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#Post#: 84384--------------------------------------------------
Re: My steamy toy
By: Matthew Date: January 22, 2014, 8:52 pm
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Evening all, thanks for all the appreciative comments! It gives
me a lot of satisfaction in cheering up and fascinating other
people by spreading the joy of steam :smilewide:
Kev - It was built by JohnnyCapone on TractionTalk, he sold it
to me to finance the gorgeous (and very large!) 3" Mclaren road
loco he's not long finished. I must say that the engineering is
indeed exquisite - the fellow 3" Marshall owner mentioned in the
opening post is a very good model engineer, but he remarked that
he wished his ran that quietly/smoothly!
Do you perchance know where 54587 is currently at, or might be
headed to? I'd love to do a "little and large" at a show this
summer if it comes up north at any point.
Strang - sadly that's a bit far for me to be going sadly,
especially on a road like the A49 :eek:
Here's an old video, a little something I uploaded from the
first time I steamed the engine up at home with said other owner
showing me the ropes:
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz5y4ez0vgk
And tonight - another update: Part 4, originally posted on the
11th August 2013
Well, a year down the line and things are still going well. I
havent attended as many rallies this year due to a combination
of too many other commitments, and some of the shows booking up
much quicker than normal. As a result, I have been doing the
smaller shows and local village events rather than the big steam
rallies but still had a great time (and it frees me up to
spectate and chat at the main shows! :) )
Over the course of the year, there have been a few maladies,
repairs and planned upgrades which I'm sure you'll be interested
to hear about!
Given the sheer heat this summer, the first casualty was the
rubber tyre bands on the wheels. These are an accessory that
very few engines (except some late road locomotives) were ever
built with in period. Normally, engines relied on metal wheels
with strakes welded to them. Great for grip in fields and on
grass, and for the old style roads at the turn of the century.
Not so good for grip (or comfort!) on the newly emerging macadam
roads. These days, pretty much every full size engine you see
will have been retrofitted with rubber cushion tyres - either by
countersink-bolting them to the wheel (the quick and cheap way)
or by vulcanising the rubber onto the rim (very expensive but
gives great results).
At scale miniature level, the choice is usually between
vulcanising or some sort of strong glue. Mine were held on with
liquid rubber cement and, well, it came unstuck in the heat:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-51.jpg[/img]
As much as I would have liked to vulcanised them back on, it
would have been approaching £250 per wheel and the process also
destroys all surface finishings and paint on the wheels
(normally one vulcanises then paints them). Time for plan B then
- some more glue, only stronger!
Enter a tube of:
HTML http://www.hardwareireland.ie/js/plugins/imagemanager/files/tiger_seal_black.jpg
This stuff is like bitumen in a tube, and sets to a hard yet
flexible cross between epoxy resin and tar. it sticks anything
to everything, but if you get it on something unintentionally it
will NOT come off! (ask me how I know....)
Anyway, first job was to remove each wheel in turn to prepare it
- a blowtorch and scraper to remove the remnants of the old
glue, followed by a wipe-round with a petrol soaked rag to leave
it totally clean
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-65.jpg[/img]
The glue was then applied and the rubber loop levered over the
wheel into place, before a ratchet strap was tightened around
the wheel to secure it in place and left to set. Whilst the
wheel was off, I took the opportunity to clean up the friction
faces of the brake band:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-64.jpg[/img]
The brake is typically Victorian in design - an ingeniously
simple idea, executed in a a way involving complicated
mechanisms! Shown above in its disconnected state (so I could
get the wheel off), normally the bottom of the band of blocks is
attached to the silver bar dangling under the black pivot. When
the screw handle level with the top of the tender is turned, the
vertical silver rod is pulled up, forcing the opposite end of
the black pivoting bar down. This causes the band of wooden
blocks to constrict around a machined surface on the inside of
the wheel.
If you're wondering, the 4 machined slots in the hub are for the
drive pins - more of which in a sec.
Block faces sanded back to clean wood, the wheel was popped back
on and left to set whilst we got on with the other side:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-71.jpg[/img]
I just had one more job .... to reattach the axle end cover.
