Member postings for Bob Youldon

Hello John.

It may help you to make contact with people who have built LBSC's Brit, I've seen examples from medal winners to those that appeared to have been built with a knife and fork. If yu suspect the valve gear then run it through one of the simulations availabe on the net, remember the design is now approaching seventy years old and many were built before the advent of computer simulation. built to the original LBSC words and music and all seem to perform excellently; again, with the boiler design reference should be made with your club boiler test team as there are several items needing up dating to moden good practice and they will advise accordingly. The boiler is relativly straight forward, but if you've never built one take the advice of your test team at each stage of construction.

Have a look at Youtube for the locomotive that won the Curly Bowl, that's how to do it!

Personally I think the locomotive is a little cracker and if I wasn't so long in the tooth I wouldn't mind having a go mysef.

Regards.

Bob

Good afternoon,

One of the most useful tools in my workshop is a little fly cutter made to a design that appeared in the Live Steam magazine many years ago, it's probably no more than 3/4" diameter and give about a 7/8" diameter sweep with a 3/16" square HSS tool bit. I use it for finishing cuts taking off no more than .001" at about 1600 rpm with a dead slow feed results in a finish like a surface grinder! Wonderful.

Regards

Bob

Hi all,

Is it dying/, i think not but the whole hobby has changed and it will continue to evolve, I've been at this game now for over sixty years, I started at school and I still find it a joy today, it's interesting to hear the doom sayers out there, Percival Marshall back in 1908 was concerned there seemed to be little interest from the younger generation and sadly to many of the=at generation never returned home ten years later. Today we have the technology, CNC water and lased cut components, 3D printed lost wax items becoming available to the home builder, Take a look at any model engineering exhibition and admire the quality of the work produced, compare that to say forty years ago. In those days it was thought a 2" scale traction engine was large, I remember public passenger hauling with a 21/2" gauge Atlantic, look at what the model boat and aircraft folks are doing today, gas turbines, sub miniature radio gear, no it ain't dying, too many doom sayers out there and there is still interest by a young membership, my own society's both have an active young membership so the interest hasn't waned, it's still there.

Regards,

Bob

Good afternoon all,

Re drilling phosphor bronze:-

Perhaps the O/D expands outwards & the I/D expands inwards onto the drill?

Tony

Exactly.

Bob

Hello Vic,

Generally with drawn phosphor bronze there is a need for an accurate hole, for perhaps a bearing, then the drilling process is fairly simple, resharpen a drill slightly off centre so it cuts slightly over size but making sure it is still fractionly under the size for a reamer. The other alternative is to use a slot drill of the appropiate size, a long reach one if the hole is fairly deep. I keep a box of resharpened slightly off centred drills specificly for drawn phosphor bronze work; also I will always turn and drill drawn phosphor bronze without any lubricant but for threading and tapping work I always use Trefolex cutting paste cleaned after with white sprit.

I hope tihis is of some assistance.

Bob

Good afternoon Luke,

I have all the Engineering in Miniature editions covering the construction of Scamp, you are quite welcome to borrow them. If it's of any help I'm intending to be at the park tomorrow providing it doesn't tip down. Don't buy anything yet as I've shed loads of material that may be useful.

Regards,

Bob

Whato everyone,

No problems with my bread maker, couple of glasses of red wine and she's away!

Regards,

Bob

Hello Tomasz,

Welcome to the forum; I think the GLR drawings are re-drawn, old man Kennion had some sort of trading agreement with the designer LBSC and the others sorce their drawings via the copyright holder Sarick?, look down the adverts to the right if these posts for a link. I have drawings for another of his designs from both Kennions and the then providers and I have to say Kennion's are much clearer. Juliet although a freelance it's a "beginners" engine and I built one with Baker gear many years ago as my first project, There are web sites out there with the whole serial describing the construction (the words and music as LBSC called them). There are loads of Juliets built over the years and they all go well. For a slightly more up market design based on a full sized prototype then I'd suggest Rob Roy, most of the suppliers can supply the castings and materials and again there have been hundreds built; there is a book detailing the construction of the locomotive available and they all go well, a good fun engine. What I would suggest if you have'nt already done so is join your local club or one in your area, generally shed loads of help, assistance, ideas etc.

