Kombrink's American

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Glenn Brooks
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Re: Kombrink's American

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Charlie, I am no expert on oilers. However yesterday at the track one of the guys mentioned a good way to determine if you are getting sufficent condensation and oil mixture is to check the inside of the exhaust stack. If it is oily, you are getting sufficent oil through the cylinders. If dry, not enuf. Perhaps open the needle value half way or less and watch the stack. Maybe someone else has will add a better method...
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Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
Pontiacguy1
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Re: Kombrink's American

Post by Pontiacguy1 »

Charlie... The needle valve on the side of the oiler is what allows the steam in to condense. These oilers are displacement lubricators, so as steam condenses inside of the oil chamber and turns into water, it then displaces the oil and forces it out into the steam line, which then goes in to your steam powered pump. Easiest thing to do is experiment. Open it about 1/2 of a turn, and run your pump for a while. Of course you'll have to do this with it on steam. Open up the drain and see how much water comes out. If it is almost none, then you need to open it more. If you start seeing oil in the pump's exhaust, then it is putting in too much oil too quickly, and you should close it off more. Usually, it doesn't take a whole lot of opening to get the pump the oil it needs without being too much.
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Pipescs
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Re: Kombrink's American

Post by Pipescs »

Hey.

Thanks for the input. Turns out I have a problem (still) with the pump. Leaks steam out the exhaust in a steady stream when running. It does pump but very slowly and as I say steams the whole time. I am told this may be due to me tearing the O-ring on the steam side when I replaced it. This is probably true as I did no mess with the upper control valves and it worked fine prior to me changing out the O-rings.

This will have to wait till after MSLS next week.

It is now on the stand and on Sunday it was tested with a air compressor. one of the safeties was blowing too soon so I adjusted it to 100 PSI with the other blowing at 105.

Monday my son and I ran up the steam and checked it all again. This time we blocked it up to test the cross head pumps. Left one leaked at the gland packing. As in a spraying leak. This was solved on Tuesday with a slight tightening of the gland nut.

I ran it again on the air compressor to test the pumps. With a 100 psi air in the boiler the cross heads filled the boiler to half a glass and then I used the hand pump to top it off at the top of the glass. So even with the dead steam pump I will still have two methods of replenishing the boiler at MSLS next week. I mostly wanted to ensure the pumps would work against boiler pressure.

The bobber will not be finished by a long shot but I will tow it around next week, mostly to test the tracking.
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
Glenn Brooks
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Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: Kombrink's American

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Sounds like you are ready to go! No doubt the o rings are causing some difficulty. Once you take it apart no doubt you will be able to visually see (or eliminate) any other signs of wear. I had a small leak once out the side of the steam dome on my old 2" scale 4-4-4. Finally took the top off and saw a tiny channel had worked its way along and through the edge of the top of the steam dome and threw out a nice little jet of steam - very picturesque. The little channel was very visible once dissassembled but invisible otherwise. Always assume d it was a break in the gasket material.

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
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Pipescs
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Re: Kombrink's American

Post by Pipescs »

Rushing a few last minute things to get the American ready for its first public run.

The pump on the side will be for looks only this run, but the crossheads and hand pump work fine.

The Cab got a new coat of satin black and after a couple of days under the heat lamps will get white lettering on the side.
2016-04-30 18.47.21.jpg
The Caboose is only half done so I have stuck the roof on temporarily and it is ready to pull behind the American.
2016-05-01 15.47.11.jpg
I did take the time to add screen to the bell stack that Larry's Daughter mailed me last week. I used some stainless steel tape (Aircraft heat shield tape from the USMC days) to anchor the wire and will see how it works this next week. It is a slip fit as is the straight stack so they are interchangeable in a second.
2016-05-01 15.46.51.jpg
Susie did say her dad was never happy with the way it steamed. This may have been before he added the arch to the firebox. He did always brag about how well it steamed, for an American, after the arch was added.