This took almost as long as the rest of the job! Persuading four
5mm long x 2 mm wide bolts back into their holes was a mite
fiddly for adult fingers, but they finally bit into their holes
in the wheel centre. Slight problem - it was on the wrong bloody
way round! its almost impossible to see with the naked eye, but
part of the cap has a tiny flat filed in the circumference to
enable the driving pin to go into its hole:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-66.jpg[/img]<br
/>
So what's the point of this driving pin? Well, as you may have
noticed in the wheels-off photo, there is nothing to transfer
motion of the axle to motion of the wheel. It simply slides onto
the axle and is then retained with a huge split-pin arrangement
through the axle to stop it falling off the end. To provide
drive, the big square driving pin goes through a keyway in the
wheel centre and engages into one of the 4 slots in the hub,
acting like a woodruff key to transmit the drive as a shear
force in the pin. The hub is connected to the axle which is
connected via many gears to the crankshaft. This particular
engine does not have a differential, so it only has a driving
pin in one wheel. Should I encounter a low-traction situation
(wet rally field), then I can insert a pin in the other rear
wheel to get 2 wheel drive with a resultant reluctance for it to
turn corners!
Some of the more complex engines, mainly those designed for road
use (it must be remembered that mine is an agricultural engine
designed for farm use), have a proper differential in the gear
pit (in the space under the crank but above the axle and
firebox). In these cases, driving pins are left in both wheels
and a third pin is used to lock the diff when the going gets
slippery.
You may also have noticed in the wheels-off photo, that there is
a set of rollers mounted to the back corner of the tender.
Looking more closely, you might notice that the hub on that side
has a reel of cable wound around it. This is the winch, a vital
piece of equipment for an agricultural engine that could be
called on to drag all manner of things from moving felled trees
to recovering stuck machinery. With the cable unwound and passed
through the rollers, the drive pin is pulled out of the wheel so
only the hub will turn, and drive to the axle is engaged in the
normal way up on the footplate. Given the awesome towing power
of a traction engine, you'd suspect that the winches are also
ridiculously powerful - and you'd be right! Sadly I've never
tried using mine, but the full-size boys often have call to use
theirs if it rains hard at a rally and all the HGVs,
road-rubbered steam engines etc start getting stuck. Normal
practice is to use a chain-gang of tractors to drag one engine
across the mire where it can then sit and winch everything else
across.
Back to the tyre troubles - having taken the drive pin-fouling
end cover off again, and fought to get it back on again the
right way round, the pin went back in and the job was a good'un!
Slight problem however.... starting on the other rear wheel, the
cover would not come off for love nor money! With all 4 of its
tiny bolts out and a selection of equally tiny screwdrivers
trying to lever it off, the damn thing wouldnt budge. So, this
tyre was going to have to be done in situ, much to my annoyance
- particularly as this was an inside edge tyre, not an outside
one like the last wheel so it couldnt just be slipped on as a
hoop. The rubber band was cut and fed around the wheel before
the same process of strapping and leaving to set. Because we
didnt have the wheel on the workbend to do this, it was hard to
get it to sit right and I am somewhat less impressed with the
final result, with the tyre being slightly wavy rather than
dead-straight as on the first wheel. But oh well, thanks to the
tiger seal its not like I can now get it off to try again!
Coming up in part 5 - how to make a robust, well-made and
period-looking cargo trailer from a cheap ebay trolley of such
quality that Britpart would point and laugh at it
#Post#: 84399--------------------------------------------------
Re: My steamy toy
By: mr.scruff Date: January 23, 2014, 4:48 am
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That's a good write up Matt, keep it coming. POtheR is in a shed
in Hampshire. Suspect it will be on the market (advertised)
shortly.
Diffs - most agriculturals after about 1880-odd have
differentials, it is only ploughing engines and most (not all)
rollers which don't.
Most diffs are on the back axle, with one crown wheel keyed to
the axle and the other bolted or riveted to the wheel. The diff
centre turns on a bearing on the axle. Pins - depends on the
maker and the layout of the engine. Some like a Ruston or a
Fowler have a dedicated diff lock pin so only usually have the
pin in the wheel opposite to the diff. On a lot of 3 shaft
engines like a Wallis or a earlier Burrell you'll see pins in
both sides, as the diff also incorporates the winch drum. Some
of these have a special long pin you fit to lock the diff. Some
you can't lock at all!
Some Burrells and McLarens have the diff on the third shaft as
they are "double drive", i.e. the diff supplies drive to a final
drive gear on each side.
