2-1/2" NG class A shay.

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Brian Hilgert
Posts: 302
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:35 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: 2-1/2" NG class A shay.

Post by Brian Hilgert »

It's been a long time since I have updated this build. I'm still working on it as much as I can but progress is slow.

I last posted pictures of the gear covers. The following are the little brackets that are riveted to the inside of the covers and keep them in place.

I found a piece of scrap that had a large keyway in it that was the perfect size for what I needed. I used it as a form with another piece of stock on the opposite side.
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below is the finished bracket before cutting to length.
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I do not have a picture of them mounted but you really can't see them anyways. Only thing you can see is two rivet heads.

I always liked the look of the shays with the siphon tube hanging off of the side, I knew that I wanted to incorporate this feature on my shay, So next step, I had to make the J-hooks that would hold the siphon tube. The real J-hooks came from the factory with sheet metal pans riveted to the bottom of the J hooks. All but one of the pictures that I have do not show the pans. The one that does is from Cass and the pan was very deformed and beat up. I assume that they did not last long in the woods and eventually broke off. I decided to not put them on my model.

I machined a female die out of a piece of scrap brass and a male die out of bar stock
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After the brackets were formed, I cut them to length and then riveted them to the lower running board supports
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Brian Hilgert
Posts: 302
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:35 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: 2-1/2" NG class A shay.

Post by Brian Hilgert »

My next step was to finally assemble all of the frame pieces. My original plan was to actually rivet all of the parts together just as the prototype. After trying several different techniques, pneumatic rivet gun, a hand rivet squeezer, hot rivets, cold rivets. etc. I could not get satisfying results. The last straw was when I broke the expensive hand squeezer that I verified with the manufacture could handle the 5/32 steel rivets.
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I got it in my head that I did not want visual weld on all of the brackets that I had made to rivet the frame together with. Even thought you will not see most of them... I got obsessed with the idea of assembling the frame without beads of welds. I think it was more of a challenge to see if I can do it. My solution was to Drill even more holes between the holes for the rivets and use plug welds or rosette welds to hold everything together, grind down the welds, and then press or Loctite the rivet heads in.
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After grinding the welds and installing the rivet heads
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The following is a picture of one of the many L brackets after I welded and ground down the welds. There are 4 plug welds between the 5 rivet holes on each L bracket.
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Brian Hilgert
Posts: 302
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:35 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: 2-1/2" NG class A shay.

Post by Brian Hilgert »

Another part that I was planning on riveting to the frame was the support rods that went from the frame to the queen posts. I didn't have the room to drill holes and do plug welds so I had to silver solder these brackets on.

The following picture is of a finished queen post rod bracket.
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A total of 8 of these were silver soldered on.
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The following are the bracket that holds the bars that go from the frame to the smoke box.

machining,
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Before the bosses are added
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Finished
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Brian Hilgert
Posts: 302
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:35 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: 2-1/2" NG class A shay.

Post by Brian Hilgert »

Next is a couple of pictures of the frame during assembly.
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In this one, you can see the smoke box bar supports on the inside of the frame rails
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Showing the queen post rod supports... the frame is actually upside down on the trucks
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jcbrock
Posts: 511
Joined: Tue May 22, 2012 7:50 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: 2-1/2" NG class A shay.

Post by jcbrock »

Beautiful work and a lot of it Brian. I cheated and used round head cap screws. I've not made the boiler strap brackets yet, which looks like it will exercise my rotary table.
John Brock
Brian Hilgert
Posts: 302
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:35 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: 2-1/2" NG class A shay.

Post by Brian Hilgert »

I took the shay to Cabin Fever in January with the trucks, Engine and frame finished.
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I had several people impressed with my riveting ability, asking me how I upset the rivets and have them come out so nice. I had to tell them that they are just two rivets on each side of the hole pressed and loctited in and the frame is actually all welded together

I will probably just have visual welds where you can't see them on my next loco project. Like I mentioned before, "No visual welds" was just a challenge that I wanted to see if I can do it.

My pictures are not as sharp as I would like, I think it is time for a new camera phone.
Brian Hilgert
Posts: 302
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:35 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: 2-1/2" NG class A shay.

Post by Brian Hilgert »

Thanks John, I appreciate the comment. I actually cheated and used my old CNC for the boiler strap bracket. The oval area is something that I saw on the original Lima drawings. even though you probably won't be able to see it within the frame rails, I wanted to have it. It becomes an illness
Brian Hilgert
Posts: 302
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:35 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: 2-1/2" NG class A shay.

Post by Brian Hilgert »

Next project is the brake cylinder. I got drawings from Lima for the 4" steam brake cylinder. From the drawings, I redesigned the cylinder to be fabricated out of several brass pieces.

First picture is of the main barrel being turned on the lathe.
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The next piece will end up being the two mounting brackets. right now its is shown with a round section milled into it and 4 mounting holes drilled.
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I got lazy with the photos. After this picture, the part was cut in a U, bosses where machined, the main tube was machined for the bosses, and everything was drilled and tapped so the assembly is held together with brass 2-56 screws.

The next photo is after I silver soldered everything together.
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Back to the mill to finish off the machining, drilling and taping.
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Brian Hilgert
Posts: 302
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:35 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: 2-1/2" NG class A shay.

Post by Brian Hilgert »

Final brake cylinder body mounted to the frame of the shay.
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I also finished the ends of the cylinder and the packing glands things... can't remember what they are called.

The stainless tubing is just placed in the cylinder at this point
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The stainless tubing that was mentioned above was cut to length and then the ends were threaded to 3/8-24
Two piston slugs were machined and tapped halfway from one side with 3/8 -24 and the other side 10-32.
The tubing and the slugs were screwed together and secured with red Loctite. The piston slugs are slightly oversized at this point.
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The assemblies are currently in the lathe now... ready to true up the pistons and cut the grooves for the rings.
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Brian Hilgert
Posts: 302
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:35 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: 2-1/2" NG class A shay.

Post by Brian Hilgert »

I have put finishing the brake pistons off for a little now while I start prepping the boiler parts for welding.

I do not have a lathe with a long enough bed to true up the boiler tube at home. A good friend of mine, Joe Mastroroccco has a very nice lathe with a long bed that made this chore easy. Before I can turn the boiler to length, I had to make a "spider" to help support the one end.
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Boiler tube in the lathe being machined to length.
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Next is fire box end with weld prep for the fire box door opening
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The Rear flue sheet is finished. The next photo is taken during the process of drilling for the flues. I have drilled them 1/64 undersized and will ream them to size after welding
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That's where I am at now. My goal is to have the boiler welded before NAMES. We will see if I actually meet that goal. Fingers crossed.
Brian Hilgert
Posts: 302
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:35 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: 2-1/2" NG class A shay.

Post by Brian Hilgert »

More Boiler plate work
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Brian Hilgert
Posts: 302
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:35 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: 2-1/2" NG class A shay.

Post by Brian Hilgert »

I have finished all of the weld preps on the boiler plates.
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