Regards

Bob

Hi Stewart,

It's a neat trick, I use double sided carpet tape. easy to shift after turning with the use of sticky lable remover.

Regards,

Bob

Good morning Ron,

I've used continually or proof machined cast iron for axle boxes on my locomotives for the last 30 - 40 years and expect to still continue to do the same; my theory being that my old mum's treadle operated sewing machine never wore out and at times when she was going at full tilt the machine was operating at something like 700 strokes per minute, all on plain cast iron bearings with just a drop of Singer sewing machine oil! As a tight fisted old so-n-so i will not pay for some miserable lumps of gunmetal sold as axlebox material, further I can supply my own blowholes and that applies to cylinder castings also.

Regards,

Bob

Hello Malcolm,

I'm with Julian on the subject of boiler fittings, they are very satisfying components to make, further most commercial boiler fittings seem to be made from brass, and generally where fitted below the water line will slowly dissolve before your very eyes! The water gauge for Minnie as pointed out is specifically designed for that engine, so I'd doubt if a suitable item is made commercially.

Regards,

Bob

Welcolme Alan,

I thought by LA you meant Littlehampton!

Bob ( in Sussex)

Hi chaps,

Try www.mjallen.co.uk they make the Verdict DTI can overhaul yours and probably supply replacement parts for the reverse toggle.

Regards,

Bob

Hi folks,

Soft solder paste can be brought back to life with a few spots of water, simples. I've done this for years and it works well.

Regards,

Bob

Hi all,

I recall old LBSC talked about his two hour hand pump,it now takes me two hours just to look for the materials! , It'll be interesting to see just how long it'll take to describe the construction of this one, not to mention the array of machine tools required to do the job.

Regards,

Bob

Jason,

Whilst you are at it, can you also ask Martin to explain why it is necassary to produce a ball valve seat with a 15deg angle face as opposed to a flat seat when the ball in fact seats on a knife edge contact, also a 5.5 mm slot drill will produce the seat just as easy.

Regards,

Bob

Hi John,

That's a brilliant idea, like yourself I've got hundreds, I go from November 1959 to date, I store them in the loft, they're over our bedroom but as luck will have it they're over my wife's side! But I'll keep that idea in mind.

Regards,

Bob

Good afternoon,

I think most have concured the gear is fairly simple and in the context of full sized locomotives (mostly narrow gauge industrial types) it was simple and cheap to produce, most locomotives of that type were employed on very short trips where economics in respect of coal consumption were not really considered, now, if it was any good the main line operators would have used it. I don't think Riddles would have considered it suitable for say the likes of the Britannias or the 9Fs, no, it may be suitable for the likes of a narrow gauge shunting type shuffling up and down a few yards as and when demand required.

Regards,

Bob

Good morning Stephen,

I have to agree with CuP, the Sievert range will do most jobs, As a satisfied user from the mid sixties and having silver brazed up to and including large 5" gauge locomotive copper boilers down to fine scale steel fabrications i would not consider any other brand. I know of the Bullfinch torches but I'm unable to give an opinion and know of the Rothenberger brand, those being generally designed for specific purposes mainly associated with the plumbing, heating and air conditioning trades.

Regards,

Bob

Hi Dev,

I've done a bit more investigation on Martin evans 21/2" gauge black five, it was described between 1984 - 1985 in the following issues:-

3728, 3730, 3732, 3734, 3736, 3738, 3740, 3742, 3744, 3746, 3748, 3750, 3752, 3757.

I trust the foregoing may be of assistance.

Regards,

Bob