Member postings for Weary

Looks like you have a rogue copy. All pages present and correct in my copy of issue 4696 of Model Engineer magazine. [email protected] should be able to sort out a replacement copy.

The [customs clearance] charge is currently £11.00 or 2.5% of the total Duty and/or VAT incurred, whichever is the greater.

source: DHL website, 'Why do I have to pay an Advance Payment or Disbursement charge?'

Volume 1 (>3bar litres)

Volume 2 (<3bar litres)

Your 'Tich' boiler will conform as drawn provided that you use boiler bushes for all attachments and fittings rather than screwing directly into the copper structure as LBSC occasionally advocated originally.

Phil

Edited By Weary on 08/07/2022 19:28:00

'Dart' builders and owners over on Model Engineering Clearing House can almost certainly give you suggestions and advice based on experience.

Phil

Neil,

your link in your message timed 20:32:40 next-but-one message above doesn't work (for me anyway). Gives all the usual headers etc., but where I would anticipate a thread it simply reads:

"Error

This page cannot be found"

I pursued it as I seemingly only receive (Model Engineer) magazines intermittently since the new owners have taken-over & would like to try and resolve it.

Regards,

Phil

Hello Mr Irvine,

There is a (black and white) photograph of 'Dot' in Model Engineer magazine, Volume 106, June 26th 1952, issue number, 2666, page 825 (2/3rd front/side view) and page 826 (underside, locomotive only). Possible sources of this issue of the magazine are ebay, or one of the dealers who supplies back-issues.

The prototype locomotive, as you have discovered, is popularly known as a 'Black 5'. This somewhat gives away the basic colour scheme, which is, well, black all-over (bar buffer-beams, & inside part of frame etc.). Some prototypes carried simple red lining, and later some had the BR red and grey lining-out - I think. You would have to check this. You can of course finish your locomotive in any style that you like should you personally favour more exotic colour-schemes!

Pictures of the prototype and the model 'larger sister' Doris are plentiful on-line. For models you can browse the Station Road Steam archive, although there are no pictures of 'Dot' there are pictures of Doris, simply search 'Doris' or 'black 5', etc., etc. Note that 'Doris' has outside valve-gear, which does not feature on 'Dot' which (conventionally) has slip eccentrics inside the frame driving the outside valves through rocking-shafts.

I have never built 'Dot' so cannot supply any pics I'm afraid. I merely responded to Mr Penfolds' original enquiry and made suggestions as to how he might proceed. This was four years ago now, and I don't know whether Mr Penfold is still a regular visitor here or indeed ever completed his loco.

Regards & best of luck

Phil

Darren,

Yep. 'Personal Ad's' listing on 'first page' now showing up-to-date. Thanks for looking at this, hopefully it will update automatically now and you can forget about it.

Regards,

Phil

Looks like personal ads', "Latest for Sale Ads" listing on front page, right-hand column, are not updating automatically again.

Phil

John,

There is a Model Engineer magazine index here. If you put-in dot as the search term and scroll down to 1949 in the results you will see the relevant articles and editions, etc.

There appear to be some subsequent 'mentions', in 1952, '58, '60, & '65. There may be others, I simply had a quick scan of the search results and those 'jumped-out'.

Regards,

Phil

Personal ads'; "Latest for Sale Ads" on front page, right-hand column still not updating.

Phil.

Personal advert's - 'Latest "For Sale" Adverts' listing does not seem to be updating automatically?

Looks like sellers are posting items for sale but the full list can only be accessed by clicking on the "more for sale Ads....." section of the 'Latest "for sale" adverts' on the right-hand side of the page whereas in the past the latest adverts used to appear automatically (after a short interval) at the top of the list visible on the 'first page' of the site.

Phil

Suggest that you try sending a PM to Luker

(He may not read your posting as the heading is rather non-specific.)

Phil

Jason,

Very nice work!

But, can you perhaps give a little more detail as to how you "used a broach to cut a tapered keyway" sometime please? Was it a home-made or commercial broach, and how did you achieve the required taper?  

Thanks & regards,

Phil

Edited By Weary on 25/05/2022 08:53:26

Well you could do it that way, If I have understood your description correctly.

However, taking your exhaust as the example as it is most clearly visible in your pic' I suggest screwing both the pipes 'in' to meet at the midpoint of the central block. This is done first 'away from the field of battle' as a preparatory gambit. . This will temporarily make the overall length of the connecting pipes as short as possible.

Then drop that assembly in line with your cylinders. This may involve some (very gentle!!) wiggling and juggling.

Additional note: You can if you wish drop this exhaust pipework into position before both the cylinders are fitted. In this case the total overall width of the pipework can be the distance between the outside of your frames. This approach may be easier to get the pipework into place BUT it will mean that you will need to remove (or at least loosen) one of the cylinders if you wish to remove the pipework at any time in the future. This can be a royal pain! As thread starts are unlikely to align exactly it can make initial cylinder thread engagement awkward too. Though looseness in thread engagement normally allows for this.

