The Home Machinist!

If I correctly understood his post, his drag tests were conducted without the main rods being attached.  That being the case, cylinder and crosshead drag wouldn’t be a factor. You are right - just re-read it, he put the "side rods" on but no main rods ... I'd look for incorrect rod length...

Is this a new locomotive (or one that has had cylinder/crosshead work)? If so, I wouldn't worry about it until you have run for several hours. I have never measured it on my Northern but your 4-6 pounds does not sound far off from my impression. Mine also feels different 'cold' than it does just aft...

"BZ8 adjustment"? ... I think those brain cells died, but it sounds like a 306X0 item

Dick - with all the casting you have been doing I thought you would jump at the chance!

Too many times in this hobby we reinvent the wheel ... I am working on a project that needs 2.5" scale signals. I have developed a NYC Tri-Light with 1.5" lens openings based on NYC drawings. I'll be scaling a 5-inch mast which scales to 1" OD aluminum tube. We can develop all these b...

A thought on keeping a constant fuel supply as the tank level drops ... Perhaps you could use a float-valve from a carburetor to keep the 'tank level' constant. Mount the float unit to maintain the lowest needed level. Not knowing your situation, I don't know if this would be in the loco cab, etc. o...

I have not tried it, but I think people have had good luck using the same electric motors used in electric RC flying, etc. as generators. They are permanent magnet rotors and generate 3-phase power. You would then use a 3-phase full-wave bridge rectifier (similar to what is in car alternators) to co...

In the past I have used "Passivated Muriatic Acid" to wash the boiler on my Northern. I totally filled the boiler and had a pump circulating water from a bucket, into the boiler, and back to the bucket. There was a low fire in the boiler to heat the solution. This worked well to free rust ...

If operating, I sold a 1.5 version for around $900 awhile back so they are definitely worth money.

Have not heard of anyone making a 1" scale operating turbo.

Here I am thinking more the scale of the target, signal height, etc. as opposed to making the signal 'observable'. I don't have any issues with 1.5" scale 5/8" diameter, Fresnel-like lenses illuminated by 10mm/20ma LEDs, even in bright daylight. Tristan mentioned 2" scale. This is the...

Before posting my previous post: https://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?t=113146 I should have asked: On a 7.x" gauge railroad that runs mixed scale locomotives (1.5", 2.5", 3"), what scale of signals make the most sense to you? .. 1.5", 2.5", 3" ??? A ...

I am looking for 2.5" scale signals. I'm interested in completed signals, parts, casting patterns, signal bases, housings, lenses, etc. Searchlight, position type (3 lamp, red, yellow, green in triangular pattern on round target as used by NY Central and others), etc. I am not looking for signa...