#Post#: 84401--------------------------------------------------
Re: My steamy toy
By: mr.scruff Date: January 23, 2014, 4:54 am
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Crown wheel 1
[img]
HTML https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1/165152_10150158313542796_193861_n.jpg?lvh=1[/img]
Diff
[img]
HTML https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash2/165547_10150158313962796_5875461_n.jpg?lvh=1[/img]
#Post#: 84402--------------------------------------------------
Re: My steamy toy
By: StuartN Date: January 23, 2014, 5:01 am
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Fascinating technology.
There is something about a good differential that gets me all
hot under the collar...
S :smilewide:
#Post#: 84403--------------------------------------------------
Re: My steamy toy
By: Arjan Date: January 23, 2014, 5:10 am
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:thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:
#Post#: 84419--------------------------------------------------
Re: My steamy toy
By: megatoad Date: January 24, 2014, 5:12 am
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Hello Matthew
I have just stumbled upon this thread and read it with great
fascination.
While I love old steam engines, I didn't know much about them,
but one of the niggles in the back of my mind has now partially
been answered, and yet not.
I have always wondered how water was fed into the boiler,
especially as that will be running under great pressure, yet the
water in the tender will be at atmospheric.
So it was interesting to read your description on the mechanical
pump and clacker valve. BUT I also read the following which
tantalised me (oo-err missus) somwhat !
[quote]... and a steam-powered water injector that uses dark
science to do with pressure and temperature differentials ...
[/quote]
I have often heard of steam injectors on the railway locos, but
of course you are back to that pressure differential question.
So I would dearly love to know a bit more about how they work if
that is not too much of a problem?
Cheers, keep stoking.
#Post#: 84434--------------------------------------------------
Re: My steamy toy
By: divie Date: January 24, 2014, 3:01 pm
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That just makes me drool !! I have always lusted after a steam
engine but with a Landie, vintage and modern bikes Fergie
tractor soon to be joined by a Dexta a 1919 Castle car and a
workshop full of machines. It is just the Mamod ............
#Post#: 88520--------------------------------------------------
Re: My steamy toy
By: Neil_W Date: May 24, 2014, 9:15 am
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Awesome! I enjoy my Willesco model traction engine and my Stuart
Turner 10v stationary engine but that is a completely different
level. Well done.
#Post#: 88525--------------------------------------------------
Re: My steamy toy
By: guest13 Date: May 24, 2014, 2:47 pm
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[quote author=megatoad link=topic=7561.msg84419#msg84419
date=1390561947]
I have often heard of steam injectors on the railway locos, but
of course you are back to that pressure differential question.
So I would dearly love to know a bit more about how they work if
that is not too much of a problem?
Cheers, keep stoking.
[/quote]
They are essentially based on the operation of an educator,
using only steam from the boiler (depending on pressures of the
used steam it can be used in some cases) and water from the tank
Steam enters the first nozzle, which accelerates the steam flow,
creating a low pressure around the nozzle. The chamber in which
the low pressure is created is connected to the water tank, this
low pressure draws the water from the tank into the chamber.
This section is a standard educator system
This flow enters a second converging (narrowing) nozzle. The
steam condenses here, due to contact with the cold water
(relatively, it could still be not far off 100c on engines with
feed water heaters), Passing its heat energy to the water,
accelerating it through the converging nozzle. The flow then
passes through a diverging (expanding) nozzle, which reduces the
flow velocity, but as energy is conserved the pressure
increases. A none return valve (or several, and possibly manual
shut off valves) is used in the discharge to make sure the
boiler pressure can't get back
It sounds odd that the steam from the boiler is producing a
higher pressure than it left with, but the key is the change in
temperature, essentially the heat energy the seam had has become
pressure energy in the combined flow
As a piece of equipment they are very simple, but take a bit of
understanding how they work
#Post#: 88528--------------------------------------------------
Re: My steamy toy
By: Matthew Date: May 24, 2014, 4:42 pm
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Hello chaps,
Many apologies for the delay in replying - uni stuff and work on
the boingay (please don't smite me!) have conspired to keep me
busy for a while.
Megatoad - I wasnt quite sure myself, hence my vague descripton!
