The Home Machinist!

I've been wanting to build a CliShay since I was a teenager during the Seventies. But over the years, in the spirit of Bob Maynard's original CliShay project, I redesigned the engine to be bigger from the ground up to suit my wants and needs. As a sort of self admitted scrounge, I've managed to collect a number of pieces and parts, materials, tools, wheel sets etc. The reason I'm placing this project in this topic is my CliShay will be a 24 volt battery/electric before it is "converted" to steam (finances and lack of regular work are the issue). I acquired a really big steel vertical boiler during the 1990s (boiler is 16" diameter and 38" tall, weighs over 400#s) but the boiler is not right for this project (yet) and the tubes don't hold water at city pressure (it's forty years old). The boiler's restoration, conversion and use is subject for another thread. For now, I'm planning on cutting off the top, removing the tubes and put in an air tank and compressor for the whistle and air brakes.

Thanks to Andy Pullen, who machined my journals for me last fall 2010, pictures of the almost completed trucks are posted below. The side frames were given to me. The wheel sets were made up in the year 2000 for this purpose. Wheels are 5.5" diameter. I'm going to use #40 chain.

A frame of angle iron and bar stock is under construction and pictures will posted when they are available....

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George J. Becker
Lancaster, CA (formerly of Shandon, CA)
Model railroading is fun but the work expands proportionately to the track gauge.

There was a break in the weather and I got some work done on the frame

Made chips while drilling and tapping holes and got the frame inside out of the weather.

Next to fit up the center drive shaft and fit some chain.

One question though... I have 2"x6" redwood for the beams on the frame ends. Anyone recommend suppliers for hardwords in the same size? Do you think redwood would hold up?

George

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George J. Becker
Lancaster, CA (formerly of Shandon, CA)
Model railroading is fun but the work expands proportionately to the track gauge.

I like the color of finished redwood, but it is very soft, and will blacken if it gets wet form a rain near iron.

Either Pith Oak, Black Oak or white Oak is very hard, and can look good natural or stained, and would be my choice. Red Oak will be lighter than redwood, but still hard. I have my Oak cut from the skids of shipping pallets. The buffers are cut for a halted T-boiler.

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Big Dave

Be Alert! The world needs more Lerts.

The school district didn't call me for a job today, so I got some work done on my project.

Dug out old Sparky (the cutoff tool) and cut material for the drive train. When I broke for lunch, everything was temporally clamped down in place.

George

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George J. Becker
Lancaster, CA (formerly of Shandon, CA)
Model railroading is fun but the work expands proportionately to the track gauge.

Since I have never seen plans or read the book (it is in a book, right?), I have always been a little curious as to the drive arrrangement on the Clishay. It always concerned me how the drivechain would cope with the lateral displacement of the axle sprocket as the truck turned in a curve... but now I see the genius of the design. Put the kingpin above that sprocket (or in close proximity) with what appears to be a block of teflon to let the other end of the bar slide under the frame. Truck is equalized on a pivot on the bolster. With a little juggling of the kingpin's position, you can dial in as much or little side to side motion as you want for the axle sprocket. One question: is there a guide to help the chain stay on the axle sprocket as it skews when it goes around a curve, or is the angle so slight that the chain doesn't care?

Thanks for the pictures... look forward to seeing your progress!

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Jim P.

N&F RR - 12" Gauge Live Steam - http://www.nfrailroad.com

I can tell you that one, from the models I have seen run.

You slightly sharpen the sprockets so the chain doesnt want to pick up the points, and the angle, even of tight curves, makes for gentle and small movements of misaligning the chain. The chain itself is a little loose, it is a mistake to overtighten it.

The design works well enough, there are many that have been completed that run well without problems.

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Big Dave

Be Alert! The world needs more Lerts.

Jim,

I was a teenager when my interest in the live steam end of the hobby began. You could say I was saying "choo, choo" as soon as I could sit up in the car seat. SP ran through and split the town in half. We had to cross the tracks to get to one side of town or another. I tried to get the O.M. interested but between my activities in Scouts (Railroading was my first merit badge) and him as an assistant scoutmaster, school (the boff of us, Dad was working on a masters in electrical engineering at the time), and other things... There wasn't enough time. LALS was and is the closest facility (I'm a member).

But back on topic, Live Steam magazine published Bob Maynard's articles for about two years starting about either October or November 1977. I was 17 back then. I didn't get out or date. Between band, school (high school and college) and scouting (Eagle Scout 1976), there was no time except for shop, band, school and hobbies. I started subscribing to Live Steam about then and copied the articles to my project book. Live Steam magazine might have plans for a book (according to their forum/blog where I posted similar pictures) but nothing has materialized yet.

I'm trying to follow the plans with the idea of the minimum of machining and welding, etc. I'm making modifications. The original trucks piveted on the back end as mine but I'm using a 3/8" grade 8 bolt and hardened bushings instead of a machined kingpin. At the other end of the bolster was an assembly of parts. I chose to use a solid piece of bar stock and teflon material that will slide under the frame. I'm using the anti-seize I bought from Bill Donovan of Real Trains for lubrication. He also has a bearing grease. I'm planning on buying "flexible" chain from McMaster for the part of the truck that pivets but that chain is a bit pricy. Since my HF mill is broken/down and my Atlas/Craftman lathe isn't restored yet, I paid Andy Pullen to machine my truck journals. He did excellent work.

