The Home Machinist!

The most active builder of locomotives is Richard Ulin. He lives in Broomfield. Look him up. His phone number is listed. I can't speak for him directly, but I don't think he would mind a phone call from someone who is serious about learning more about building a live steam locomotive. He has built t...

IIRC, the 470 RR Club, a New England railfan/preservation group, has ex-MEC 2-8-0 No.507 or some such number already at the Conway Scenic RR partway through a restoration. I've read somewhere that the restoration to operation has stopped due to the boiler condition. I can't seem to get a confirmatio...

Alan, That is the big question, isn't it? There are indeed a lot of steam locomotives here in the states that are languishing in city parks subject to vandalism and neglect. However, many are too big to have a future as an operating locomotive. There is a following of steam folks in the states that ...

I recall when first reading about this project about 10 or 12 years ago, the Trust made it a priority to correct a problem that plagued the original Peppercorn locomotives their entire career. You see, these engines had a draft problem that caused to not quite steam at their full potential. Since th...

RWilliams,

What scale was Jack's GS-4 going to be? Was it ever completed?

Thanks in advance,

Rob Gardner

All, Sandy Whittum and I were discussing this very thing this weekend regarding the construction of his 3" scale/ 15" gauge equipment. Put the crankpins or axles in the freezer and heat up the wheel hub or crankpin hub area. With proper tolerances/interferences plus the heat and cold, you ...

Absolutely unbelievable

Those people should be shot immediately or drawn and quartered. I'd love to have nice Pacific or Hudson like that and these people go and destroy a fine engine for this!

Rob Gardner

Tim,

With this level of flooding, will the entire line flood or just the yard and terminal area at Glencoe?

BTW, how's the Greenbrier coming along?

Rob Gardner

Steve and John, Most booster engines I believe are designed on the prototype with a clutch that is supposed to automatically cut them out at 12 - 14 MPH. These were somewhat common on heavy freight engines and usually found on the rear of the trailing truck. Some slow speed switching engines had a F...

Greg,

Getting back to your original post, you showed the use of a piece of pipe to bend the spring steel to the desired radius you wanted. Was that diameter determined simply by trial and error or is there a formula that can tell us exactly what radius to use?

Thanks,

Rob Gardner

Dick, Thanks for the photo of your cylinder block as well as the info on the lost foam process. Regarding your passageways, were they built up from individual pieces to make each between the cylinder and piston? Do your ports in the valve chamber line up vertically with the ports for the steam inlet...

Tim, Any resources out there on the web to educate us on the process. I am intrigued by this technology. What is the best way to cut and form the foam material? Can it be machined or cut and fabricated piece by piece to get the desired finished product? From what you are saying, then it stands to re...