Simplex - Brake and Draincock linkage drawings

Hi there

I am building my first locomotive, a "standard" Simplex and want to add brakes. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I was wondering if members of this forum could point me towards some drawings of all the brake pasts - hangers, stretchers etc. I believe that the Super Simplex is similar. Similarly I would like some drawings of draincock linkages and control.

I am sure someone can help me.

Regards

Ade

Edited By Ade on 08/12/2014 21:49:17

this may help **LINK**.

There are various things to consider with the brakes;

There is not room to fit the Super Simplex brakes to the front wheels as the cylinders get in the way.

If you have fitted the double acting axle pump there isn't room to fit the centre crossbeam.

There are a number of options. You can modify the cylinders to make room for the front brakes, you can fit the front brakes to the rear of the wheels with a reversing arrangement for the operating levers, or you can leave the front brakes off. In practice just braking on four wheels shouldn't be any different from braking all six as they are coupled anyway and the force you apply from the operating mechanism is distributed to four rather than six brakes.

If you have the double acting pump you will have to redesign the beam to avoid the forward inlet.

Regarding the drain cocks; why not just use automatic ones? For manual operation a novel idea is shown on Dr-John's site here. His site has an excellent build thread on the Simplex.

Russell.

Just do four wheel brakes, they'll work fine

And steam operated draincocks

and a thread started by Stew Hart that has a few options to consider

**LINK**

Pete

Bob, Russell, Doubletop

Many thanks for the information, I knew the forum would come up trumps.

I will proceed with brakes on 4 wheels and automatic draincocks.

I am sure that this will not be my last request for information and looking at the photos from Doubletop wished I had come on earlier. I notice that the slide bars are attached to the cylinder cover by a single screw rather than the two as per the drawing.

Regards

Ade

Ade

My Simplex is a refurbishment of a loco started in the 1980s. Stew Hart and myself both purchased second hand locos around the same time and posted our experiences on the MEM forum. There may be something of use to you there

Stew

**LINK**

Me

**LINK**

As a freelance the Simplex has no right way of doing things. take Stews Belpaire boiler and my extended frames and over wide running boards as examples.

Pete

Hi Stew, Pete

Many thanks for the links. Lots of information to take in. The photos are so useful, they say a picture is better than a 1000 words and here this is certainly the case. I have just completed the cylinder and motion and just about to start on the reach rod, reversing screw and stand. However I thought it best to sort out the brakes before fitting the cylinders and motion.

I have already painted the chassis and buffer beams, but looking at the photographs I realise that now would be a good time to paint the wheels and what bits of the motion that should be painted. Also now would be a good time to sort out the cylinder cladding. Lots to do.

Thanks again

Ade

Ade

As long as you get the hanger pins located on the frames, or at least the holes, the rest can wait and probably needs to as you'll have to make it fit with everything else. You'll also notice I had to make some brackets for the brake cross shaft, You'll need to get them located while you can.

Good luck with the build.

Pete

Good luck with the build Ade.

We have quite a few Simplexes running at our club, if built with care they turn out to be good runners.

Stew

Ade,

Have a look at your messages.

Russell.

HI Stew, Pate.

When drilling all the holes in the frames I did include the holes for the hanger pins. I did cheat by measuring a Simplex at an exhibition to get them in the correct location. I am still going through all past postings.

Hi Russell

My apologies if I missed something, but I did read your message and am taking your advice regarding braking on 4 wheels and using automatic drain cocks. Please advise me if I missed something, I do need the experiences of forum members to guide me. I have the frame upside down at the moment and see what you mean about the Pump.

Regards

Ade

To read your private messages go to the green bar at the top of the page and click on "Inbox"

Russell.