The Home Machinist!

Thank you for the leads.

Asking for a friend who is not on forums or social media…

Is there a supplier of prototypical & functional brake stands in 1.5" or 1.6" scale?

He is building a very nice NYC H10b Mikado.

Thanks in advance.

It is not unusual at my club to have copper boilers dating from the 1930s and a few of us have repaired several of them over recent years. The deflections in the firebox sheets are most likely from the initial fabrication or heating during construction, not from staybolt failures. Heat application f...

I can't help but wonder how many guys who want one have ever worked with a real one. When they are working well they are great - but they don't always work well. Trying to refill them hot can be a challenge. Every engineer that worked with me at the HRR managed to spray hot oil all over the inside ...

I too run full-size locomotives beginning around 1999 or 2000 and I still haven't found one with an axle pump bypass valve on the cab floor or tender top. :lol: I am surprised no one mentioned running their axle pump in the more "prototypical" manner, similar to an injector, of only adding...

Thanks for the great steam story. History gets forgotten so easily if we don't tell the tales.

OK… so I'll be the one to ask the question most of us are thinking… what's the story of Tommy Thompson’s railroad?

I've made one but the "plans" were just in my head. They are very simple to make to suit the available space on your loco. It is just a tank with a single inlet controlled by a needle valve, a drain for the condensate, and an oil fill plug. Just be sure to be very generous with the size of...

I am curious if there are any suppliers of 1" scale rolling stock in North America currently in business. Asking for a friend…

I made that video. Fern Poulin was quite the builder.

BTW… there's a big difference between "scrap" metal and garbage. I classify "scrap" as bare metal off-cuts, over-stock, etc that have no paint, powder coat, foam, or other coatings that require removal prior to machining, cutting, or welding. The removal of coatings is not worth ...

shild wrote: ↑Sat Jan 02, 2021 3:28 am Do you get new boiler certificates for all 7 every year? Or are some just display?

There are no boiler certifications required here for our size boilers.

My club recommends following standard designs and practices.