Woodinville Shops

Discuss park gauge trains and large scale miniature railways having track gauges from 8" to 24" gauge and designed at scales of 2" to the foot or greater - whether modeled for personal use, or purpose built for amusement park operation or private railroading.

Moderators: Glenn Brooks, Harold_V

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Topics may include: antique park gauge train restoration, preservation, and history; building new grand scale equipment from scratch; large scale miniature railway construction, maintenance, and safe operation; fallen flags; track, gauge, and equipment standards; grand scale vendor offerings; and, compiling an on-line motive power roster.
Glenn Brooks
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Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: Woodinville Shops

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Here is the most important field repair of my career as a hobby machinist! My spectacles snapped in two whilst driving down to my boys house to help him do some repairs on his sill and foundation. To far down the high way to go back. Hard to see anything close up when I arrived at my destination.

So I was starting to cobble together some sure to fail temporary fix with electrician tape, when my boy grabbed the broken bits out of my hand, and said “I’ve got a great Idea!”
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2 minutes later he crimped a red electrical crimp to both the broken ends and I was able to work the rest of the day AND drive home safely. Ahaha. Perfect. Not pretty, but perfect!

I thought that was the best fix I’ve seen in a long time.

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
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Harold_V
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Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2002 11:02 pm
Location: Onalaska, WA USA

Re: Woodinville Shops

Post by Harold_V »

Hey, any port in a storm!
Great fix!

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
Glenn Brooks
Posts: 2929
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: Woodinville Shops

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Today, made final preparations for steaming up the Ottaway. 100 last minute things to check and fix. But all ready, I think for my first test run along the new Great Northern Miniature Railaord main line. Very exciting. Tomorrow tells the tale.

https://youtu.be/q9-X5EABQj0

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
curtis cutter
Posts: 558
Joined: Fri May 18, 2012 11:46 pm
Location: Curtis, WA

Re: Woodinville Shops

Post by curtis cutter »

I like the spark arrestor. Especially this year.
Gregg
Just let go of it, it will eventually unplug itself.
rkcarguy
Posts: 1730
Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2017 10:33 am
Location: Wa State

Re: Woodinville Shops

Post by rkcarguy »

Very cool, can't wait to see some pictures/video of her steaming along your main line!
Glenn Brooks
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Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: Woodinville Shops

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Hi Ryan, might have some video tomorrow. Got it fired up today, but injectors weren’t working properly, so couldn’t inject water into the boiler. So only did one short run, then dumped the fire so as not to burn up the crown sheet. Only managed to slime the nice shnny new paint job with copious amounts of steam oil, soot, and rusty exhaust water.

Just cleaned a bunch of pine needles and mineralized crud out of the injectors, and now cleaning them up a bit in white vinegar. So they should be good to go for tomorrow’s continuing shakedown. Hopefully photos to follow.

Curtis, thanks for your comment re: the spark arrestor. Yep, I couldn’t see firing up without one, given the fire weather conditions we are facing now. I am a bit embarrassed by the Lamp Shade design. Gal across the street said she would bring me some Lacy fringe from her sewing table, to hang around the edge. :wink: but so,far, it’s functional. Which is the main thing. I’ll probably take the cap off and fit something smaller and less complex after an get the Loco fully in service, and have some spare time.

As FYI, the extra room provided by the design doesn’t seem to interfere with stack exhaust or draft. So that’s a good thing.

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
Glenn Brooks
Posts: 2929
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: Woodinville Shops

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Ran the Ottaway on the main line today. Worked on firing technique - keeping the right level of water in the boiler, proper bed of coal, and a head of steam. Mostly successful, except the original check valves for the injectors seem to be starting to fail. They allow back pressure from the boiler to counteract the injectors flow. Steam back jets out the injector overflow line. So tomorrow, off to look for replacement check valves.

Here’s a few pics, after Cinder-Ella got cleaned up after the days steam up.

BTW, the spark arrester seems to be doing its job. Also discovered it cleans up pretty well when hitting it with a blast of water from the hose.

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Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
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NP317
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Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Woodinville Shops

Post by NP317 »

Congratulations! A lot of hard work to get there.
Whew!
~RN
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10KPete
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Joined: Wed Sep 30, 2015 5:29 pm
Location: Nordland, WA, USA

Re: Woodinville Shops

Post by 10KPete »

Well done, Glenn! Now the real fun starts!

Pete
Just tryin'
Glenn Brooks
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Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: Woodinville Shops

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Russ and Pete, thanks much for the comments. Nice to get the old girl running again.

Alas, checked the Local hardware store today and found they no longer carry carry 3/8” steam rated fittings. The malfunctioning check valves are 68 years old. The next closest possibile vendor is 50 miles away, RT.

Conrad Watne, one of the master machinists in our live steam club is a real artist with a lathe. Makes his own miniature threaded bolts and plumbing fittings for his boiler and all his Locomotive builds. A machinist extraordinaire. “Nothing to it” he says. So inspired by his work ethic, decided to have a go at making these replacement seats in the two malfunctioning check valves. Nothing to it!

Turns out the valve in line with the left side injector uses a flat plastic, maybe neoprene, washer to seal the steam chamber in the valve. The other valve uses a cone shaped seat, turned to 60*, to close the orifice. With the flat seat, I was able to flip the washer over and reinstall the new side on the left side valve. Should be good to go.

Then made a new cone shaped seat for the right hand valve, to insert in place of the original one.

Well, Actually still making the cone shaped seat. As the pictures show, I turned the replacement seat in my old Dalton lathe, using a bit of Silica Bronze left over from a rudder rebuild on my old sailboat. Next, over to the mill tomorrow to shape the paddles on both ends of the seat. Not sure why they are present. I suspect the paddles cause the seats to rotate inside the valves as water flows through. These paddles could possibly prevent an uneven wear pattern from developing in the cone shaped portion of the seat.

For some reason, tiny parts are more intimidating to make than the big stuff. :shock:

If anybody knows the reason for designing these seats with four opposing ‘paddles’ on each end, please let me know.
Turning the 60* cone shaped seat
Turning the 60* cone shaped seat
Old compared to the new replacement
Old compared to the new replacement
Standing tall, awaiting second operation on the Milling Machine.
Standing tall, awaiting second operation on the Milling Machine.
Left hand check valve, having a flat seat.
Left hand check valve, having a flat seat.
Turned out to be a very interesting process, turning such a tiny part.

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
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Harold_V
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Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2002 11:02 pm
Location: Onalaska, WA USA

Re: Woodinville Shops

Post by Harold_V »

Glenn Brooks wrote: Thu Aug 16, 2018 12:14 am For some reason, tiny parts are more intimidating to make than the big stuff. :shock:
Small work requires a different mindset, one that is not usually comfortable for many machinists. I specialized in small, and do not do well with large. For what ever reason, I have the patience for that kind of work (amazing, since I'm not a patient person).
If anybody knows the reason for designing these seats with four opposing ‘paddles’ on each end, please let me know.
I'd explore the concept of the diameter of the paddles being a guide (pilot) to keep the valve in proper orientation, yet allowing fluid to travel through the valve when it's open. Does that make sense? Without seeing the entire assembly, I may have the wrong impression.

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
elm53
Posts: 175
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:51 pm
Location: worcester,ma

Re: Woodinville Shops

Post by elm53 »

Glenn, have you considerd lapping the checks rather than making new parts? You may have to do it even with new to get a good seat in the valve. Just a thought. And nice work on the loco!
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