Little Tich

Hi all,

Lets get the intro out of the way first,

Im Pete, im 24 and this is to be my first venture into the steam side of things, i started out at the age of 13, when my club took me under their wing, at the age of 16 i passed my passenger drivers test, and the club donated a part built petrol powered shunter to me, witch i completed and converted to battery electric and have been driving it ever since,

Now i feel its time for me to get my head round the valve gear, timing and quatering that is steam,

I decided that my first project is going to be an LBSC Tich that i have already dubbed Little Tich (inventive i know)

Up to now i have been converting all the drawings and making 3D CAD models to make sure everything is correct,

Now thats enough chit chat i think, lets get down to some visual

The pictures so far







Lets see if that works

Thanks for looking (sorry for the boaring start)

Pete

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 30/12/2014 15:28:23

Edited By PDBV on 30/12/2014 15:23:49

Edited By PDBV on 30/12/2014 15:24:35

Ah... I fixed the first post but you have fixed another...

That will confuse people!

Neil

Hi Pete,

Good to see someone wanting to start a Tich. Despite the various mixed comments it has sometimes received, covered in this forum and elsewhere, it is a very workable option for many. If you want to get to grips with the valve gear of Tich, without going in the workshop, have a look at the late Charlie Dockstader's valve gear simulations. You have to build your own with his software, but it is fairly straightforward. It is nice to see a valve gear actually running without even getting your hands dirty; although, that will be the ultimate destination I am sure! His simulations are discussed on this forum if you do a search, but you will find it here as well.

Dave

Hi David,

The info and diagrams/simulations in that link are a great help, i will probably spend hours watching those now

With regards to the comments people have made about Tich, i see it as somewhere to start and also somewhere to start learning, if something is wrong with it its easy and cheap enough to throw away and amend it, im not after a top notch loco at the moment, im after something that will teach me and wont break the bank if i make mistakes

thanks for your link

Pete

I've posted before that I think my little Tich is a great locomotive. I have more fun with it than any other locomotive that I have had the pleasure of running.

In fact, I may make another one...

John.

Pete,

I hope you realize the Axle Boxes are not in the "nominal design" running position on your drawing. Bottom of Frames to Axle center should be 5/8" (I do not see the 1/8" clearance under the Axle Box). I would imagine there are a lot of Tichs running out there with Axle Boxes hard down in the Horns - but this will make a lot of measurements seen odd later as you progress drawing the Connecting Rod and Valve Gear.

Bruce

A lot of people slag off Tich as being unsuitable as a beginner's loco. It's what I started with. I didn't finish it, but I did learn a lot from what I did.

I also own a venerable 3.1/2"G 0-4-0 ST locomotive mid-way in size between Tich & Juliet.

I can say that if you can build a Tich and than have the driving skills to drive and fire it continuously, you can probably build and drive anything. Tiny locos are very unforgiving of errors in construction and inattention in driving. Unlike say a 5"G Britannia, you can't leave it in steam for ten minutes whilst you have a bite of lunch!

Good luck in your project. I seldom build anything nowadays without building it as a 3D model first - I find it helps enormously to visualise methods of construction, assembly pitfalls, and you can also add a whole plethora of your own mistakes as well as finding original ones...

PDBV, it's normal to open a photo album by going to the green line at the top of the page, once you'r in there, just follow your nose, keep the size of your photos down, mainly (as far as I'm concerned) so that people with slow connections don't take forever to get to see the photo.

Ian S C

Hi Pete

Good to see another Tich builder on the forum! Good luck!

Hey Pete

I am in the process of building 5" version of that loco. How much vertical movement do you have on your axle boxes.

Have you finished the boiler.

Larry

PDBV

I think what you have done in two weeks looks real good. I am building 'Juliet' the five inch gauge.

What diameter is your boiler drum.

I am also going to try and fit self aligning bearings, The bronze ones thats why I asked about how much movment your axle boxes had.

Can any one tell me if you get axle lock up or are the axles rigid the drawing I have is very vage.

Ian

I have opened up an album and have 64 pictures in it how do you open a second one. Your help would be appreciated.

Larry