If you are really fortunate, your loco will run forward in reverse ! (I was much younger when I ran said Centennial...RET wrote:Hi,
Just to make things more interesting, no matter what type of valve gear you are using, if you get the gear set up perfectly, the locomotive will run in mid-gear on level track if you are over about 5 miles an hour (for 7 1/4"). The locomotive will have no power to speak of, but it will run in either direction. It does this because the valves open briefly at top and bottom dead center because of lap and lead.
I know because I've driven a 7 1/4" gauge 4-4-0 (Harry Allin's Centennial) that does this.
Just my 5 cents (2 cents isn't worth anything these days).
Richard Trounce.
HarryAllen92 by Peach James, on Flickr )
The Brit runs forwards in reverse- 7.5 turns or less and it goes forwards (of 13 from forward-reverse)
HB Britannia 1984 by Peach James, on Flickr
(That's the builder, Harry Boneham, in 1984 with it...)