The Home Machinist!

I bought these castings off Discover LS last fall and started the build the first of this year. I now have the chassis finished and running on air (video later).

To save a lot of time I had the frame, siderods, brake levers and disks for cyl heads waterjet cut. Someone else had started this build so the buffer plates were already cut. Also I intend to build this engine as it looked when working in the quarry, that is without a cab.

Next was to do the layout and drilling of the frame for all the angle iron brackets to hold the footplates and suspension springs. The holes for the spring bolts should be drilled closer together by about 1/8" each side otherwise the spring hangers will not be plumb. I learned this the hard way and may have to go back and slot the holes to correct this. I found many errors in the drawings and will note these as I progress.

I laid out the holes with a ruler and match drilled the angle iron to fit. Nothing critical here. One exception is the is the buffer plates. Be careful to get the frames spread to 11.375 and have them all square. I have found that angle iron isn't made to 90 deg. so I put them in the mill and face one side to square it all up; it's worth doing.

Next I tackled the cylinders. Now this was a job. I tried to mount them in my big 4 jaw but the mounting flange only allowed me to get a small grip on the cyl. I ended up making a fixture and mounting it to a faceplate. This was tough to get centered but it worked. I'd try something else if I did another one.

Port blocks were next. I took the frames apart to do the layout for the cylinders and port blocks. The problem here is that the cyl is inclined as is the port block. The port block has to be be aligned with the driver axle so that the ports are square to the valve rod and valve gear. Here is what I did. I use a flat bar to align the port block and scribe boundry lines for the ports.

I did this for the cylinders too.

That then finished up the layout so the frames could be put together and finished up. Paint was next and then on to the wheel sets.

The drivers were already machined by the first builder but were made to British flange standards for 7 1/4" ga. track so I had to re-machine the flanges. I found that the axles were not right so I made new axles too. Sorry I don't have any pix of this.

I chuck the castings in the 4 jaw with the back facing out and face it off and drill and ream (or bore) the axle hole. Then go to the 3 jaw and machine a stub to accept each wheel and face the front side and turn the tire to finished size. It's builders choice for the quartering method. I've had good luck by making up a fixture and drilling the crankpin hole so all wheels are exactly the same. I use the same jig then to mount the wheel and broach a slot at 45 deg off the crankpin. Then machine slots straight across the axle ends to set the quartering.

You use that Art Olds method for quartering. It works well, unless something happens and the keyways aren't broached at 90 degrees!

That looks like a Monarch 10EE in the background of the first photo. I've run one of those before... They're sweet.

Hi Fred, enjoying your latest build. I have run "Lilla" at the Ffestiniog in Wales. That experience is what got me hooked on live steam in the first place.

There is a gentleman in Canada who has built (not sure if he ever finished it) a 7 1/2" gauge version of Lilla. I have lost touch with him and attempts to re-establish contact have failed. What was there was quite beautiful last time he emailed pics.

Inclined cylinders are an extra challenge, but if you visualize the entire valve gear setup as rotated to the frame it makes sense. I like your technique for locating.

-M

Fred,
This is your third Welsh steam engine if my counting is correct. First a Sweet Pea (modified), then your larger red engine, and now this!

Those of us building Welsh narrow gauge engines need to stick together!

Scott, that is Art's method and on the big red engine he had started making the drivers before he passed away. He had made 2 sets and I used his fixture to make a 3rd set. When I got it running on air it sounded really off. I got to looking at it and, yes, the quartering was off by 10 to 20 deg. His eye sight had really gone down when he made the fixture. That took some doing to fix.

Ben, there are 2 others that you don't know about. The big green one is a sister to the red one. My first engine was an Allen Chloe made to look like a Hunslet.

The siderods are interesting. The way the bearings are installed is unusual. They are split bearings with the forward one having a sloping front edge and a gib to tighten the whole affair. This makes the to rod adjustable. If you file some off the rear edge of the rear bearing the whole rear set will move back effectively stretching the rod length. If you file off the the rear of the front bearing it will shorten the rod length. COOL?

The crankpins have a bulb outer end not a cap. To remove the rods you remove the gibs, slide the front bearing forward then the rod will slide back and come off. COOL 2!

Fred, tell me more about the Allen Chloe modified (perhaps in a PM if you want). I really want to do my Sweet William with side tanks and would love to see more pictures of the Chloe.

As to the siderods, they are neat. My engine calls for round profile marine style rods with ends that bolt together over a hub of a crankpin. I am not sure yet that I like the appearance of round rods or the ability for the rods to loosen up over time.

Your engine is really coming along!