Presedential Candidate??

Thanks Tony and others, praise from you is high praise indeed, your benchmark level is certainly the one we all aspire to. Dean said to me the other day on the phone that we are certainly doing a grand job in making an already well engineed machine stand and look the nuts!!! That can only serve as a tool to cement the continued success of such a great bunch of guys.

Cheers Kev.

Kev

Looks stunning out in the winter sunshine, I dare not get mine out it would rust in 5 seconds with the weather we are having in Lancashire. Looks like you will need to drive it with shades on or face being blinded once all those shiny bits start moving - very Christmasy though, like tinsel

I always get motivation from seeing yours and the other engines on here ahead of mine, looks like I will be stealing every hour I can get away with in the Christmas holidays to keep closing the gap on you all. Hopefully get the eccentrics this week to keep building my motion. Sold my 71/4" gauge loco and coach to free up some funds for additional kits and the black water bowser I bought. I dont want to miss the big gathering when they all get together.

Keep up the excellent progress Kev.

Brian

highpressure wrote:Thanks Tony and others, praise from you is high praise indeed, your benchmark level is certainly the one we all aspire to. Dean said to me the other day on the phone that we are certainly doing a grand job in making an already well engineed machine stand and look the nuts!!! That can only serve as a tool to cement the continued success of such a great bunch of guys.

Cheers Kev.

No pressure then

All the photo's and builds I have seen have looked fantastic, just hope I can also do it justice.

Current state of play with all kits in place, just sorting out gaskets for the cylinder covers and valve chests and painting makers plates.











Quite a depth of shine on the hornplates!! The slightly warmer weather and sunny day just makes the longing to light up worse!!!! Roll on July!!!!

Cheers All Kev.

LOOKING GOOD

Despite apparantly some rather unpleasant weather in other parts of the country we are still having almost wall to wall sunshine on the South Coast ( perhaps a reason to stay in Bognor despite the piss taking, still regularly tops the sunshine chart ) So got the engine out and just did some of the cosmeticky parts that are on the list allowong me to clear some of the many containers with one or two bags of bits in. Got the whistle sorted and fitted along with the lifter and steam blower and exhaust. Still not going ot fit any of the crank or compnents until the pump and bits are here, dont need this to be any more difficult by wishing it was removeable when thay come to be fitted.

The latest stage of assembly...



I know it looks washed out due to the exposure, those of us that only have a cheap poor old camera can only get a poor shot.....

Kev,

Really impressed..

Thanks Nick,

How's yours coming on? Certainly looks very Presedential. Once the brackets for the gear guard arrives I will get them powdered, can't wait for the motion covers etc and to be fair as its black the coaters nearly always can fit it in on something else so it wont take too long or cost any more. Dropped all the bits off to the platers this morning, nickel for the reverser and bits and black nickel for the steering chains and all the winch drum and components. Apparantly black nickel is darker and more durable than chemical blackening?? so I will wait and see with baited breath to see how it comes out. I will take the gear change bits when they get here too.

Cheers Kev.

very nice Kev, it will be good to see the RLs together.

Looks great, the black and yellow really work will together.

Welldone Kev

Flasback wrote:very nice Kev, it will be good to see the RLs together.

I don't know who else has gone with this paint scheme but it will look like a working fleet, all in the same livery if we get them together..

need something to pull too..

I know Nick, the only thing I can pull is a pint or leg....Brian and I are talking about getting an organ, something for the two SMs to do whilst at shows. Each weekend we now seem to be involved with people who have full size engines or miniatures. Its strange that 12 month ago we did not know anyone with an engine. We now seem to know loads of people even people local to us (3 mile radius). strange world this steam world seems to be all about hot water and beer

Hi Flashback,

I can help you with an organ, I have an Alan Pell 30 note on a small trolley with a huge library of music for sale if thats is what you had in mind, alternatively I can build organs depending on what you are looking for. This is some of what I have done so far and I am improving designs and components as I go along.

https://www.youtube.com/user/kwaigoneginn?feature=mhee

Cheers Kev.

Flasback wrote:strange world this steam world seems to be all about hot water and beer

What else is there, it's a good excuse to got down the pub on a Sunday morning.

Got the next batch of bits back from the platers today, they were so impressed by the finish they were raving about it, they were particularly pleased about the knobs on the pins and the winch drum. I had asked for "chemical blacking" which I thought might be black jappaned but they said they dont do this but will do black nickel as it is blacker and more durable. I particularly didnt want to paint or powder coat the drum as it will almost certainly get chipped or knocked in use. The steering chains would certainly not have survived if they were painted. I have to say they have made a really good job of this and the whole lot came to £65!









All efforts this week are on fitting the reverser and motion to be able to run the engine on air. Had a good look at the valves etc last night and have made good progress there. The details of the platers are Macro Developments, Unit 2, Limberline spur industrial estate, Portsmouth 02392 696615. I am sure they would allow people to send stuff to them but dont know how they would feel about sending back although they must have customers from areas other than Portsmouth so may well send stuff out. They are very helpful.

Not long now!!!.... Cheers Kev

Kev,

Looking nice. Are there two sets of driving pins supplied with the kits? I noticed two sets in your photos, one pair longer than the others, given she is a single drive I though there would be just the one pair for the near-side rear wheel.

Tim

Hi Tim,
Your observation is correct, there are two sets of pins......... short ones used for normal driving, allowing differential to work, the long pins are used to lock the diff, thus driving both rear wheels together, ie to give extra grip in slipery conditions.
regards,
Tony

Tony,

Many thanks - I've not had any experiance with single drives before, it just goes to show every day is a school day...

Now you mention it, it makes sence; I should have thought a little longer first!

Cheers

Tim

Hi Kev

Just back from Florida and catching up on what I have missed, your engine is lookig good now, with a flywheel on it will look finished. Black nickel finsh looks good too. I wil be chemical blacking the chains like Tony, should be fine for durablity. I need to get on with some blacking now, lots of powder coating coming back for me too. TIme to begin final asembly. Also, threee kits arrived this morning so I think I have caught up now - once I fit them!!

Looking forward to lining up with you, Sonic and any other black road locos.

Brian

Thought I would light a fire as I have run out of patience!!! Didnt get too carried away as I dont want to cause any future problems, dont even think the water boiled!!, just warmed the boiler up gently and then dropped the fire and let the water go. Might do it again next week??

swits swoo!
she looks incredible...i dont blame you for wanting to light her up!!

will STW be providing a seat or will they all be custom jobs?
ps i think your safety valve lever is on back to front if you are sticking with the president theme

LOOKING GOOD

Here's a question, why has the top of the safety valve got a long curved bit facing back towards the driver? Surely it's only purpose can be that the driver can wack with something it if it sticks open?!!!!

Steve Traill wrote:Here's a question, why has the top of the safety valve got a long curved bit facing back towards the driver? Surely it's only purpose can be that the driver can wack with something it if it sticks open?!!!!

I Cant remember the inventors name of the safety valve think it was butterworth or similar. The design of the lever is to stop the engineer putting weights on the end to hold the valve down to get higher pressure. If you put a weight on the end of the lever it will hold the back valve down but lighten the load on the front so it will go off quicker. The lever is normally facing to the rear as also it is recommended (in days of old) to test the safety by pressing down on the lever.

It is of course more aerodynamic if the lever faces backwards