However, here is a very good explanation I have since found,
courtesy of the Bluebell railway website:
HTML http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/~uhaa009/bb/locos/3217/injector.jpg
The sectioned drawing, and photographs show a new GWR pattern
injector that will be fitted to 'Dukedog' 3217. These injectors
are very reliable, and after nationalisation of the railways,
the design was adopted in three sizes for the new BR Standard
locomotives.
Steam from the boiler, and water from the tank or tender, pass
through a stop valves (taps) controlled by the fireman. When he
wishes to increase the level of water in the boiler he turns on
the water and steam valves.
Initially water passes into the injector by gravity, where it
lifts the hinged combining cone flap, pushes down the overflow
valve and runs out of the overflow pipe onto the ground. When
the steam valve is opened, a jet of steam escapes from the steam
cone. This jet has a high velocity, which it imparts to the
surrounding water. At the same time the cold water starts to
condense the steam jet. During condensation the volume of the
steam is vastly reduced, so a partial vacuum is formed which (a)
draws more water from the tank, (b) closes the overflow valve,
and (c) shuts the hinged combining cone flap. The mixture of
condensing steam and cold water continues to gain speed as it
travels through the combining cone. It emerges from the small
end of the combining cone as a jet of hot water. It then travels
across the gap and into the divergent delivery cone. Here the
speed of the jet is reduced, but its pressure is increased
sufficiently to lift the delivery clack (non-return valve) and
flow into the boiler.
The 10X injector for 3217 will deliver about 40 gallons of water
per minute into the boiler.
For those lusting after my engine, it may, and I stress the may
part, be for sale at the beginning of next season (winter '15).
Why, after I have put so much time, money and effort into it?
Well, I've been told about Rolls Royce Meteor that may be for
sale - and I dont have the money or space to own both! Watch
this space....
Anyway, the long-promised Chapter 5 - Carpentry
Someone on another forum asked:
"How about modelling one of these as a riding trailer?"
HTML http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090420150942/tractors/images/thumb/d/dd/Foster_threshing_machine_at_Harewood_08_-_IMG_0509.jpg/500px-Foster_threshing_machine_at_Harewood_08_-_IMG_0509.jpg
I replied: Lovely thought , however I needed my riding trailer
to incorporate all the various things needed for an extended
trundle away from "base camp" - ie. my parking pitch at shows!
So, to recap - I was using a £40 ebay garden utility thingy - no
prizes for guessing where it originated from, suffice to say it
was a "super high quarity garden tlolley" and it took some
assistance from large hammers to make all the bits line up when
assembling it!
HTML http://www.pistonheads.com/inc/images/smash.gif
Looks smart enough, doesnt it?
HTML http://www.picresize.com/images/rsz_169306_10150954806778878_100769938_o.jpg
Well, looks can be deceiving
It worked well enough - once I'd replaced 2 wheels. Despite
being rated for 300kg, on the first outing last year I loaded it
with 20kg of water, 10kg of coal, and 90kg of human cargo.
Within 30 yards, one of the front wheel bearings turned into
mush:
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/tepb3.jpg
The problem was, whereas the back wheels merely had to trundle
along, the front wheels were a steerable axle and thus a
considerable amount of sideways shear was put on each bearing
when being dragged around a corner. The thin, poor quality side
channels couldn't cope, and soon burst and released all the
balls.
"No problem" I thought, I'll buy some nice Timken bearings or
similar and put them in. Slight problem - the bearings appear to
have been inserted with a huge press whilst the wheel was red
hot, as they were well and truly "interference fitted".
Increasing the level of force in an attempt to drive the old
races out succeeded only in distorting the pressed wheel rim. Oh
well... I gave up, and asked a favour of a fellow local
miniature engine enthusiast, who had some spare heavy-duty
wheels from a decent sack barrow (pneumatic sack barrows use
exactly the same wheels, but of much better manufacturing
quality).
So, problem solved - the HQ front wheels have been brilliant and
have stood up to some serious rally field abuse with very heavy
loads.
But.... the trailer still looked like a garden trolley. it didnt
look very scale-model like, and it certainly did not look like
the period Dyson drawbar trailers or "traction wagons" of old,
that were the preferred choice of full-size engine drivers for
supplies hauling:
HTML http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5226/5626843990_007b70b22b_b.jpg
It is possible to buy scale replica kits made by the same people
that produce to castings kits for the engines themselves. They
do look fabulous:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/tractionwagon.png[/img]
...but then so they fucking well should be, at that price!
