The Home Machinist!

Two thumbs up on that comment......drove 4,300 miles including a side trip to the TM triannual to pick up this nearly finished locomotive and tender chassis because, like the rest of you on this board, bringing another operable steam locomotive into the world from a stalled project is well worth it ...

Thanks for that tip, Marty....Tim up in the St. Louis area has recently made an offer to help....working with him on the details now.....but it is always good to know talented folks nearby!

We typically just use a rag when needed, although try to keep a good glove very close by in the event some issues with dealing with direct steam present itself....

Hi Ken and thanks.....but We are not with Mill Creek Railroad, but rather Mill Creek Railway in OKC, OK. So, just to be more clear, We are looking for perhaps someone qualified in TEXAS, KANSAS, OKLAHOMA or MISSOURI to finish out this locomotive....I have plans. As a last resort, we will go to Godsh...

Hello all....very much enjoy this site.....my son and I picked up an unfinished 1.5", 7.5" English 4-6-0 Highlander (black 5) from a deceased gentleman in California this past week, dovetailing in a day (Wednesday) at the TM triannual. We are back home in OKC, OK. at Mill Creek Railway now...

Say it isn't so, but if you are looking for a low cost solution, and you manage your water well......go get a low delivery English injector.....they are typically simple, but usually work very well.

As far as the radius of curvature is concerned, we have found that doing "string tests" using 12 foot chord lengths extended from point to point from the inside side of the railhead to inside side of the railhead and then measuring the distance from the inside edge of the inside rail to th...

Ok, given the textbook guideline minimum radius of curvature for on 7.5" gauge track for: A little engines Pacific: 40 feet A little engines Hudson: 50 feet A little engines Northern: 60 feet What would you say the minimum radius of curvature is for the exact same locomotives machined to the ex...

Called Hydra-seal today with exact diminsions of my cast iron piston piston rings. the helpful gentleman on the other end had no problem fabricating new cast iron piston rings to my exact dimensions. This is the company to call if you need piston rings. Thanks Mercer for the recommendation and to al...

Thanks Mercer! That should do it.....just wondering, is that K4 that is for sale a direct sister to yours??

Great try Bob....I just looked at Hastings, it appears my admission piston OD at 1.5" is smaller than anything they have in stock.....anyone else have ideas ??

Can anyone tell me where to find a 1.5" metal piston ring. The rings on my 2" scale Pacific's admission piston valves are metal, flat with a width of approx. 1/16th of an inch and a thickness of approx. 1 MM. One more thing, the piston ring ends where the ring closes are not flat, but rath...