Monday and Tuesday will be pull it all together days and then off to the meet on Wednesday.
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
Glenn Brooks
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Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: Kombrink's American

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Looking real good! have fun!!

glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
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Pipescs
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Re: Kombrink's American

Post by Pipescs »

First two runs at MSLS meet today were great. After modifying the foot pegs the engine climbed the hill and went around the upper loop without slipping.
DSC_4108.jpg
DSC_4093.jpg
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
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Fender
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Re: Kombrink's American

Post by Fender »

Looked great running up the hill! We came back after the afternoon rain to steam up again, and it's raining now. It wouldn't be the same without rainstorms at the MSLS Spring Meet!
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
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Pipescs
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Re: Kombrink's American

Post by Pipescs »

I left at 1430 thinking I would be home in an hour. It was starting to rain as I pulled out. First it was school busses. Then heavy rains and a number of trees down. Finally in Alabama, I had to take a long detour due to power lines being knocked down on the road. Almost two hours
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
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Pipescs
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Re: Kombrink's American

Post by Pipescs »

One of the happenings at the MSLS meet was getting to run with Brad Malone. I picked up a couple of improvements from his engine.

I made my first runs on the lower loop with some wheel slippage. On Brads first run he went to the top loop twice with no problem

The differenced on his engine the foot pegs are on the back of the cab. Mine were on the front of the tender. I used some C clamps to move my pegs which solved the slippage problem but caused a couple of front truck derails if I put on too much weight with my feet. I also experienced a front tender truck derail if I leaned back at all.

It turned into a balancing act where I had my heels on the tender front and used my toes to add weight as needed on the drivers.

One of the changes I want to look into is my pop off pressure. I had my safeties set at 100 and 105 with an air compressor in the shop. They were actually popping off at ninety on the gauge when under steam. Brad's engine is set for 125 and 130 Psi.

Another shot of Brad's Engine
DSC_4121.jpg
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
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Pipescs
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Re: Kombrink's American

Post by Pipescs »

The first public run of the American was all that I hoped for. Being able to run it showed me a lot of things that need to be changed.

One of the things that came up for discussion on the track was my pressure on the safety valves. I had set them with an air compressor in the shop at 100 and 105. On steam they were more like 90 and 95. While I was able to climb the hill to the top loop I was popping off the entire time.

Talking with Brad Malone, his American was also climbing the hill but not popping as much. He has his set at 125 and 130. So after talking with other members the first mod I made when I came home was to reset the safeties to 125 and 130 on the air compressor. This should work out somewhere closer to 120 and 125 on steam.

I am assuming the difference is in the valve getting hot and changing the spring tension. Working in this area also has made me address the really rough finish that Larry had left on the steam dome base casting. Last night and today I cleaned it up and polished on it. I started with a eighty grit sanding belt and worked down to a fine file then six hundred grit paper. It also does not fit to the boiler with a large gap in the front. More on that this weekend.

I do not have a whistle as I used that hole to add my second safety.

Brad has added a whistle with a T fitting. This is my next project.
DSC_4061.jpg
Not sure if I am going to do it this way or make a new steam dome top with three holes in it.

But when I look at it, I do not believe there is enough room to do it that way. I would also have to cut away some of the dome top I believe
DSC_3456.jpg
My whistle is bent and needs repair. I have managed to make it tweet on air.
DSC_3568.jpg
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
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Pipescs
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Re: Kombrink's American

Post by Pipescs »

Rebuilding the Pump

I mentioned earlier that the steam pump was getting constant steam out the exhaust when running. I spoke with the learned Keith Appleton in England on the subject and he thought I might have a leaking O-ring on the steam cylinder. He was of course right. Previously I mentioned difficulty in finding the right size and having put one in that seemed small. Although the thing ran it was just too small.

I have also found that the cylinder itself is pitted which did not help the O-ring either.

Today I will pick up a brake cylinder hone and clean it up prior to putting it back together
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
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