Is the Clishay a successful loco?

[David Powell]

Well, I am not surprised that some builders have found the original boiler design unsatisfactory. Altering the valves so that they are o.950" long with Exhaust cavities 0.500" long and setting the eccentrics( Now with TWO set screws ) so that steam is admitted just on dead centres has just about halved air consumption over the original valves, I still have about 70% cutoff, the ability for the engine to turn, albeit rather jerkily at about 30 rpm, up to a screaming howl . Steady slow running needs about 5 lbs air pressure, I can blow the engine round about 1/2 a turn but not keep it moving by mouth pressure. With 20 lbs on the gauge it is howling around. I hope this encourages other builders to look for some improvement in efficiency. regards David Powell.

[Jacob's dad]

When I get back onto my Cli-shay project I am considering making my cylinders “Uniflow” like on the Baker steam traction engine.

http://www.smokstak.com/gallery/showima ... offdate=-1

Jeff

[trainengineerrick]

What have you all found out about running your ClyShays? Did changing the gear ratio or changing the orientation of the engine so the gear box worked better in tension. I am building the Clyshay now and would like to know what worked. Rick

[wagonmaker]

Mr. Powell, how is your Clishay coming along?

I have ordered the book and am awaiting it's arrival. As the designer intended, this will be my first adventure into a live steam engine, so we will see what happens.

I am not that far from you, up here in Lindsay and I am down in your neck of the woods on a fairly regular basis. What is the name of your local club?

I hope all is going well and you are making progress.

Cheers,

Tom

[jmurray]

Hello,
I own a Clishay my father and I built, and have had great success with the locomotive using most of the the planned design.

Some modifications later did include a stainless steel firebox (steel burned out quickly), a steam powered cylinder that "locks" the transmission in forward when running by pushing on the transmission rocker shaft, and a smaller sprocket on the countershaft to decrease engine RPM to conserve steam and steam oil.

The Copper water tube boiler lasted approx 20 years of occassional use, and failed due to a false water guage reading while running at full speed- (keeping up with traffic)-(Guage glass was too small to keep a constant level).

I have replaced the boiler with an 8" steel/copper firetube boiler with a modified to fit firebox.

Another recommendation is to eliminate the rocking transmission, but utilize the gear reduction, and provide valve gear to run the engine in reverse instead of the transmission. In addition, using an injector in addition to the crosshead pump to supply water while the locomotive is resting.

Good luck, as it still is a fun engine for me to run...you can't beat the verticle boiler draft and the heat it can generate..(hence burning out the original plain steel firebox and grates).

[wagonmaker]

A question for David Powell...

The book seems to call for steel for the cylinders.

Could one use cast iron instead?

Cheers,

Tom

[James Powell]

I would think that anything that you had to hand would work for cylinders- brass/bronze, steel, iron. Possibly not green cheeze . Out of preference, a piece of bronze would be "best", but expensive if it didn't fall into your lap from someone else's purchase of the material. Cored Brass or Bronze might be possible, if there is somewhere that will sell you an appropriate sized chunk. If you are buying something, then steel is likely the best (and only econoical choice !)

James Powell

[steamin10]

Bearing houses used to carry cored bronze for heavey machines. These slugs were like 3-4 inches outside and a bore of 1 or 1 1/4 inside. I have saved several pieces for myself from various rebuilds where the stock was wrong sized or excess to our needs and scrapped.

Bronze is the perfect material, with cast iron second in my mind, and Brass a close third. Steel has a tendancy to rust too soon, and that can lock up your engine during storage.

Bronze will be the most expensive, followed by Brass, with Durabar or similar cast iron bar material the cheapest, and steel of course least expensive, and most available at suppliers as a cut or drop.

[wagonmaker]

James, thanks for that and sorry about calling you by the wrong name in the previous post.

steamin10, those are all good ideas and I will check with some local suppliers next week.

I have enough cast iron, but it is round stock and I always feel like I am wasting material when taking round to square ... the other way doesn't bother me for some reason.

I have some bronze, but only enough for one cylinder.

I have enough steel, but that will be my last choice.

I need to study the plans some more, and make a list.

I need to finish a couple of other small projects first, to clear the work table, so there is no real big rush.

Cheers,

Tom

[Steamrod]

Hi
I have been running my clishay for twenty two years with the same copper water tube boiler. It runs on anything mainly twigs and pine cones. It really makes steam when I run on MT coal. I have a 2.5 inch x 20 inch deep sounding steam whistle that I like to hear. It has a water tank about twice the original. The lubricator tank is about 4 times the original. At Train Mountain (is that a big enough track?!!!) I have a blast running it. One friend said it is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. The cylinders are steel with bronze sleeve and cast iron pistons and rings. The engine is turned 90 degrees from original and uses same transmission. To keep the gears from disengageing,it is pinned after they are in the desired direction. It has run on 4 3/4 inch track with another set of wheels,nice and stable. I was lucky to have great steam mentors while I was building my engine Ivan Ergish,Lee Tillitson,Barney Barningham and Bob Maynard. I can say I was truly blessed to have them as mentors!!!

[bill4227]

Well, I am not surprised that some builders have found the original boiler design unsatisfactory. Altering the valves so that they are o.950" long with Exhaust cavities 0.500" long and setting the eccentrics( Now with TWO set screws ) so that steam is admitted just on dead centres has just about halved air consumption over the original valves, I still have about 70% cutoff, the ability for the engine to turn, albeit rather jerkily at about 30 rpm, up to a screaming howl . Steady slow running needs about 5 lbs air pressure, I can blow the engine round about 1/2 a turn but not keep it moving by mouth pressure. With 20 lbs on the gauge it is howling around. I hope this encourages other builders to look for some improvement in efficiency. regards David Powell.

David, are you saying to make the 7/8" dimension 0.950"? Also are you saying the exhaust cavity in the cylinder block to be 0.500" or in the valve cavity? Could you post or PM a drawing?

Thanks,

Bill

[David Powell]

HI. I made the overall length of the valves 0.950" instead of 0.875". I made the exhaust cavity equal to the distance across the inside edges of the ports. The cylinders I worked on are well built and the distance was exactly 0.500 " so I made the valves the same. I set the valves with an LBSC style of" thick black line of advance at dead centres"( For those who like measurements about ten thous of opening at dead centre) I have NOT yet had steam on the engine, but it goes very well and economically on air. Once I have it on steam I may advance the timing even further, depending on how fast It needs to run at normal track speeds. Regards David Powell