Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

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Pipescs
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

The brake cylinders continue.

The heads were held in a three jaw chuck for outside facing and turning a boss to .75 diameter. Then repositioned in a collet to do all the machining in one setup to ensure the shafts bores and registers were concentric. Although it is not a requirement, I also concentrated on the 1.75 inch outer diameter to be able to hold them for the placement of the screw holes
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Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


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Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
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Pipescs
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

The shafts and pistons come next. I had to order the stainless this morning for the shafts. Not available locally.

Plan is to rough in the piston in a Chuck and collet with final work after it is mounted on the shaft
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


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Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
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Pipescs
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

With the end of the winter upgrades I have started to put the engine back together and test it out on air.

While I did not show it, some time was spent on making new pins for the Stephenson's Gear. I had a tremendous amount of slop in the linkage.

The brakes are completed and mounted. The new steam and sand domes are in the paint shop and I have been adding oil cups to make that task easier.

I must say the Allen brake cylinder castings were easy to machine, being made of a good quality bronze.

While I had plans to machine out a brake valve, I am running out of time on the project. So I ordered a brake valve and a turret valve from Jeff at Loco-Parts.
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Due to the placement of the eccentrics and valve gear I ended up doing the equalizer beams to the two brake rods, one over the other with a vertical equalizer bar and bell crank just forward of the throat sheet. Not the way it was done on the Forney's but it works when I test it with air.
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The valve is mounted on a brass plate on the engineers side. I did make a small pedestal to raise it up slightly.
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As I still consider myself a beginner at running steamers, I have to admit that the valve layout in many of the early engines I ran were intimidating with the number of valves.

For that reason the Miss Ann was laid out for beginners. The valves needed to run the engine are on the top and ends of the turret. The two injector steam valves, from David Bortz at Super Scale are locate at the ends of the turret. Both are lifting injectors with the valves being the push off, pull on type. The blower valve is located on the top of the turret on the fire mans side. I placed the steam shut off valve for the brakes on the back side of the turret so as not to confuse my fellow beginners.
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: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

Brakes are complete, Timing Adjusted, Domes completed and the engine was back together last week.

Monday friends came over and we fired the engine on the stand to test look for leaks and test it all out, before I take it to the track.

Plans for this year are to build the steel water tank and retire the wooden one and to work on the handrails and the front of the engine.
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Planning on being at Mid South the first week of May. If you see me please stop and introduce yourself.

Once again, thanks for all the help over the years.
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: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

Still out here chugging along.

Miss Ann and I continue our journey. After the Spring Meet and MSLS, which came off with out a major issue this time, I came home with nothing to repair, except the front pilot beam, having pranged it on the rear of Fenders Caboose. Luckily his caboose is built of plate steel and was not damaged at all. My beam on the other hand was shattered into three pieces.

So this event, besides teaching me humility, as motivated me to start on the front end of the engine.

First project has been to replace the beam. I have found a good shot of a Forney for reference.

Most Forney's I find had a metal or wooden pilot mounted to the front of the beam. Having had to deal with a number of derails, I went with steps instead. These I found on a number of engine photos. As and experiment the steps are mounted using, black, nylon bolts. Having a hundred in the box, I hope to never need them.

The coupler pocket is welded up form seven steel plates. it is a copy of three photos in the Peter S. Barney Books. I sized it to work with the 2.5 scale couplers by Accucraft. I have a bit of grinding left to do in this photo to make the weld filets look like a casting.
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While working on this area I also ended up adding the hand rails on the boiler and am experimenting with the hand rails on the cab door area. ( I have already been corrected in that the hand rails need to go all the way to the deck, it was the only length of 5/16 inch rod I had left.) The hand rail stanchions are from Tom Artzberger.
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More Later
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Odyknuck »

Sure is pretty, great work.
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Pipescs
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

Working on the Pilot Beam details. Still no plans. working from photos in the two Peter S. Barney books using quite a bit of artistic license.

The coupler pocket still needs the welds ground out. I am currently making the other smoke box to pilot brace. The front coupler is a Accucraft 2.5 inch scale casting.

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One other side project has been to make a last minute change to the water tank. Getting ready to order the metal for the final tank, I reanalyzed that my original wooden mock up was too short. Being unsure of how it would ride with an extra 2.5 inch height, a simply added the extra height to the wooden one. It seems to sit well but I will hold off until the end of the run season.
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Sadly Olaf has not been progressing at all.
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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: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

Continuing on with the front details. Mostly working from various photos as to the layout of the parts.

Current project is the number plate and new smoke box door. The earlier attempt was just too small.
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Time to button up for the September run at Mid-South.

If you see me, please introduce yourself

Charlie Pipes
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: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

The September run at MSLS went well with no issues. Once again I ran the week before the meet and left on Thursday when the public runs started. Myself and friends ended up putting nine miles more on the engine.

I was also invited to the run at the Canton, St. Paul and Pacific Railways track at Canton Ga. Went with friends and ended up running two and a half days prior to their meet starting. Ended up with forty four miles run between Tuesday afternoon and Friday morning before we left. Had a great time an made a lot of new friends. The engine ran with nine different engineers and this gave me a lot of recommendations on ways to improve the engine. Over all the engine ran great with everyone commenting on how well it fires and pulls.
The longest and heaviest run was with eight cars (mostly 2.5 inch scale cars) and seven passengers. I should mention Canton is one mile up and one mile back. Grade up is 1.5 percent grade overall with a long climb at 2 percent.
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When all was said and done I am now home changing the throttle lever set up, repairing a brake beam, making manual cylinder cocks, building the water tank out of steel, and adding the head light. Light winter work ahead.

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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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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by NP317 »

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Fender
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Fender »

I had a turn at running Charlie’s engine again. He really got the boiler design right. This boiler has a very deep firebox and a large grate area for the size of the cylinders, compared to other steamers. It steams well on wood, good coal, or bad coal, and very little use of the blower is required. My most common challenge was keeping the safeties quiet. The surprising thing is that a lot less coal is needed than what one would expect for an engine this size. The only problem experienced was when other engineers, who were not familiar with it, over-fired and clogged the firebox.
Dan Watson
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Charlie, wonderful job! Really looking good.

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