Member postings for Simon Collier

There have been repeated urging of the AALS by prominent persons to make the code free online. They refuse, reckoning they need the money.
I’m surprised the AALS Treasurer did not reply. As Paul said, many people go away for summer holidays over the Christmas period. I’m surprised also that scanned copies don’t find their way online.
The mail is in disarray also due to the latest COVID massive surge.

Once again, thank you gentlemen for the generous compliments. Although fully lined LNER green is a lot more work, I figured that once it is done, you enjoy the benefits for years after. The Fox transfers for the tender lining alone took two weeks. I had the foresight to buy twice as many lines and corners (and they are not cheap) as I needed, reasoning that I would stuff a lot up until I got the hang of it. Just as well as I used almost all my spares.
A mate is finishing a much more impressive loco, also his first, but in all black, so it doesn’t have the visual impact.

Thanks gents for the kind words. It took 15 years to build. I first set up a workshop buying a Hafco Chinese 300 swing by 900 geared head lathe with 6” 3 jaw, 8” 4 jaw, 10” faceplate, QCTP, tail stock chuck, live centre etc, and DRO. It was a package deal and cost $A4000 in 11/2006. I bought a Sieg SX3 mill drill. I got ER 32 collets and 5C collets for the lathe. An 8” bench grinder. For heating equipment, a Sievert 2944 big burner, a 2943 burner and an oxy-propane set with a heating tip. I was not going to be short of heat, the cause of so many problems. If that sounds like a lot of money, I have no children, so imagine how much I have saved there.

I’ve been working hard for the last two weeks determined to get my engine finished for a club run on New Years Eve. When I decided to build a loco, I knew nothing of metal working or steam locomotives. I learned as I went and there was a lot to learn. I found the machining straight forward, I enjoyed making the boiler, I hated the sheet metal work, I didn't much like the painting and lining- lots of headaches here- and the last job was to make the builders and nameplates using the laser printer toner method of etching. I ran the engine in an unfinished and unpainted state, without tender, for several months before stripping for painting and finishing. I therefore knew that it runs extremely well. Thanks to Julian Atkinson for drafting calculations which I followed to excellent effect.
Along the way I built 3/5 of a Blowfly loco, including boiler, for a young enthusiast, and a couple of gauge 1 locomotives. Also tooling and jigs as needed, of course.
The most urgent job now is to make some extension controls. Yesterday I simply could not reach the regulator over the tender. My back is very problematic and inflexible, and I had no hope. Hitting the regulator with the shovel got old very quickly and I did only a few laps.

We used to have television licences when I was a kid but they were abolished in the 60s or early 70s.
the ABC here has become ever bolder in its Left wing activism/ social engineering. The news is censored and the “diversity” casting and promotion have become a joke. I can imagine meetings at the ABC where executives try to out politically correct each other with their suggestions. The BBC is as bad or worse.

That is the type of result I was hoping for, thanks Dave. I use borax flux, presumably the “pink stuff” as it is pink, for bronze brazing. I abrade the stainless with wet&dry and immediately flux. If silver soldering I abrade and use HT5 equivalent flux.

I am curious Peter. Do you mean in the firebox, ie radiant superheaters, or within the flue at the firebox end? If within the flue, I think copper would be better. In that case I would bronze braze.
I want to replace the copper elements in my Simplex with radiant stainless but I don’t want to bother to have them TIG welded. I want to bronze braze them and perhaps protect the block or spear points with a stainless cup over the joint area simply slipped over the last inch as the elements are pushed home to the back of the firebox. Does anyone have experience of bronze brazed joints within the firebox, ie, do they last?

I did mine with 8 x 8 BA small hex head screws. I drilled 1.5 mm first with battery drill, trying to drill at a tangent to the flange in each position. Then drill 1.8 and tapped smokebox, which in my case is about 1/8 steel. Went well.

Better to ask on the MECH Forum for loco stuff. There is a Simplex thread.

https://modeleng.proboards.com/board/19/general-chat

It would be helpful if you could get a copy of the Simplex articles in ME, and the subsequent Super articles. I photocopied them from my club’s library. As always make yourself aware of the mistakes in the design before starting.

The hacksaw blade reamers in the ME article are held by hand.

Look up Don Ashton’s stuff online. It would be best to buy his book on valve gear also. With loco links, the eccentric rod pin holes are on the line of the expansion link slot center, and with launch links, the pins are behind the slot. Loco links need more space vertically, so much less appealing, but there are rules for which is preferred. Loco for direct drive to outside admission valves (slide valves) and launch for direct drive to piston valves with inside admission. This is reversed if the drive is indirect, with eg., a 180 degree rocker through the frames to outside valves. Look for pictures or animations- much better than words.

Edited By Simon Collier on 28/11/2021 20:22:05

It would not have a brass boiler so I presume you mean brass cladding on the copper boiler. If so, I would use etch primer and quality spray enamel. I used Humbrol on a Gauge 1 gas fired loco and while heat has changed the colour somewhat, it is still perfectly sound looks good. The builders I know don’t bother with high temperature paint. I did use HT black on a 5” gauge steel smokebox and I did use etch primer first.

I love PBS Spacetime. And Sabine Hoffenfelder. I’ve considered learning the mathematics to understand quantum field theory but it would be a big commitment.

It is the hypocrisy of the zealots that makes me smile. The ABC bang on about climate warming morning, noon and night, the desire for electric cars, etc., but the first thing they all want to do is jet off overseas as soon as the borders open. And apparently Australia was rated the worst country for climate inaction! They didn’t say by whom or by what criteria. No mention of China.
On a point of accuracy, when they say action on climate change, they always should say action on emissions.
Never any mention of global population.

I think Ketan is one of a kind. Many a time I have wished Arc Euro was in a local industrial area rather than the other side of the world.

Colloidal Teflon suspension, I think. I have Nulon grease too.

I’ll check my old copies tomorrow. I remember one article for a graduated quill depth stop which I made.

Ketan, have you come across the problem of failure of the tapping forward-reverse buttons on the end of the handles? Can you confirm that it is a main board failure as I was told by a serviceman?

I wish I understood electronics but alas, I know nothing.