2-6-0 Horwich Crab

Hi

I'm contemplating starting a long term project:- a 2-6-0 Horwich Crab to Don Young's design.

Is there any one out their with any information or experiences of this design, what are the pitfalls, drawing errors, general impression, where did you get the casting/boiler/laser cut parts from, how did you deviate from Don's design etc etc.

Cheers

Stew

hi Stew,

very good design, and not aware of any problems. excellent performer. one of Don's best!

cheers,

julian

Well Taken me 8 weeks but I've finally whittled a pair of cylinders for the Crab out of two 4"*4*5" billets of meehanite cast.

Here's a few action pics

Edited By Stewart Hart on 21/03/2016 11:53:09

I realy don't find loading pictures to this site user friendly this should be at the beginning of the sequence:-

Taken me 8 weeks but I've finally whittled a pair of cylinders for the Crab out of two 4"*4*5" billets of meehanite cast.

Here's a few action pics

and they've gone out of sequence.

Ho-well you'll get the idea.

Stew

Edited By Stewart Hart on 21/03/2016 11:55:36

Excellent Stew,

If it wasn't for the time on each pic, I would assume you have a putting on tool.

Neil

I've made a fair bit of progress with the crab so I though it was about time for an update.

I've got the frame assembled with the stretchers and the horn blocks machined, sorry no photos I can't find them.

Wheels

Axles from ground mild steel bar

Axle boxes

Quatering the wheels

I'll take a picture of the stuff assembled in the frame

I'm currently working on the pony truck this is fabricated from laser cut parts, I'm scratching my head with how it goes together especially the spring centring I'm not following the drawing I'm trying to use my own idea to simplify the arrangement.

Stew

Time for another update

This is the progress so far

The pony truck was fabricated and silver soldered together

I didn't follow Don young's centralising system I used a simpler system copied from a friends 7 1/4 crab, I'm taking her to the club track next week to push her round the bends to check that it works OK in 5".

This is a picture of it.

Its a getting a hefty lump to handle so next week I'm going to make/modify an assembly jig so that I can move her about without giving myself an injury.

Stew

Edited By Stewart Hart on 19/05/2017 16:17:09

That's looking very nice. I will look forwards to the next pictures and update.

Brian

Good progress, Stew.

I think its about time I post an update of progress so far.

I've been slowly beavering away at the build except for a few small tooling projects just as a change. I've got the slide bars and cross head made and I'm making the valve linkage at the moments I did buy a set of laser cut linkages but I didn't like the way you have to fabricate the forked ends so I'm making them out of solid so that they can be case hardened.

Any way her's a few photos.

The motion plate is made from a laser cut part with the edge fluting milled in the same as for the radius Link Bracket that's shown her clamp roughly in place as a trial fit it won't get fitted till I have the rest of the valve links fitted so that it can be correctly placed.

And I've recently taken delivery taken delivery of the Boiler from Western Steam and I must say they've made a lovely job of it with great service.

Stew

Edited By Stewart Hart on 12/02/2018 07:39:22

Just to give you some idea of whats involved in making the valve linkage

This is the Radius Rod

Square up a length of mild steel bar mill the slots and drill holes and corner positions, then chew out the material not wanted.

This gives you some idea where they go on the loco.

Stew

Blimey Stew, six years to make a radius rod...

Hi Stewart, Thank you for sharing your Crab build it is/was most enjoyable to see such rapid and quality progress

I've not updated this since February I have made progress since then but progress was slow through the summer months as other things got in the way. I've more or less completed the motion with one or two thing needing tidying up and one more link to make but I can't do that until I've determined the hole centres then its a mater of setting the valve events to try it on air.

Ignore the date on the photo I still havn't got round to setting the camera to the correct date.

Stew

Nice one Stew

Excellent!

Thanks for your comments chaps.

When I've got the last bit of linkage made and done a little tinkering, its going away whilst I do a short term project I have planned then I'm going to finish off the tender before dusting it down and getting on with make more bits for it.

Stew

Well I guess its time for a progress update:- I've spent the last 12 months building the tender its now more or less complete just a little bit of tidying up required.

I'll crack on with finishing off the loco next year.

Stew