Kombrink's American

[Cary Stewart]

Charlie, that is turning out to be one of the prettiest Little Engines 4-4-0s that I have seen. Quite a few have shown up at LALS over the years. Cary

[Pipescs]

Thanks Cary

I received a care package from Larry's daughter yesterday.

It contained an original style stack that is a slip on replacement for the one that Larry had on it back when I first saw the engine.

Not very pretty to say the least but I believe I can turn it into a spark arrester stack to use at clubs requiring them.

Also a original Hoover vacuum motor that Larry used to fire the engine.

[Glenn Brooks]

Charlie, I'd be interested in any ideas or plans you have to turn the diamond stack you show above into a spark arrester stack. I need to do this for my Ottaway before running it this summer - already looking at very warm and dry summer forest conditions, and don't want to burn down the neighborhood, or the whole east side for that matter...

Glenn

[Pipescs]

Hey Glen

Not too much to work from except the original L.E. Drawings for what is called the balloon stack.

Draws are too big to load here or to mail you a copy of.

It looks to bee a simple, brass screen top added to the shape.

this is a cropped section of the overall sheet drawing.

[Glenn Brooks]

Thanks Charlie, the drawing you posted is perfect. It would be interesting to experiment with some kind of spiral baffle in the diamond stack, that would allow the exhaust to swirl the embers out of the stream into wide portion of the stack then drop down at the edge onto the track. Similar to the way Racor fuel filters.

I've also seen photos, long ago, of ember collecting bags -made of screen maby, that trapped embers at the top of an extended stack, then collected the residue in a bag hanging down from the stack on one side. No idea if this actually worked or not. But with coal, certainly one needs to'do something...
Glenn

[Soot n' Cinders]

Glenn, what you're thinking of is a Radley and Hunter stack.

[Fender]

Here's a few more prototype drawings of diamond smokestacks, from 1909 Locomotive Dictionary.

[NP317]

And as I mentioned in another thread(?), my experience with a full-sized Radley-Hunter stack was that it seriously killed the draft out the stack, and made firing the locomotive much more difficult. Looked good, worked terribly.
~RN

[Glenn Brooks]

Aargh, I was wondering about that... To bad.

[Pipescs]

Getting it ready for a firing here at the house.

As I have only fired it up once and only run a limited number of engines, I believe the practice will do me good along with testing out the pump.

The tender is painted and all back together enough for the MSLS run in two weeks. Still no brakes.

the paint mask worked fine and I hate to hear they went out of business.

The caboose is only half finished but has chains and will roll. So I guess this will be its first public appearance also.

[Pipescs]

Moved the engine and tender to the Rust Bucket Stand..(RB on floor for a while)

I hooked the tender to the engine with hoses (not very happy with my arrangement). The hand pump tested out fine and I was able to get it ready to fire up this next week.

First a quick low pressure check with an air compressor to ensure everything is tight.


A quick question on the oiler attached to the water pump. It is directly above the water glass in this photo.

How are they adjusted. I understand the bottom screw is to drain it and the top one is to fill it. How is the middle needle valve adjusted to get oil flow with condensation?

[makinsmoke]

Who went out of business Charlie?