Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes, another Royal Celebration!!!

Following on from the rather disasterous day on Thursday with the engine, and listening to Uncle Tims helpful words about condensation and knowing that there is no leak in the fire box I decided as the weather was nothing like forecast and the stiff breeze was a south easterly that I would have another go at steaming and would push on through the water drips.

So set the fire up, found an off cut of a pipe for draft and filled up. Put the lubricator in place and sealed off the other bits and went for it. Took a while to get to a point where the blower finally made that familiar hissing but at about an hour in there was a good pressure blowing through the drains on the LP side so I opened up the regulator and pulled back and forth from forward to reverse. Tried to go but just couldnt get itself past the stiffness so I got a chain wrench and gave the crank a hand......

https://youtu.be/s5YbOm-3e34

Words cant adequatly convey the feeling of relief and excitement and joy all at once.

A MAJOR THANK YOU AT THIS POINT TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE MADE THIS POSSIBLE, STEVE, DEAN, CRAIG, IAN, ISOBEL AND ALL THE STW STAFF I AM NOT FAMILAR WITH, WITHOUT YOU THIS WOULDNT'T BE HERE.

At last the hard work has been proved, the design has been proved all the doubters can certainly be silenced. What a moment!!!!
Of course the flywheel will just make this so much better and then lets rack up the miles!!

Just to make things even more sweet I have sold an organ to a chap in Manchester and it has arrived safely and he loves it!!!

What a way to celebrate such a momentous weekend. Yehay!!!!!

Well done kev bet that made you smile

Well Done!

Many many congratulations on an great looking engine and in steam... to say I am a little envious is an understatement... , but again well done!

Cheers

Brian M

Super Kev.

Looking really good, it's great to see the clips of these lovely engines come to life. All involved have done a wonderful job.

kev,

You've done a fabulous job there. It sure is fantastic to see them run, finally.

cheers

Rick

Hay Kev, that is one beautiful sight, very well done indeed
I guess that makes you the first person to get STW DCC operational under it's own steam..... the first UK Gold Medal me thinks!!
Regards,
Tony

Fantastic Kev, now you will have to clean the paintwork again.

Mike

Well done Kev, a major milestone passed, not long to go now.

Cheers

Brian

Well done Kev, inspiration for the rest us following behind I hope I should be there end of next year.
Ian

Well done!

Tim

Tony King wrote:Hay Kev, that is one beautiful sight, very well done indeed
I guess that makes you the first person to get STW DCC operational under it's own steam..... the first UK Gold Medal me thinks!!
Regards,
Tony

I'm afraid I will have to pass that award to Rickster as he ran under steam last weekend and that was the inspiration to get mine going. But a close second is not a bad thing. Now I know it works I will wait till the flywheel gets here to make it smoother and easier, but even after 5 miniutes it had gone from a real struggle to get going to feeling smoother and picking up speed. Once it sits outside running for a few hours it will loosen up considerably. My main concern was the lack of any means of putting water in. I started with about half a glass as any more and it expands to fill the steam space and getting pressure will take forever, so after about 1 1/2 hours I stopped just to be safe.