The Home Machinist!

"Anyone know how those things get recorded or transmitted" In my neck of the woods, the detectors, both dragging equipment and hot box units, broadcast on the railroad's radio frequecy used by the train crews and dispatchers. The detector number, location, axle count, and the ending (hopef...

Jack,
I wish Chaski had a "Like" button! I would hit it for this one!

Chris, Trex is actually a multi-layer product with a hard plastic skin that covers a softer composite core made up from sawdust and plastic. Once you cut through the hard plastic skin, the underlying plastic/sawdust core is not very durable and does not hold a screw very well. In smaller cross secti...

FWIW, Even the full size loco / tender "hitchings" are tough to make with the larger mainline engines. Our 0-6-0 isn't too bad but a diesel locomotive is coupled to the tender to compress the springs enough against the well chocked locomotive to get the pin in. On the larger mainline steam...

The first photo is shown in the proper position. The back (side with the tounge) of the gauge is held parallel with the back of the wheel.

Hopper, The grates in my Fitchburg Northern are made in two sections, one right and one left each section is about 2" x 8" made of 1/4'" x 5/8" SS bar with 1/4" spaces and are bolted together to allow for some flex. They go the entire length of the firebox and are supported ...

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-II/part-230/subpart-B That pretty much says it all. 1 service day = Fire in the firebox AND anything more than 1 psi on the pressure gauge The locomotive boiler must be hydrotested, entered and examined at every annual inspection. (FRA require...

Chris, It's not an arc, but more of a taper that gets wider from the center out towards the top and bottom of the box. The amount is not much, 1/4" per foot on each side or roughly 1/2 degrees, with a 1/4 " flat section in the middle. The slot would end up being about .020" wider top ...

Question, Why don't us modelers incorporate "rock in the box" (hourglass shaped slots) when machining our journal box pedestal slots? This allows for tilt in the axle on uneven track. The fact that weight was added to the original design could have caused the engine to tilt to one side, th...

JB Weld makes high temperature epoxy. Use the studs as you state in your description to clam things together and let the JB Weld do the sealing.

FWIW, With the 45 degree method, you only need one broach fixture. Make all wheels with the same fixture - no need to reset anything. You do have to make sure the key slot is as close to 45 degrees from the crank pin as possible. All of the axles get a slot in line with each other. When assembled, t...

Not all of them remain camelbacks. Ed G's engine is about 25% Mercer A-5a