The Home Machinist!

Assessing the reassembly and piping project. Club member said copper tube in the smoke box is liable to corrode away, so I just ordered some SS tube and fittings from McMaster. I must admit I'm a bit puzzled by your aversion to using copper piping in the smokebox as, to my mind, it is much neater a...

Glenn, as you say the 2-6-2T's were regarded as steadier riding than the much more numerous Baldwin 4-6-0T's. Unfortunately your top photo is not a Baldwin but a very rare Davenport (#1682/1918) and is actually preserved at Fort Benning GA (not Ft. Eustis). The other photos are of much travelled Bal...

Sorry if I appear pedantic Fred but it's a 'saddle tank' no "side" although, in this case, the first 4 England engines of 1863 (Princess, Prince, Mountaineer and Palmerston) were originally built as side tanks. Later the side tanks were extended over the boiler to give extra capacity and l...

0.813 is almost exactly 20mm - if that's not available in the U.S. can you get it from Canada?
Ray.

Mike, have you had a look on some of the U.K. suppliers sites? I just tried Reeves and they have the castings for their 7 1/4"g Mogul pony wheels at 4 7/8" x 13/16" finished or Dart trailing wheels at 5 1/2". There may be enough "meat" on the raw casting to get 7/8"...

Hello Fred, I've copied the information from Alan Stepney's website below, verbatim. You can find it at alanstepney.info/page44.html. I believe you're aware that the 7.25" Milner Hunslet and the 5" Don Young Hunslet share a similar design, albeit at different scales, and some of the follo...

Great progress Fred. I think you were right to go with the 3/8" steam pipe. I fitted a 1/2" right angle ball valve with 1/2" pipe and it was too much - you ran with the throttle only just 'cracked' and maybe it was this that eroded the PTFE ball valve seal over time. On the other hand...

Hi John, you don't say if you're looking for a 'simple' (ie you create a vacuum to apply the brakes) or an 'automatic' system (where the vacuum holds the brakes 'off'). A lot depends on what is fitted to the stock you intend to haul or what your club uses. In the U.K. the automatic system seems to p...

DFB wrote:I don't suppose that it would be considered a cary on?

Probably not - but I did get one of their smaller ones back, albeit in four parts, as hold baggage!
Ray.

Just picked up a flier at my local Harbor Freight which lists their 1000lb motorcycle lift (item 69904 or 68892) as on sale again this coming weekend at $299.99.
Just got to work out how to sneak one back on the aircraft!
Cheers,
Ray.

Hi Weibel, 'hope you don't mind me being blunt. From what you have told us about yourself I fear that you maybe asking for the impossible but maybe I can offer some advice. Firstly forget Dart - as Ben and Richard say, its not an easy build and the castings from Reeves are way overpriced. I have one...

Big Dave, when I mentioned political correctness I wasn't referring to your post but to the statement in the first post - sorry if I gave the wrong impression. Mike, apologies also. I had it in my head that the ban was to come into force next year - I stand corrected! Were there any condensing Garra...