Page 1 of 2

Tender Water Valves

Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 7:08 am
by jlakes85
Hi All,

I'm using two 3/8 commercial ball valves in my tender. Does anyone have any pointers as to the best method to lengthen the stem..i.e. should I just make an extension to what's already there, or make a whole new assembly? Pictures are greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

-jlakes85

Re: Tender Water Valves

Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 8:37 am
by John_S
I just took the handle off and silver soldered a piece of round bar to them. Made nice little brass handles that are held on with a single bolt through the extended rod.

Re: Tender Water Valves

Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 8:48 am
by Fred_V
You can make a short rod connector of suitable diameter with a hole in the end so it will fit over the threaded part where the handle was. Cross drill the rod and valve part and put a pin or a set screw to hold it on and attach a smaller rod to come up to where you want your handle to be. This way the valve is easily replacable.

Re: Tender Water Valves

Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 9:01 am
by cbrew
here is a couple pictures of how i did it. the rods are 1/4 brass, with a piece that is slotted to match the valve stem and soldered the the rod, a simple handle at the top.

Re: Tender Water Valves

Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 11:41 am
by Bill Shields
aren't the inside of tenders such lovely accumulations of pipefitting talent?

Re: Tender Water Valves

Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 1:05 pm
by Builder01
Pipe sculpture, artwork!

Re: Tender Water Valves

Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 2:47 pm
by Kimball McGinley
I find piping or plumbing up my loco and tender to be very different from my usual experience; no time pressure, no wife reminding me she needs to run laundry and use the restroom, perfectly OK if I stop when it is not completed... Actually enjoyable.

I don't even get to use my favorite plumbing cusswords!

Re: Tender Water Valves

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 1:56 pm
by tburzio
Why would you want to shut off water to your tender cistern? That would scare the heck out of me. I'd rather make a screw-in plug for the connection hose so that hooking up the hose automatically opens the flow, no chance of leaving the water off by accident.

Re: Tender Water Valves

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 3:10 pm
by cbrew
tburzio wrote: Fri Jun 28, 2019 1:56 pm Why would you want to shut off water to your tender cistern? That would scare the heck out of me. I'd rather make a screw-in plug for the connection hose so that hooking up the hose automatically opens the flow, no chance of leaving the water off by accident.
maybe so it does not run out through the injector ?
just a idea :)
How you doing Tony, i have not seen you active for some time.

Re: Tender Water Valves

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 7:21 pm
by Bill Shields
there are times when you need a valve....even if you tie-wrap or chain it open...it is good to have.

Re: Tender Water Valves

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 11:16 am
by Vance Nickerson
You have to have some way of regulating the water flow for varying pressure with injectors.

Re: Tender Water Valves

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 11:25 am
by Glenn Brooks
What Vance said. You need to regulate water flow to have an injector work properly. Plus shut off the tank when you drain the boiler, or split the tender and loco.

On my Ottaway, I actually have a main valve on the tender and two injector valves - one for each injector. The plumbing splits at a “tee” at the back of the loco and goes to both right and left injectors back end of the cab on the loco.its pretty easy to reach them, so I don’t have need of an extension.