So, time for me to get cracking and build my own. Ok, by the
time I'd finished with my trailer, it still wouldnt look quite
like a perfect scale representation, but for several very good
reasons:
1)Complexity - mine would be built on the existing garden
trolley chassis that already had perfectly functions wheels,
axles, steering and a frame to work with. I'd also be omitting
the hinged dropsides - they werent necessary for my design plan,
and having the sides solidly screwed to each other would
massively increase structural integrity.
2)Timescale - by the time I stopped procrastinating and making
endless plans and drawings, I had a week to get it made before
the first show of the season
3)Wheels - retaining the existing pneumatic wheels of the garden
trolley doesnt look great, but then have you ever seen a
solid-wheeled vehicle attempt to traverse a soft, wet field?
4)Cost - total budget was £100, including the £40 cost of the
original trolley
So, fingers were pulled out and a plan was drawn up:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/b46b679a-bc4f-4f21-9c5b-c5f92eb91d67.jpg[/img]
The trailer would be a simple baton frame construction on a
sheet wood floor, with plank sides. The interior would be split
into 4 sections - the rearmost section to hold water tanks and
my emergency toolkit, the middle section as a coal bunker that
would double as a passenger seat, and the front as an empty
space for the passengers legs, that would hold the driving stool
when packed up for transport in the back of my truck. the 4th
section would be a channel down one side for the extension
chimney (used to get the fire going - see previous posts).
One visit to Potter's Lumber Yard of Nantwich (a very
well-stocked, well-run and friendly timber yard) resulted in the
exchange of £50 of my pounds for an alarming amount of PAR pine
baton and planks:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-37.jpg[/img]
The first job was to put a proper floor over the existing mesh
floor in the trolley. Luckily, I already had a large amount of
spare 3/4" plywood, and found enough bits large enough to make a
complete floor. This was secured from underneath with some
corner reinforcing brackets left over from a shelving job, laid
horizontally and self-tapped through the mesh:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-38.jpg[/img]
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-43.jpg[/img]
This was all well and good, but immediately threw up a problem.
The corners of the trolley frame were fractionally deeper than
3/4", meaning that the baton I had intended to border the floor
with to create a frame (see the bit clamped to the floor in the
pictures above) would have to be sat inside this 3mm thick lip.
This would put the kibosh on having flush planking all the way
down the sides to hide metal chassis, as the bottom plank would
have to stand proud to clear the lip.
Not to be deterred, I broke out the biggest plane in my arsenal
and got to work:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-40.jpg[/img]
Success - the baton frame could now sit inside the metal
channels, but overhang outwards to form a flush side:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-41.jpg[/img]
With the rest of the bottom of the baton frame cut to length,
planed, test-fitted, clamped in place, drilled and finally
screwed down, I could then begin to trial fit some of the
interior components inside to visualise the interior. This was
to work out the exact dimensions of the coal bunker - as the
water tanks at the back had known dimensions, and the toolbox at
the front had known dimensions, and the overall interior length
was fixed by the trailer chassis, then I could work out the
difference to size up the coal bunker and begin making the front
and back of that. In this pic, the big toolbox is being used to
gauge what height to make the bunker lid to make it comfy to sit
on. This in turn determined the height of the trailer, as shown
by the vertical batons. IT was a bit of a tricky balance, as if
the seat was too low then passengers would have their knees
round their ears. If it was too high, the trailer would look
ridiculously tall for its proportional length:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-42.jpg[/img]
With this all determined, the vertical construction could begin:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-44.jpg[/img]
You may note that the vertical batons are attached by the
slightly shonky method of lots of self-tapping right-angle
brackets. Ideally, they should be screwed through from the
underside of the base horizontal frame. However, as I was making
this build up as I went along, and I didnt know what length
(height) the verticals had to be, I couldnt do it at the time.
And I certainly wasnt going to muck about taking out the many
huge screws holding the base in. Another point to consider was
the fact that with the metal bracket attachment, there was a
very slight degree of play in each upright that I could use to
my advantage. using the flexibility of the bracket meant I could
tweak each post if it was slightly off vertical - and indeed,
all of them were. This is because a) despite my best efforts,
some of them werent cut perfectly perpendicular, and b) some of
them were actually bowed or warped slightly along their length,
having obviously absorbed some moisture since being made.
So, I hear you asking, why do I have a big step down one side?