The original drive train had a 2 or 3 spead gear box and reverse. Since I'm using a reversable electric motor and the future steam engine will have a reverse of some kind, a chain reduction is easier and quicker to manage. First stage is 1:5. Second stage is 1:3. And from the center shaft to the trucks, the reduction is about 1:1.5. Bob Maynard also drilled holes and used a chisel to cut out material. I plan on using a plasma torch at a weld shop.

I've been discussing boilers in the live steam part of the forum viewtopic.php?f=8&t=89285 but I have the pieces and part to make this a battery/electric with a Curtis controller and hardware. All I'll need will be the batteries (famous last words, to quote Momma ). With the economy and my finances in shambles, I figure I can research the future steam option since buying plans or designing a boiler is relatively inexpensive. (Getting it built, is another story). Once I get this engine running, I can tear down my older battery electric and fix the crank shaft pin problems, frame, etc. The schools in my community used to have machine shops, but those went away decades ago. Its a shame...

Enough of my rambling, got to wrap up for the night.

Thanks for the comments,

George

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George J. Becker
Lancaster, CA (formerly of Shandon, CA)
Model railroading is fun but the work expands proportionately to the track gauge.

It is told to me that Bob Maunard designed the engine with the idea a novice could build it with mostly puchased parts, ( chains and sprockets ) and a few fixtures and be ambitious enough to use a hack saw and drill to do the job simply. I think he suceeded in that, even though the trucks are carried off center, and a few oddities like the boiler. While a little complicated to build, the design is sound from a performance point, Once all the infernal leak prone wet tubes are detailed in.

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Big Dave

Be Alert! The world needs more Lerts.

Thanks to you both for the additional details! George, 1977 was the year that I discovered the live steam hobby... but I was just 7 years old. Dad finally relented when I was 12 and we built a 12" gauge diesel switcher (over the next 4 years). It was many more years before I got the first steamer! Anyway, I've been mulling over the possibilty of building a 2.5" scale, 12" gauge GE 44 tonner for my railroad. I've priced 90 degree gearboxes that are suitable for the trucks, but they want lots of $$$ for ones that I think will be tough enough for locomotive use. Hydraulics are even more expensive. However, this type of drive would work just fine for this locomotive; it would do away with the need for an expensive 90 degree gearbox on each truck, not to mention driveshafts and u-joints. The center jackshaft and chains to the trucks would be hidden by the skirting under the cab (between the trucks) that the GE's had. I'll have to sharpen my pencil and draw it out this weekend - this may be a good project for next winter.

Anyway - my wife has friends coming over today for a train ride, time to go fire up a steamer!

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Jim P.

N&F RR - 12" Gauge Live Steam - http://www.nfrailroad.com

Hi all!

I got a little more work done on my project this week.

I finished roughing in the drive train and strung in some #40 chain. Also, while the whole works is upside down, I'm also working on a firebox design. I'm using Elmers white styrofoam sheeting and tape to play around with firebox demensions before I start cutting material. I'm trying to stick to a similar design as the original project.

Next, I pull it all apart, dig out the grinder, smooth out the edges, cut a rectangular chain access for the top side of the engine and put a little paint on the bottom.

Maybe, I'll be able to show off my work in progress at LALS for the Spring Meet...

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George J. Becker
Lancaster, CA (formerly of Shandon, CA)
Model railroading is fun but the work expands proportionately to the track gauge.

A progress report :

Last weekend being Memorial Day Weekend, I spent all day Saturday @ LALS Spring Meet smoozing and watching other people's trains. Sunday morning, no winds, I got an HF vertical whip up on the house. Monday, I drug out the chop saw to cut the material for the ash pan figuring I got the frame upside down, might as well "get er done" since it WILL have a boiler some day. But, as my HF (pos) chop saw started blowing the circuit breaker, there was a change of plans.

During the last week, I took in the 6" wide bar stock to my local weld shop who also does hitches (Dales Hitchin' Station in Lancaster, CA http://www.daleshitchinstation.com/ ). They've done excellent work for me before (put a hitch on my last truck) and cut out the triangular part of the front and back part of the ash pan. The rest of the bar stock and angle iron, I dropped off with Patton's Steel where I've been buying my materials ( http://www.pattonscorp.com/catalog/ ), gave them the lengths and quantity, and the work was done at a really reasonable cost. I know, it's a shameless plug for a couple of companies I give my business.

The other day, I clamped everything together for fit and got side tracked on other business.


Today, I turned and burned, making chips and assembled the ashpan.
At this point, with my hands sore from the wrenches (and its been painful to type on the keyboard tonight ), I quit for the night ready to drill the mounting holes tomorrow.


Next I'll attach the ashpan doors, hinges and put in the bottom.

A future conundrum is: Will it be fired off coal or propane? For some, I know coal is the only thing to burn. So, before I attach the ashpan in the frame semi-permanent, I was thinking of drilling three or four 1" dia. holes in the side of the bar stock over the ashpan doors and like a barbeque, add a sliding cover to vary the air intake (understanding propane burners will need more air to work efficiently). What do you all think?

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George J. Becker
Lancaster, CA (formerly of Shandon, CA)
Model railroading is fun but the work expands proportionately to the track gauge.

Momentous Day

I turned the frame over right side up and marked it out for the boiler outline and ashpan cutout.





Unfortunatly finances won't permit building the boiler or procuring a steam engine, I have most of the materials to make the firebox and a firebox (fake) plate to hold up the sono tube

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George J. Becker
Lancaster, CA (formerly of Shandon, CA)
Model railroading is fun but the work expands proportionately to the track gauge.