Rebuilt Lubricator on My Yankee Shop Hudson

[Carrdo]

No beauty but now it works extremely well. It produces one click of the ratchet wheel per revolution when run off the top of the combination lever as per the prototype. Formerly, it had a coat hanger link to the bottom of the Baker gear connecting rod.

Since, on the model, the LBSC type lubricator is not scale, is much bigger and sits much further to the outside than the prototype Nathan lubricator, the links connecting the lubricator to the combination lever are different than those seen on the NYC Hudson. I build detailed working models (not scale) with an emphasis on working.

The rebuild included:

a new 01 hardened and tempered ratchet wheel,
a new 01 stationary swivel pawl and 0.012" dia. spring wire to positively lock the (hardened) pawl to the ratchet wheel,
a new and slightly heavier lever arm,
a new and slightly heavier ratchet wheel shaft as the old one was slightly bent and mis-threaded,
a new bashed up metal cover as the original had none (the lubricator was jammed up against the underside of the running board),
lowered the position of the lubricator with new mounting hardware to accommodate the removable cover,
new links to the combination lever,
all new nuts bolts and washers,
ensuring that everything was in alignment and moved freely but with no play.

This locomotive had 30 years of running when I acquired it. I wanted to see what happens when there is this much running time on a model and it has gone through several owners and has been well used (and abused). One can learn a lot in the process. I use it as a test bed when making (or modifying) new parts or for trying out new ideas.

[Loco112]

Looks good to me!

It looks like the same mechanism that I saw a long time ago in a lubricator kit, but I can not remember who sold it.

Anyone know of plans available for these? I'd like to upscale it.

[cbrew]

if i may ask, can i see a picture of the connection to the combo link.
I just mounted the lubricator on my Allen ten wheeler, and i was going to drive it off the pin you see on the left here, but i am concerned because the travel will be reduced as the gear is notched up.
Thoughts?

[Steve Bratina]

Any chance of seeing a picture of the locomotive with some history thrown in?

[Carrdo]

Chris' comment regarding the lack of travel when notched up (or even when running in full forward or reverse gear) is valid. See photo closeup of the lubricator attachment point.

On the Yankee Shop design there is about 1/2" between the centerline of the valve spindle and the centerline of the lubricator attachment point (which itself is an extension of the combination lever). Without going into the complicated details of the non circular motion produced by the combination lever, the resultant movement at the end of the lubricator actuator arm is indeed small.

On the end of the lubricator actuator arm, there are several equally spaced similar sized holes where the forked end of the horizontal link can be moved up. Re-positioning the forked end of the horizontal link results in a shorter lever arm and to simplify greatly, the results are, for the same linear movement, there will be more rotation of the ratchet wheel.

Also, for a well worn locomotive such as this and with my basic driving skills (I rarely notch up), the occasional loss of lubrication doesn't really concern me. As parts wear and lost motion also becomes an issue, it is likely the lubricator will fail to pump and I will then have to make (go back to) the link to the Baker valve gear as was originally done (but no coat hanger wire please!).

Steve,

You are making me work asking for the locomotive's history. Briefly, the locomotive was bought from an estate sale in Trenton, Ontario in 19?? by Todd Michel of the Bluewater Model Engineering Society (Sarnia). Todd ran the locomotive for many years at the Society's track in track in Corunna. I purchased the locomotive in Oct., 2006.

The locomotive was one of two 3/4" scale Hudson's purchased from Todd. The other was a CPR Hudson which went to Dave Powell of TSME. After doing some work on it, Dave subsequently sold this Hudson to Joe Foster another TSME member who subsequently turned it into a Dreyfuss type NYC Hudson (at least the streamlined shell). There are photos of this locomotive running at the GHLS and the RHLS tracks in the TSME photo archives.

There is more to the story as both the main cylinders and the main drivers are now Coventry and Hoffman Hudson respectively (they were originally Yankee Shop). I also have a photo of the locomotive when it was nearing completion by the original builder but unfortunately there is no identifying information present with the photo.

[Carrdo]

A few photos of the locomotive itself. Obviously, a little more work still needs to be done.

[cbrew]

Chris' comment regarding the lack of travel when notched up (or even when running in full forward or reverse gear) is valid. See photo closeup of the lubricator attachment point.

On the Yankee Shop design there is about 1/2" between the centerline of the valve spindle and the centerline of the lubricator attachment point (which itself is an extension of the combination lever). Without going into the complicated details of the non circular motion produced by the combination lever, the resultant movement at the end of the lubricator actuator arm is indeed small.

On the end of the lubricator actuator arm, there are several equally spaced similar sized holes where the forked end of the horizontal link can be moved up. Re-positioning the forked end of the horizontal link results in a shorter lever arm and to simplify greatly, the results are, for the same linear movement, there will be more rotation of the ratchet wheel.

Also, for a well worn locomotive such as this and with my basic driving skills (I rarely notch up), the occasional loss of lubrication doesn't really concern me. As parts wear and lost motion also becomes an issue, it is likely the lubricator will fail to pump and I will then have to make (go back to) the link to the Baker valve gear as was originally done (but no coat hanger wire please!).

Good Morning
Thank for the info, I also rarely "notch up" the loco, but with the new chassis and baker gear, I want to see if its possible (another words, I did not screw yup the design mush)
I will look over mine. but i just may connect at the pin that drive the valve. not sure yet

again
Thank for the insight!
Chris

[Carrdo]

One additional item when working on a copper boiler for this locomotive and for any others.

There are many mild steel and cap screws which have been tapped directly into the copper boiler and its parts particularly with anything around the firebox end of the boiler. Please don't do this but use only a good quality copper/bronze fastener such as phosphor bronze. I have had to remove so many completely rusted in/welded in steel fasteners over the years that I have developed a unique method for removing the stumps without damaging the copper or the original thread.

I am not going to show in detail how this is done as the method is fraught with danger and difficulty other than to say that, basically, I am left to micro hand drill the stump. I also would not use any brass fasteners for the same reason.

I have had no experience using stainless steel fasteners so I can't comment on that.

Finally, when any fasteners are replaced, the final operation is to coat the fastener with an (any) anti seize compound before re-installing. My tin says that it is rated up to 2300 degrees fahrenheit. This makes the fastener removable again practically forever. A little preparation that saves tons of grief and headaches.

[Ryker Carruthers]

I dont know about the "one click per revolution"... Even if you dont notch up, How do you know one click is all your engine needs? I hate to read about people just going by one click... Not trying to start anything, just trying to help. Go by the water dripping out of the packing gland or cylinder cock. If it looks milky you are okay. Hold a set of shiney pliers under it, catch a little, you should be able to see some oil floating. On our 1/4 scale case, I think I am at 4 clicks per stroke of the valve rod. Thats the way the old timers did it and I am glad to retain some of what I have been told.
Ryker

[Carrdo]

I just rebuilt a second lubricator in exactly the same way as the first. The only additional thing needed was to soft solder in some brass filler pieces on the body where it previously had been drilled.

Making the "bird's eye" (the new stationary) pawls was a project by itself. But this is the fun part of how to do things by one's own method's and with equipment you either have or don't have.