels. Do an assessment of what you have (the weldor can help with that) and then do some research on basic pressure vessel/boiler design. It's not rocket science and there is lots of information available to get a basic idea o...

I'm working on rebuilding a roughly 3" scale dynamo. I've read many of the threads that have come up on chaski prior, but I thought I'd start a new one, since I'm starting with an already working turbine, and mostly want to configure a new generating end. The old generator end was an ancient ca...

I have not heard of "Copperite", but annealed copper is a common gasket material, particularly on full sized locomotive domes, slide valve lids, etc. Using a torch or tig setup, we would roll a 3/16" copper wire to the proper diameter and weld the ends together. Then carefully file th...