Royal Chester

Some time ago I was fortunate to find (given my location in Nova Scotia) a Royal Chester model, complete (well almost) but in pieces. The boiler had never been fired and was made by the well-known and regarded Mr. Chambers. A full set of drawings and the Hughes book were included.

I don't think the engine was ever assembled, as some 'fettling' was needed a few parts to get holes to line up, but generally the workmanship is to high standard and it has been a pleasure to undertake the build. Reference to the drawings and book, along with looking at photos of the model on the internet have all helped and provided some confidence along the way.

It is now time to make the small bracket used to support the crankshaft end of the trunk guide. Making the bracket is not a concern, but do really have to drill and tap my beautiful boiler to anchor the bracket? any words of help or encouragement much appreciated!

Many thanks

As your boiler has not been fired, I can only assume that it is not certified. Before you do anything, talk to a club inspector to see if it can be certified and ask him (or her) if you can drill and tap the boiler. How thick is it? Is there enough material for threading ?

Personally, I would not drill holes in the boiler but would silver solder a bracket to the boiler. My engine has a steel boiler and I welded a mounting bracket for the trunk guide bracket to the boiler. Dummy rivet heads give the appearance that it is rivetted to the boiler.

Paul

If built to drawing the boiler will have a thickening pad inside where the bracket fixes to and if not fitted the angle can be screwed on by drilling and taping the boiler for fixings in exactly the same way that it is drilled into a similar pad for the cylinder fixings. The only way to do it as per drawings would be to rivit the angle on during construction of the boiler.

Drilling and taping is what I have done on the Minnie and Fowler that I have made as it's standard practice on the smaller copper boilered engines.

Edited By JasonB on 01/06/2021 08:47:24

Thanks for the prompt replies!

This was my mistake. The set of drawings I have are short Sheet 9, which is for the boiler. Presumably it went to Mr Chambers. When I looked at the same sheet in the book, it showed details of the internal pad , as per JasonB's reply. I measured the pad location, as per the drawing, and while not a scientific test there is, from the response to tapping the boiler, a pad.

I'll make the bracket, but still approach the drilling and tapping with some caution.

David