Member postings for Michael Callaghan

Just take lots of good pictures and stick it all on eBay. The dealers that offer to buy your complete workshop and brush it afterwards will rob you blind. I have sold a few lathes and two milling machines on eBay for good prices as I updated my machines. There are lots of buyers out there, even in these dark days.

I lived in France for a number of years. They had two types of insurance. Within France and outside France. At the time my English insurance was £300 pa fully com. The French insurance with AXA was £80 and that was fully com full European cover. At the time motoring was a whole lot cheaper then in the U.K.

Why can’t I open the older magazines. Flash player is no longer supported and his an out dated product. So why can’t the owners of the magazines sort this problem out. It’s been like this for over a year now to my knowledge.

Hi chaps, I need a drawing of the front Centre panel that goes just in front of the smoke book door to the top of the front buffer. This is for a three cylinder royal Scot so needs the housing for the piston rod. If you have details of this part can you please let me know. Thanks.

Thanks chaps, I will take a look

Hi, it had to happen. Due to an house move I have lost the rear trailing wheels for my 5 inch Stirling single. I have looked into the cost of cast iron and it’s ridiculous what people are asking these days. What other materials can I use that don’t cost a small fortune. Thanks.

Interesting, however I find it odd, that there is nothing about material thickness in the federation book on boiler tests. The boiler I think was from a traction engine in which steel boilers are very common. If traction engine people can get their boilers tested without cameras and so on, and I have witnessed a few traction engine tests on steel boilers, I don’t understand why it’s not the same for locomotive boilers. Odd hobby at times I think.

Hi chaps. I have a question. Last week I saw club boiler testers refuse to test a steel boiler. Said boiler was out of the frames and unwrapped. In the boiler code book, it states that steel boilers can be tested and how to go about it. So why did these boiler testers refuse to test a boiler. In my mind it looked like they just made up some new rules, in refusing to test the boiler. If some clubs do test and others don’t, what is the point in having a testing code or standard. What our your views on this. Mine is if the boiler stood the test then that’s a past, end of. I read in an American magazine that a chap had made a boiler out of a used oxygen cylinder for his big boy locomotive. So our boiler testers getting above themselves here in the U.K. I am all for safety. But if something passes, it is ok. And I think boiler testers should all test steel or copper boilers or none at all.

Job done. Cutting the shaft and knocking it out from below did the job. Thanks for all your input.

Hi chaps. The motor on my meddling pillar drill died. I now need to remove the aluminium pulley from the motor. There is a locking tap on the motor shaft and no matter what I try it will not come out. I have tried heating the pulley and tapping from below, nothing. I tried bathing in wd40 for a day, nothing. Due to. The tab being low down in the Center of the pulley I can,t get a good hit on it and pulling on it does nothing. So chaps, is their a way of getting this dam pulley off the shaft I am thinking that the only way open to me is to cut the shaft off the motor and knock it out from the bottom.

Hi chaps.I am having fun and games with the rear section of boiler wrap for a 5 inch gauge Stirling single I am building. Apart from one boiler band in the front part of the section the only way I can see the wrap holding in place is by clamping the rear edge under the cab front edge. Is this the correct method or is there a better way. There is not much space between the boiler and the frames and main wheels on a Stirling so just want to be sure that the wrap is correctly held in place. Thanks

Thanks, will give it a go.

Hi, can anyone help here. The regulator is completely stuck on my Stirling. Unlike other locomotives I can’t see much by looking inside the boiler from the dome. So is there a way of freeing the regulator without taking it all apart. Thanks

It is a 4-2-2 .

Hi, does anyone know if any build notes got published for the Stirling single. I saw what looks like build notes for the Stirling in an old ad on station road steam in one of the pictures for a project Stirling. If anyone knows of any notes available can they please let me know. Thanks

Take a look on Facebook. There are a number of forums depending on the machine you have.

Bmw wanted £4000 for a new headlight for my 5 series. Ok it’s the fancy led job which is very good when it’s working and by far the best headlights I have ever had on a car. But £4000. Thank god I was able to get a used one. Mind you that cost £450. Manufacturers just rob you senseless these days.

I have lost an inch in the past 5 years. Was always 5ft 10. But now 5ft 9. It’s an age think

Thanks chaps,

Hi chaps. I am a bit at a loss. The plans I have only show one side of the locomotive. And I am now at the point of setting up the wheels. I understand that there is a leading side and a following side. The loco is a b1. So my question is. In what position do you have the connection rods in relation to each other on each side.let’s call the right side of the locomotive the right hand side as you are looking at it from the front.so in what position should the connection rods be on the right hand side and should the crosshead be at the front, ( nearest the cylinder) middle or rear of its motion. And which position should the left hand rods and crosshead be in also. Thanks. Michael