Well - remember I mentioned the chimney:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-47.jpg[/img]
From an engineering point of view, a cantilever structure such
as that would horrify me considering it has to support fully
grown adults sitting on it. However, in this case, it was all
ok. Firstly, those cantilevered sections were put together with
the biggest screws I could find - some 6" monsters.
Secondly, most of the weight of the passengers would in fact be
taken in shear by the front and back face panels of the coal
bunker, this stepped frame merely being something to screw the
faces to:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-48.jpg[/img]
As you can see, I used more 3/4" ply for the faces, combined
with a lot of screws. I dont think that step-frame is going
anywhere soon, no matter who sits on it. In the above picture,
you can also see I'd begun panelling the outside of the trailer.
A clear demonstration of my earlier point can be seen, of how
the planks come right down over the chassis, and thus how the
baton frame had to be flush - and hence the fancy planing. The
observant amongst you might also notice how, in the intervening
period, the lugs for the dropside hinges have also been
hacksawed off to enable this flush planking.
Before fitting, each plank also had 2 or 3mm planed off each
longitudinal edge to make them look like scaled-down large size
planks with the slightly rounded rough-hewn corners. Had I not
done so, the perfectly planed planks would have just stacked
neatly and looked like solid sides, completely defeating the
point of using planks instead of mere sheet ply.
The 4th side was then fitted, and a lid was made for the coal
bunker seat. The rather substantial brass door hinges came from
my big box of random spare wood fittings, and took a fair amount
of skilled chiselling to make them sit flush in both the frame
and the lid!! All the seams on the inside of the coal bunker
were also lined with a bead of silicone, to prevent coal dust
working its way out of the joins and getting everywhere.
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-49.jpg[/img]
You can also see I'd pre-painted the ends of the planks before
fitting them. This was because I had elected to use ornamental
screws and cups rather to represent the exposed bolts and rivets
on a real traction wagon trailer, and it would have been a hell
of a job to paint around them once it was all assembled - it was
enough of an effort just putting them all in at perfect spacing
and level-ness! Originally, I had intended to put a line of
screws down the middle of each plank as well, to hold them to
the coal bunker uprights for extra rigidity, hence the paint in
the middle too. However, once assembled, it was perfectly rigid
enough and I really didn't fancy putting in another 32 screws
(bear in mind that it was also Friday afternoon at this point,
and the show was on Saturday).
All that remained was to paint the rest of the trailer properly,
and pack everything in it:
[IMG]
HTML http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_over_the_world/null-50.jpg[/img]
I think you'll agree it has turned out rather well ;D After
several coats of paint, the blend of the pre-painted bits into
the unpainted parts is no longer noticeable. It certainly looks
a helluva lot better than the old mesh trolley body, and it
worked perfectly on the first show out with it. Many
appreciative comments were made on how well-done it was too:
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All the remains is for me paint the wheel rims black, so the
trailer no longer resembles one of those harlequin
Volkswagens......
At some point, I will also utilise the 20ft roll of curtainsider
canvas I have (don't ask) to make a heavy duty, weatherproof
scale canvas cover for the trailer. This will also serve the
dual purpose of making the engine look like it is hauling a
trailer full of goods just like in period, rather than the
current situation of being able to peer in and see nothing but
tools and water tanks everywhere.
A final touch will be to signwrite the sides, as per the
original drawings. However, since I am now a chemist and not an
engineer, I am thinking of the name of a period local chemical
supply company. Current favourite is:
The United Alkali Company Ltd.
Liverpool, England
(Formed 1890, merged into ICI in 1926, for the history buffs).
So overall, it took me 5 days of 10-7pm graft (with lunch and
tea breaks) to make the bugger in the end. However, as i've
said, this was very much built on the fly - most of that time
was standing around, scratching my head, measuring things and
trying to work out how to best make and fit the next bit. I
reckon that, now I know exactly what to do, and in what order
with no endless test fitting and trial and error, I could make
another one in 2 days flat.
As for cost, well the trolley was £40, the pine wood was £50,
and the paint and ornamental screw cups came to £12 from B&Q.
The screws, hinges and plywood sheet was all stuff I had already
but would probably add another £40 to the materials cost. I
think you will agree though, its still not bad at all for the
end result, especially when one goes back and looks at the price
of a perfect scale one!
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