Restoring a modified Allen 2-4-0 barn find

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flyguy
Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2014 4:28 pm
Location: Santa Clarita, CA

Re: Restoring a modified Allen 2-4-0 barn find

Post by flyguy »

I was looking for the live steam article “A Tale if Five Moguls” specifically for a steam dome ball valve throttle solution. I reached out to LSORR about getting a back issue but never heard back from them. If anyone has a copy of the article I would appreciate it. I would like to equip Brandon’s engine with this modification.
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John_S
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Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:21 pm
Location: Cumming, GA

Re: Restoring a modified Allen 2-4-0 barn find

Post by John_S »

tyleire wrote: Sun Jun 10, 2018 12:35 am
Pieces of .010 stainless shim did the trick. Then it was on to the valve gear. I had a massive amount of valve rod slop when running the locomotive last year, so I knew I'd need to replace a lot of stuff.
I started by ordering the Allen EDM cut expansion links and die blocks. New link pins for the die blocks were made on the crap-tastic Harbor Freight mini lathe with a few attempts made to get the tolerances right.
IMG952562.jpg

We were less than amused to discover the original expansion link saddle didn't match the plans and therefore the new EDM expansion link, so we made our own.

IMG952587.jpg
IMG952592.jpg

Next we made new eccentric rod clevises with a built in offset designed for the rods to feature left and right hand threads for easy adjustments.

IMG952544.jpgThe hex was drilled out through the center and soldered on the rod to allow a wrench to adjust. 20180304_182658.jpg

Then lifting links were measured and holes drilled. Next eccentric straps were removed, lapped with Timesaver Lapping Compound to prevent any material embedded in the bronze, test fitted, repeat the whole process, and finally reinstalled with a tight, slop free fit.

Starting to take shape!

20180304_182719.jpg
Did you harden any of these parts? On my Mogul I remachined a lot of the valve gear and hardened all of it. The clevises and pins really need to be hardened as well as they will wear pretty quickly. Wish I had known all that when I first made them.
flyguy
Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2014 4:28 pm
Location: Santa Clarita, CA

Re: Restoring a modified Allen 2-4-0 barn find

Post by flyguy »

Hi John,

I helped Brandon with the rebuild. I am finishing up an Allen 4-6-0 as well. We made the clevises from 4130 hardened them to 35RC. I did not make hardened clevis pins, as I figured I could easily replace these. The link saddle pin and lifting arm pins were made from hardened and ground A2, the die block pin was machined from 32RC A2. Are there any other areas you felt needed attention? Im all about keeping an engine out of overhaul!

Thank you for the correspondence,

James
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Benjamin Maggi
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Location: Albany, NY

Re: Restoring a modified Allen 2-4-0 barn find

Post by Benjamin Maggi »

While going through the January 1991 issue of Modeltec magazine, I found another picture of Art's engine... which apparently isn't your engine. Oops!
Picture.png
Here is the picture from the write up about the IBLS May 1990 tour of clubs which included a stop at the LALS.
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Text.png (63.37 KiB) Viewed 14449 times
Here is the blurb about the picture.
"One cannot learn to swim without getting his feet wet." - Benjamin Maggi
- Building: 7.25" gauge "Sweet Pea" named "Catherine"
Steve Alley
Posts: 216
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:30 am

Re: Restoring a modified Allen 2-4-0 barn find

Post by Steve Alley »

I am so Proud of these guys. Really work hard to get this to run so good and sound so good. They kept there head in the game and tried everything to make it fire better and better. It pulls a good load and to see there smiles on there faces. It make me feel so good to see this.
Being the owner of Allen Models and taking to customer building there engines and hearing them run there engine on air for the first time or steaming it for the first time. Sure we find things to correct, but it still a heart lifting moment to embrace. This is why I do it.
Thank You guys for my smile.
Steve Alley
Cary Stewart
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Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 5:54 pm

Re: Restoring a modified Allen 2-4-0 barn find

Post by Cary Stewart »

That photo is of Art Laidlaw and his Santa Margarita Valley 2-4-0 loco (Well Dah) as it says in the caption. Art and his daughter used to come down for our meets in his converted Greyhound bus. He was an SP loco engineer on the central coast of California.
Cary
wms6
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Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2015 5:27 pm

Re: Restoring a modified Allen 2-4-0 barn find

Post by wms6 »

Well, just to even more confirm information earlier in this thread, Donald Pergande and his dad did build 609 originally. I just got off the phone with with him. He was very surprised to learn that it was still around. Gave tyleire Don's number so hopefully they can have a chat.
4-6-2 Canadian Pacific finished 1973
0-8-0 Indiana Harbor Belt 102 in progress
Western Maryland Shay #6 in progress
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