Nickel Plate 762

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JBodenmann
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Location: Tehachapi, California

Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Thank you Asteamhead, I always enjoy seeing your fine work also. Here are some snappies of Jim's Berk. And a little about shop photography. This top photo came out fine , although there is a bit too much background clutter. The lighting was pretty good. But the second photo was lame. The afternoon sun often shines in the windows of the roll up door. This causes photos to have too much backlighting and caused this one to be all washed out. So I have these cardboard panels that can be popped in the windows when needed. I can place one, or all of them in place, to control the amount, and direction of light. The fourth photo down is now just fine. I also have four foot LED strips hanging from the ceiling here and there. They can also be turned on or off individually for lighting purposes. When doing shop photos of your work it is also good to arrange things or frame the photo so there is not too much background clutter. When I photograph little trinkets on the work table I will clean up the mess so you won't realize what a pig I am :D And often throw a new red rag down under the work piece. Our photos represent us so we want to make the best impression possible. One last thing, before I take Jim's engine apart for painting I will hang some back drops in the shop and spend a couple hours moving the engine around to shoot it from all angles. I will use some additional spot lighting to highlight certain details. That's all for now.
Jack
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JBodenmann
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Just some little baloney today. A photo Jim provided of the top of the boiler showing the layout and piping of the two fireman's side turbo generators. And sitting on this photo we have some little trinkets. Some dummy globe valves for both 1/8", and 3/32" piping. Also a couple Barco flexible couplings, a 3/32" tee, and elbow. These will be used to set up the piping like in the photo. On the prototype a 1/2" pipe exits the turret casing and goes to the rear generator. A 1/4" pipe tees off from this and proceeds to the front generator. There are globe valves to isolate either generator. One 1/2" valve and one 1/4" Valve. These will be represented on Jim's Berk. by the 1/8", and 3/32" valves. Having good photos always helps. Also the fact that Nickel Plate Berkshires still exist. When I get this whole mess stuck together I will see how closely I can reproduce this view, minus the rust and decay... It should be a lot of fun. :D
See Ya' Later Alligator.
Jack
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Fittings.jpeg
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JBodenmann
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
I haven't posted anything concerning Jim's Berk for a while so here are a couple snappies. The goal lately has been to button up a lot of loose ends so the engine can be taken apart for painting. The Johnson bar was a bit of a fiddle as it couldn't really be mounted in the true prototype location. It had to be placed where Gulliver could get his giant fingers on it. So it was moved towards the tender where access through the window was possible. The brake stand is also being a problem child. It had to be reduced in height so as to clear the throttle ever, but not too much, as it had to be reachable through the window also. It still hasn't been stuck down permanently. I made a few of these brake stands years ago, but as they were a real challenge to make I don't think there will be any more. My hair is gray and getting thinner by the day, but you never know. This was long before I had mold making skills, so if I do make more they will have a much more prototypical look. Mainly there is some piping left to make. There is a steam line to the hot water pump that runs under the jacket on the fireman's side. A steam line to the compressors that will run through a hollow stay through the boiler, and an air line to the power reverse. Also an air line to the driver brake cylinder. And a steam line to the cylinder cocks. Then there is the conduit for the headlamp, mars light, markers, and also the cab lighting. The conduit and wiring will all be done after painting, along with a lot of fussy little details. No shortage of things to do!
Jack
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JBodenmann
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Here is something you may find useful. I have been finishing up some piping on Jim's Berk and was threading some elbows and tees. So I thought I would show you a couple little dodges that makes things easier. First the elbow is gently clamped in the drill press vise, squaring it up as good as can be done by eye. Be careful or you can easily deform these little castings. Put the tap in the drill press chuck and remove the drive belt. We will be turning the drill press by hand. My drill press allows for the return spring on the quill to be relaxed so the quill will drop due to it's own weight. Then the elbow is tapped with a model pipe taper tap. In this case 1/4". Then remove the elbow from the vise and thread a mandrel into the part we just threaded. This will allow the elbow to be positioned so the next thread can be cut at 90 degrees from the first one. This mandrel is set upon a 1-2-3 block that has been shimmed up to the correct height, and the elbow clamped in the vise. Now the second thread can be cut. Here we are threading a street ell, so a die holder is being used. But it's the same routine for a regular ell, or Tee. The elbow being threaded here is from Patrick at California Locomotive. He has a very nice line of Tees, and elbows.
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JBodenmann
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by JBodenmann »

While we are on the subject of threading here is something else. Most of us have a selection of model pipe taps and dies and after a time they will become dull. They need to be pretty sharp for things like these little pipe fittings to be threaded without specialized holding fixtures, as we can't really clamp them that well with the drill press vise. So here is a way to sharpen them. I have a selection of small stones for the Dremel. The stone for sharpening these dies is 1/4" in diameter. It just fits in the three holes in the die. You want to use the largest stone that will fit in the die. A smaller stone works for sharpening the tap. Grind lightly being careful not to overheat things. The die is easy to sharpen, but the tap, not so much. Be careful not to let the stone climb up and over groove, or it will round over the cutting edge and that's not what we want. This will greatly extend the life of your taps and dies.
Happy Model Building
Jack
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Steggy
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by Steggy »

JBodenmann wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:58 am Hello My Friends
I haven't posted anything concerning Jim's Berk for a while so here are a couple snappies...
I must say that backhead and the control placements look very nice.
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ccvstmr
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by ccvstmr »

JBodenmann wrote: Thu Jun 24, 2021 12:24 am While we are on the subject of threading here is something else. Most of us have a selection of model pipe taps and dies and after a time they will become dull. So here is a way to sharpen them. I have a selection of small stones for the Dremel. The die is easy to sharpen, but the tap, not so much. Be careful not to let the stone climb up and over groove, or it will round over the cutting edge and that's not what we want.
Jack
Thanks Jack. Have tried this with standard dies...with mixed results. As you noted...the most important part is to NOT let the stone climb up on the cutting edges. Therefore, using the largest stone possible in the die openings should help prevent "stone climb". Thanks for sharing (with photos) another one of your many...tips, tricks and techniques! Carl B.
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apm
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by apm »

Those photos of the cab look great but that's a huge engine to hand fire will we see a stoker show up anytime soon?

Anyone ever make a working one over here or is that only a German thing to do?
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JBodenmann
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
APM is correct, this huge fire box would wear out a fireman in no time. This engine doesn't have a functional stoker, but it has a stoker engine (a dummy). But this stoker engine does has a function. It hides and injector. These engines had a large exhaust line that ran from underneath the stoker engine up towards the smoke box. This bit of piping makes a great injector delivery line. So this stoker engine is semi functional.
See You In The Funny Pages...
Jack
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Stoker Engine.jpg
Stoker eng.injector.jpg
Berk&Stoker.jpg
Berkman
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by Berkman »

Where is the check valve for the L side injector? Is it also hidden?
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JBodenmann
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
The check for the left injector is tucked up under the running board. I like to use a home made line check that utilizes a poppet with a mild return spring that seats on an O ring.
Jack
Berkman
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by Berkman »

Did you have to locate and drill the hole on the boiler after the running boards etc were laid out?

Thanks!
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