Nickel Plate 762

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NP317
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Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by NP317 »

Will Wonders never end...
RussN
Asteamhead
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by Asteamhead »

That's just Jim's 'standard precision' process 8) of doing things to everybody's delight, isn't it? :wink:
Asteamhead
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JBodenmann
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Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 1:37 pm
Location: Tehachapi, California

Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Here are a few snappies of some trinkets on Jim's Berk. The first we have here is the Super Governor. I really like these governors as they just bristle with blobs and bits. Lots of cool stuff going on here. Studs, and nuts, plugs, compression fittings, 1/16" tubing, eye candy! Next, a look at the front end with its cross compound compressors and their air filters. Jim picked up these really nice air compressors. I think he got them from Brian. Jim also provided some prototype drawings for the air pump mounting brackets. These were made according to the drawings and the air filters fit perfectly. So then I was getting ready to drill the mounting holes in the compressor mount castings. Kind of a fiddly angle to be drilling at, would have required an angle drill set up. Then I got to thinking. Knowing Jim, them holes were probably already there...sure enough, there they were. The air filters bolted up just as sweet as you please. Other times I was putting things together, like the trailing and lead truck lube lines and guess what. The holes were already there. Sometimes they were already threaded! Lastly, there is the hot water pump. It's a functional unit. The exhaust will run into the smoke box and snort out one of the small ports in the stack. The cool check valves are from our Friend Tom. Tom owns Berkshire #777. That's all for now.
See You In The Funny Pages...
Jack
Attachments
Super Gov..jpeg
Pumps.jpeg
Hot Water.jpeg
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NP317
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Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by NP317 »

Really stunning workmanship, as usual.
Jack: You do set The Standards for the rest of us.
RussN
JKreider
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Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2005 8:38 pm
Location: Redlands, CA

Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by JKreider »

When I did the machining drawings for the Berkshire parts, I tried to anticipate things that were attached to the individual parts or castings and drill and tap attachment holes as required. I figured it was a lot easier to figure that stuff out while you are machining individual parts than to try and do it when the locomotive was assembled.
Jim Kreider
Berkman
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by Berkman »

Are the okadee door hinges and smaller strap hinges on the smokebox access door from berk parts or from someone else?
JKreider
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Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2005 8:38 pm
Location: Redlands, CA

Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by JKreider »

The Okadee Hinges and smaller strap hinges are part of the Berkshire part inventory.
Jim Kreider
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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. Many engines had ribbed hoses for the large water connections between the engine and tender. The Nickel Plate Berks also had a large ribbed hose between the trailing truck and cold water pump. This is a very prominent detail so a ribbed hose was made up. Here is the recipe. Start with some thin wall rubber hose. This hose is 3/8" ID. and has a 1/16" wall. I have tried silicone hose in the past but the adhesive wouldn't stick. Also in the top photo is a 3/8" brass mandrel to slip the hose over. Lightly grease the mandrel or you will never get the hose off. The second photo shows the mandrel in the lathe. The hose has been coated with #77 spray adhesive. A small hose clamp has been used to secure the string and the hose to the mandrel. A guide has been made up to guide the string as it is wrapped around the hose. The guide is just a bit of 1/8" x 1/2" cold rolled with a slot and a hole drilled in it and clamped in the tool holder. The lathe has been set on ten threads per inch. Line everything up with the half nuts engaged and then turn the lathe on. The string will wrap around the hose very neatly as you can see here in the last photo. Don't wrap the string too tightly around the hose or you will have difficulty removing it from the mandrel. After it's removed from the lathe leave the hose on the mandrel and give it another shot of spray adhesive.
Attachments
Hose1.jpeg
Hose2.jpeg
Hose3.jpeg
Hose4.jpeg
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NP317
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by NP317 »

Brilliantly simple.
RussN
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JBodenmann
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Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by JBodenmann »

Now it's time to coat the hose. I used to use self vulcanizing tape for this and it worked pretty good but I have found a much better method. You have all seen the commercial for Flex Seal on TV. This is some pretty good stuff, they sell it at Wally's. Spray a nice wet coat on the hose and let it set for an hour or two, then give it another coat. I like to let it dry for a couple days before taking it off the mandrel. You will notice a small difference between the top and second photo. The string in the top photo wasn't very uniform and to my eye was a little too big. So another hose was made with some smaller more uniform string. Much better! Now we're not done yet. As this hose has a very thin wall it's prone to collapsing when bent sharply. This is often the case with engine tender connections so a stainless steel spring is stuffed in the hose. I use a bit of welding rod with a hook on the end to pull it into the hose. In the bottom photo you can see the hook. Also note that the spring has had the end turned in towards the center. This is to prevent the end of the spring from poking through the hose. Make the spring long enough so it presses against the hose barbs when you push them in the ends of the hose.
Attachments
Hose5.jpeg
Hose6.jpeg
Hose7.jpeg
Hose8.jpeg
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JBodenmann
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Location: Tehachapi, California

Re: Nickel Plate 762

Post by JBodenmann »

Now we are getting somewhere, the hose with some little fire hose type connectors stuffed in the end and some clamps that were made up. I have seen otherwise beautiful model locomotives with giant hideous hose clamps right out in front of God and everybody. Heavens to Betsy, come on man! A model is only as good as its weakest point. These little clamps are not difficult to make and, they look just like the real thing. And lastly we have the hose connecting the large cold water line to the cold water pump. I always thought this was a cool feature of the Nickel Plate Berks. Actually these engines have have a lot of cool features I like. They go on and on. So there you go, ribbed hoses for engine tender connections.
Happy Model Building
Jack
Attachments
Hose9.jpeg
Hose10.jpeg
Andy R
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Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2007 2:18 pm
Location: So. Calif.

Ribbed hose etc.

Post by Andy R »

Time to change the temporary clear silicone tube ... as if there isn't enough to do. Sigh.
"... giant hideous hose clamps right out in front of God and everybody."
Guilty - But Jack - They are temporary (for checking water flow !)
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