The Home Machinist!

Only 6 months since the last post; the engine has been sitting with boiler parts sitting around untended. But now with Cabin Fever past I don't have any shows for a while to get models ready for. So I made new gaskets for the steam dome and buttoned it up. Planning to take the boiler/throttle assemb...

Wayne Godshall is building a Big Boy for a customer. It was not at CF, but the partial FEF was. Wayne stated that the valve gear for the two are the same, so he'll be doing both at the same time.

Not sure Big Boys were used on passenger trains.

3 packages of model scale screws from American Model Engineering.

That's some masterful work right there!

CSP&P used hinged plates as locks for years until we started getting very long locos coming to the track. If said loco overhangs the turntable it may not be possible to turn the hinge. So it was modified to use a sliding plate.

In a lot of places the operator is responsible for setting tool heights and monitoring tool wear, changing tools when necessary, etc.

A lot may depend on how much the programmer/engineer is familiar with the machine controls.

I use both Draftsight and the Solidworks Student Edition under the veteran's license. I'm on the second year with SW, and it does require getting a new copy each year for $20. Clearly SW is not needed for OP's requirements. FWIW, I did not find the learning curve that steep for 3D CAD since there ar...

I will be doing an excursion trip tomorrow from Quito. Unfortunately it's a diesel engine. The steam excursion runs twice a month and doesn't fall on my visit. I went to the station yesterday to book the ticket and saw the mogul engine in the yard. Took a number of photos but will have to wait until...

You might look at Trainman's new engine "kit".

I too like stressproof. 12L14 is also a very common "free machining" steel.

What about using threaded rod with the nuts of your choice?