The William Harris Steam Donkey Engine in 2.5 inch Scale

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Soot n' Cinders
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Re: The William Harris Steam Donkey Engine in 2.5 inch Scale

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Definitely. And there’s a great water jetter here in Atlanta, they did my boiler sheets and I would have no issue using them again
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
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Pipescs
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Re: The William Harris Steam Donkey Engine in 2.5 inch Scale

Post by Pipescs »

Productive night on the drawings. I completed the crosshead guides, and have moved on to the Crosshead itself. I have come to realize finishing the crosshead gives me a reference to set the cylinder centerline in place. The cylinder bore has to be concentric with the crosshead slide.

Just got off the phone with John Buckwalter and ordered the cylinders assemblies. Most he had in stock.
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
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Pipescs
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Re: The William Harris Steam Donkey Engine in 2.5 inch Scale

Post by Pipescs »

This will not look like much but it is actually a breakthrough for me, in lining up the cylinder with the crosshead.

I will need to modify the spacers for height and the plate for width to bring it all in line for cutting parts.
Frame Assembly.JPG
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: The William Harris Steam Donkey Engine in 2.5 inch Scale

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Looking good! And only adds one more machined face to Johns castings. One thing to look at is how the cylinder and steam chest will mount since they are separate pieces. On my shay the chest cover and chest are held to the cylinder by long #6 bolts, though I keep saying Im going to replace that with studs and nuts.... Would be nice to be able to be able to open the steam chest without having to remove the boiler so could set the timing under steam rather than air. Even if we won't be working them that hard. I like to build things to be serviceable, so easy access and commercially available bushings where possible. The shay doesn't stick to this because I learned that while building it but its getting there as things need to be serviced.
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
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Fender
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Re: The William Harris Steam Donkey Engine in 2.5 inch Scale

Post by Fender »

Because the slide valve is working “on its side”, won’t you need a machined surface on it and the mating surface inside the steam chest?
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
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Re: The William Harris Steam Donkey Engine in 2.5 inch Scale

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Fender wrote: Sun Nov 28, 2021 9:49 am Because the slide valve is working “on its side”, won’t you need a machined surface on it and the mating surface inside the steam chest?
I don't think so as long as there's a good valve crosshead. Johns drawings leave plenty of room between the sides of the valve and the side of the steam chest. And there wouldn't be a whole lot of weight on the valve crosshead now that I think about it, there's no reversing gear on a donkey engine so all there's is to support is the valve stem and part of the eccentric blade.
IMG_0220.jpeg
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
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Pipescs
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Re: The William Harris Steam Donkey Engine in 2.5 inch Scale

Post by Pipescs »

Morning all,

Looking at the original Harris Engine, that used Stuart Victoria Cylinders, there is no special attention to the steam chest. The Victoria is a horizontal engine with the steeam chest mounted on its side.

As to access to the steam chest, attached is a 2D rendering of the work I am doing. The dotted line is the diameter of a 10 inch (10.75OD) boiler showing the access room between it and the steam chest
Frame Assy Drawing.JPG
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: The William Harris Steam Donkey Engine in 2.5 inch Scale

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Pipescs wrote: Sun Nov 28, 2021 10:25 am Morning all,

Looking at the original Harris Engine, that used Stuart Victoria Cylinders, there is no special attention to the steam chest. The Victoria is a horizontal engine with the steeam chest mounted on its side.

As to access to the steam chest, attached is a 2D rendering of the work I am doing. The dotted line is the diameter of a 10 inch (10.75OD) boiler showing the access room between it and the steam chest

Frame Assy Drawing.JPG
That looks very doable Charlie! Might have to use an inspection mirror to check the front port but that’s not hard, looks like plenty of room to prop the mirror up.
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
Soot n' Cinders
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Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
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Re: The William Harris Steam Donkey Engine in 2.5 inch Scale

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Just as a point of interest, the University of Idaho has a page from the Willamette Iron Works covering their donkey engine offerings for 1910. Using Johns cylinders, our "3in" scale engine is almost an exact 2.5in scale replica of a 10x11in engine.
Bills design is an older model but still interesting and may be some helpful data on here.
donkey1.jpeg
donkey2.jpeg
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
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Fender
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Re: The William Harris Steam Donkey Engine in 2.5 inch Scale

Post by Fender »

Looks more like the cylinders and crosshead guide for a Climax, with the valve chest on the top.
Dan Watson
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Soot n' Cinders
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Re: The William Harris Steam Donkey Engine in 2.5 inch Scale

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Fender wrote: Sun Nov 28, 2021 3:33 pm Looks more like the cylinders and crosshead guide for a Climax, with the valve chest on the top.
Yeah, that's the Willamette style. Would be interesting to figure out the prototype for the Bill Harris design. I put that catalog up more as a reference of sizing and styles of engines of the era since not many survive in working order, or at all.
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
James Powell
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Re: The William Harris Steam Donkey Engine in 2.5 inch Scale

Post by James Powell »

I know of at least 3 around here- I drive past this one every day I come to work:
https://www.vicnews.com/news/sooke-muse ... nent-home/
( Identification: Now on museum grounds. The steam boiler is not the original, as the Phillips donkey was converted to gas in the 1930s . The engine is a Washington Iron Works 1910 model, serial #US 2311. This engine is also the one on which the Museum's model is based. )

It is a bitza, as the boiler is off another one (from Paldi, past Duncan)

SHAS have one, and BC Forestry Museum has at least one...

I can try and get photos- but really, I suspect that if you are trying to build a model using existing castings & commercial gear sizes, that a bitza is the best to do anyway :).
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