Kombrink's American

[Berkman]

Any ball valve should work. Just run a control rod with handle up through the top of the tender.

[makinsmoke]

The Allen tender valve works well.

Locoparts sells a similar design ready to run.

[Pipescs]

Will call Allen Models a little later today

[makinsmoke]

Hello Charlie,
My bad, as you probably found out.

Steve does not sell completed tender water valves but the drawings for them are included in the Allen prints. Everything is pretty much machined from stock.

Locoparts sells a tender water valve that looks very close to the Allen design. I don't know if it is done to actual prints. Jeff can tell you.

It mounts to the bottom of the tender with the fitting through the bottom sheet. The actuating rod can be made to fit whatever height you need.

Take care,
Brian

[makinsmoke]

Here's the Locoparts valve.

The disc handle is easily replaced with whatever
handle meets your fancy:

http://www.locoparts.biz/watervalve2.jpg

[Pipescs]

Taking a moment to update the thread.

The English injector was a waste of time. I had a number of people at Mid-South tinker with it and we could not get any kind of consistency in starting it above 60 psi

So I order the small one form Eccentric Engineer.

It was an easy swap with the English one and worked right out of the box. It has been to the track twice now having picked up every time I needed it.

I was even able to use it while running and for a 220 pound gorilla balancing on a LE American this is something.

[Pipescs]

Latest project on the American is a set of brakes. I have yet to see an LE American with brakes and I do not want to cut the engine up to add them. So I have made a stand alone brake car to pull behind it. It can hook into any train as there are no hook ups to it.

It was ready to test this weekend at Mid South but work got in the way.

The car was made from bartered trucks and the same construction method as the caboose. Took about four weeks to build out of wood scraps in the shop.

The brakes are air being activated by a solenoid hooked to a two channel receiver. The car is controlled using a key fob that will be Velcro to the tender by the hand pump. As it is a work in progress this may be hid in a small wooden box in the cab.

Original plan was to have a 12 volt compressor feeding air to a set of old CO2 Paint Ball bottles with an auto cut off. But at the last minute I am trying a charged CO2 bottle with a step down Regulator. The regulator has an adjustment from 0 to 30 PSI. At 30 the wheels lock up and slide.

Connie at Miracle Graphics is making me up the masks for a company that existed in my home town until 1969. A make believe car to pull behind a make believe engine.

[Pipescs]

Just a few more details on the Brake Car.

I ended up using the dab it paint method with the stencils from Connie Miracle.

I am continuing to improve on the American this winter adding cylinder cocks.

[Pipescs]

Last night the American passed its 40 year Hydrotest at two times the working pressure. Something to be said for Copper Boilers. Knowing Larry as I did, it was probably the third one it ever had.

In the process of oiling it up and blowing out all the water I also ran it up on blocks to test the pumps. It is running much smoother with the new rod bearings

This last years rebuilds concentrated on the injector and Cylinder Cock installation. Replacement of the piping for the pumps. and the addition of the brake and whistle car.


This next year I hope to add the hand rails along the sides of the boiler, put the light back in working order, and put a steam bell ringer on it.

Wishing everyone out there a Happy and Safe New Years.