Anyway, to return to the main drama:

Having got your pipework roughly in place and your cylinders secured: Unscrew one of the exhaust pipes from the central block whilst holding the central block 'in place' (i.e. 'centrally'!) and keeping the outlet vertical. As the pipe is 'unscrewed' from the central block it will engage with and 'screw-into' the cylinder on that side. When you have 'adequate' engagement of this thread at both the cylinder and central block - stop. Now tackle the other pipe connection: supporting the central block (and keeping the outlet vertical) unscrew this pipe in turn, once again, as it unscrews it will engage with the thread in the cylinder and screw-in. Some gently 'joggling' may be required to start the thread, there should be enough 'give' to allow this. Once again when 'happy' with the engagement on this side - stop. The exhaust pipework should now be self-supporting - but lock-nuts (gently applied) can assist.

If you have a go I'm sure that it will become clear. Basically your start-point is to make the overall width of the pipework as long as possible when screwed fully into the central connector whilst still allowing it to be joggled into position between the frames. Martin Evans will have calculated this for you in the dimensions and extent of threading that he has stipulated. Unscrewing each horizontal pipe in turn from this central connector engages the relevant pipe with the cylinder.

Your exhaust will be low-pressure so easier to deal with. Once you have established how the system works you follow the same principle with the inlet - which of course is high pressure so will almost certainly need a dab of your preferred jointing.

Be gentle when screwing your pipework in and out - indeed 'gently does it' is the watch-word at every stage right from the beginning of the procedure - keep in mind that you are dealing with soft copper so easy to deform and damage the thread! (I could tell you how I know - but you can almost certainly guess. At least it is quick and easy to make-up new pipes tho'.)

Good luck!

Phil

1) Fasten cylinders to frame

2) Screw exhaust pipes equally and deeply into central block, this should allow the pipes to just fit between the frames/cylinders. Maybe some 'joggling' required. Further extend (cut) threads on pipes and into block if required.  Looks like you have adequate extent of thread on pipes from your pic tho'.

3) Position exhaust pipes correctly, unscrew exhaust pipes from central block and they will engage in cylinder threads. Obviously this necessitates same thread pitch at both ends. When you have adequate thread engagement in both ends and in central block & central block is correctly positioned: - stop!

4) You can make the process easier by silver-soldering a hex onto each pipe somewhere accessible (i.e. midway). Sometimes a lock-nut at one end of each pipe or the other assists with rigidity once pipes are screwed to correct position too.  You may wish to apply your preferred thread sealant to the pipework etc., before performing procedure.

Now that you know process inlet is the same process/arrangement.

Regards,

Phil

Edited By Weary on 22/05/2022 13:48:25

Starrett wiggler/center-finder set is imperial. Ball diameter 0.250", disc contact 0.100".

Edited By Weary on 09/05/2022 12:55:50

Hi Luker,

This promises to be a very interesting series indeed. I'm especially looking-forward to how you get round the issues in 'our' sizes surrounding the lack of a frame in the prototype. I assume that it will be 5" (1.25" to the foot) gauge?

Regards,

Phil

GLR Kennions mentioned & linked-to in my earlier posting also supply drawings and castings for the 5" Tich.

In the light of your most-recent 'desirable attributes', I repeat however, that if you have not already done-so perhaps you should consider one of the Kozo Hiraoka designs (Penn' A3, & the perhaps more complex -> Shay, New Shay, Climax, Heisler). The construction books cover 3.5" gauge, 5" gauge and 7.25/7.5" gauge versions of the locomotives which require minimal, if any , castings. A search on youtube will show them running, and there are also some youtube 'construction series' to support the books. Here, for example is a 3.5" gauge A3, Kozo's equivalent to Tich.

Regards,

Phil

Edited By Weary on 08/05/2022 08:45:34

Steven,

Tish castings are available from a number of UK suppliers, not just Reeves.

Two suppliers that come to mind are GLR Kennions, and GS Model-engineers. I'm sure that there are others too. So you might want to shop-around if you decide to go down the Tich route.

However, as you are in the US you might care to consider the Kozo Hiraoka designed locomotives which also have thorough and complete up to-date construction books and use the absolute minimum of castings. Second-hand copies are often available too. Where there is a requirement for castings, or you prefer a casting, these are available from US based suppliers. Just something to consider.

Regards,

Phil

Edited By Weary on 06/05/2022 16:56:36

I know that you wanted a UK supplier, however, a forum member on MECH sourced an acme screw-thread (albeit different to your requirement) from Roton Products in the US and had very good service from them. So ,maybe worth considering?

Here is Roton Products info' , & Here is the relevant MECH thread.

Kingston Engineering in the UK got a mention as a good supplier in the UK in that MECH thread.  Don't know if you have tried them, so here is their site.

Edited By Weary on 29/04/2022 21:04:38