Lynn Robinson. Showman Scenic

Had Crystal out for a test steaming and play today.

Hi folks

Thoughts from today.

First of all. It went very well.
Crystal ran very well on welsh anthracite for the first time. Very much more pleasant in smell and smoke. But did need a fair bit more work maintaining a fire bed. It is not as forgiving as house coal on going low heat and recovering.

She did not run on at all today so the start button behaved itself. Still getting pressure lock up if she is crank stopped for more than 5 minutes. So I just got in to tha habit of out of gear and slow crank over for demonstration purposes. Also allows a slow top up via the mechanical pump. The mechanical lubricator worked very well including notched righ up. Not at first but once the oil heated up. You can actually see the ratchet while driving to check it is ticking over.

The seat position is working out extremely well. Ran for 4 hours with no problem of back or legs. I cut the seat of the water bowser to use temporarily for next weekends rally at Castle Fraser and tack welded the bracket to my seat frame. The waterbowser looks strange without the seat frame!

Took a tour round the estate. Lots of stopping to allow photographs to be taken and to explain what she is. Also sat on the 1:6 hill and moved off in 2nd and 1st cutoff with no problem with 150 on the clock. The boiler was so full that I could not use the injector to tame the pressure so had to move off before the safety's lifted. The angle was submerging the rear steam takeoff.

Only problem I had. No one to do the photos and video work

Oh. Other problem I had. The fire went out while I was packing up and I did not have enough steam to reverse up the drive. So had to palm the flywheel. Got her up the 1:6 20 yard drive in 1st and father on the chock to stop roll back. Huff puff cough splutter. That was hard work!

Lynn I have to say I think the water bowser looks far better without the seat.

How I admire your skills hopefully my engine comes home in three weeks I read your posts with interest.

The welsh coal situation is interesting, I was always told by engine men that Welsh coal was the best you can use?

One question I have do you use water treatment with your engine? I never did with my 2" scale but moving upwards I think I probably should?

Richard

Every one has their own opinions but from my experience over the last five years having used whatever I have been given Welsh Dry Steam coal is for me by far the best, very easy to light, very clean burn, dont have a throat this morning having steamed all day yesterday, good heat, no clinker and best of all only £7.60 a bag when bought in bulk, I split a tonne (40 bags with The Coleman). Most of the other stuff burns but produces copious toxic smoke which I and most others now find unpleasant. Some people dont like it but its worth giving it a try. Come along to the STW do and see what you think.

Water treatment is no use in a copper boiler which is more than likely what was in the 2" scale, just desacle it every season, however in a steel boiler it will help inhibit the rust and removes the oxygen form the water to stop the rust happening to some degree.

Kev.

Welsh steam coal certainly burns clean with little smoke. It can be very deceptive and you might think you have a fire, only to put a poker in it and find it collapses to nothing. It will also quite easily go out in this situation! It needs a bit of warning when you need the output from it, so to have to fire well ahead of need.

Boiler treatment is very important for steel boilers, as is frequent wash outs
Preferably with a pressure washer.

Tim

I will certainly agree with the collapse comment, did that yesterday, thought it looked good and after a quick prod seemed to be very thin, threw a load on and opened the damper and it came back quite quickly.Later at the end of the day I had let it die down and had little or no fire at all when we dropped the grate. Technique is quite important to keep an engine fired correctly as Rickster will confirm.

Only washed out a boiler once I have owned yet so clearly need to be up on that, tried this one when it was new but only have a Karcher with no modifed lances, any suggestions well recieved especially access, very difficult with the belly tank.

Well thats 1T of Andy's best Welsh Dry Steam Coal heading my way!

A friend sent me a picture of Crystal and me at Steam in the Park 2013

good to see people starting to enjoy their engines BUT ... with these builds coming to an end soon you guys and girls have got to promise to keep coming back and keeping the forum alive

You won't get rid of me that easily!

lynnr wrote:Also sat on the 1:6 hill and moved off in 2nd and 1st cutoff with no problem with 150 on the clock. The boiler was so full that I could not use the injector to tame the pressure so had to move off before the safety's lifted. The angle was submerging the rear steam takeoff

Beware having to much water working hard up hill, I had a fair bit in while running in top, opened the regulator turning up off the mini roundabout onto the inline as it blew off, it pulls water up the safeties and you will see it coming out the chimney as wet steam as it gets pulled into the regulator hole too - worst case scenario is hydraulic lock, get the drains open quick and be ready to stop!!

Interesting comment about the hill start as I turned uphill to our old village, another long climb, in top I only had 150psi on and four people on board. I ended up stopping to change to second and we set off no problem too, there was even a guy watching with a camera so not much pressure then on!!

Starter button is working a treat on Blackbeard, no issues so far.

Steam coal is good but very dusty and breaks up in the bag, don't put the dust on unless you working the engine hard, it will clog the fire - same happens on full size engines too. I pull out the coald from the bag by hand to load the tender.

Just a little photoshop work to see how the words will fit..

Looks good Lynn, the canopy lettering makes all the difference, same on Kevin's and Rick's road locos!!!! I have a plan for mine too and a local sign writer to do it just need to get the canopy painted first!!!

All clever stuff, Lynn..............Looks excellent!!
Regards,
Tony

I popped into Fraser Castle steam fair & despite the weather forecast, the weather was good as where the exhibits.

This is me talking to Tom:-


This one needs no introduction:-






Tom always had lots of people round him asking questions:-





Lynn is definitely in her element here, her engine runs very "sweet n smooth" & also generated a lot of interest:-




A very good show for steam enthusiasts this one!!
Regards,
Tony

Couple pictures from Castle Fraser

Has anyone found their drip tray over flowing and not draining via the pipe?

My belly tank is dripping oil all over the place as the steam oil and water is running down the boiler.

Yes, ditto. I ran some wire through it. I think it blocks easily. 

Tim

Think I may try and make the hole bigger in the flange

Yep, my cup runneth over!!! Given up as its covered in crud most of the time!!!

After running for the weekend. She still locks up by pressure and it is getting a bit vexing. It's the only problem I have not been able to rectify.

Get the same on mine. If you stop the regulator is letting by and pressurising both sides of the Hp piston and not having Hp cylinder drains you can't get rid of it. Only thing i have found is to put the Hp piston at either top or bottom dead centre when stop. Hope this helps.

I find a dab on the starting button will often help to push the engine over, but occasionally it needs pushing over on the flywheel. If you slow down the engine on the regulator but actually place the reverser in mid-gear as it stops, then I think that puts the crank in a more favourable position.

Tim

A great set of images,  thanks for sharing them.

Yes a great weekend was had..

some more pics here with the "other" engines that were there!

http://77.96.165.15/castlefraser2013/html/DSCN4239.html