Best Book - Making SMALL live steam traction engine

Folks,

As an ambitious newbie I'd love to settle into a live steam traction engine as a project. No pre-conception on size / type scale but I'd really like to do some background reading on what it takes etc.

I have some turning / milling skills, less so on brazing etc but have the general concepts and am willing to learn!

So - is there a definitive tomb or one that promised the earth but delivers little so to avoid?

Thanks

Simon

Simon....I would go for "Scale Model Traction Engine Building" by L.C.Mason. It details the building of the famous 1" scale "Minnie" traction engine. Superb book, superb illustrations/photos for every stage of the build. I built mine from this book and did not need plans. The book is out of print but available on e bay, Amazon etc or try advertising for it on this site. You could also build a 2" version. Castings are available for both

Mick

Edited By mick H on 27/11/2012 09:06:01

For general traction engine building then you can't beat Edward Georges "Scale Model Traction Engine Design & Construction" It is slightly aimed more at the 3" to 6" model but the same principals apply to smaller engines. Just out of print now so search around.

L.C. Masons "Scale Model Traction Engine Building" is a step by step build of the Minnie with lots of suggestions for machining setups and is applicable to any other small engine. Again out of print and it fetches a premium.

J

Hi Simon,

Not sure about a book but you had me worried at the mention of a 'Tomb', then I realised I think that you meant 'Tome', Phew.

Best regards

Terry

Starting a Traction Engine without a book could lead to a, 'Tomb' in the end. I doubt if any one could ever get everything about making steam engines into a comprehensive Tome, I think if they did it would be very expensive !

Clive

Tomb is what others will bury you in.

Tome is what you can bury yourself in!

Seriously, didnt Bill Hughes write a book on TE building? If so, anyone know what the title was?

Doh! Fingers working faster than brain I'm afraid!

S

That would be" Building the Allchin Traction Engine" not as good as the other two but a must if you are building that particular engine.

Or "Traction Engines worth Modeling ..and how to model them" which I have not read

J

Hi Simon B

I'm bulding (trying) a inch scale Davey Paxman this was an unfinished project that I bought at a very good price....

Whatever book you buy and whatever model you choose this is what counts

Get the boiler RIGHT or your life will no be worth living,everything depends on it as I'm sure you will find out

Good luck and loads of silver solder

Simon......if you are interested there is a copy of L.C.Mason's book on traction engine building on E Bay under the "Live Steam" category. It is currently at £4.99 with just over a day to go.

Mick

Simon,

Apart from the other books already mentioned, there's John Haining's book "Introducing model traction Engine Construction". It's not the blow by blow acount of the Mason book, but gives information about the construction of the major parts of a traction engine, with lots of references to his model engine series in the ME some years ago. It's probably worth having along with the other books and it's not too expensive.

Like yourself, I'm also contemplating building a small traction engine - a 1" scale version of one of John Haining's small tractor designs which will probably look more like a 3/4" scale road locomotive. As someone else noted, the boiler design is probably the major factor and that will be my main concern. I'll probably have to build a boiler first to check that it works before starting anything else on the engine.

Jim.

To help me get a handle on how big a small traction engine would be, what 'scale' would my Mamod Roller be? About 3/4" to the foot?

Neil

Possibly only 1/2 inch. Imagine a scale man of about 5'6" standing next to the rear wheel which would be about 6'.

There was also a 'M.E. traction engine' design serialised in ME dating before Minnie so in the '40s or '50s that was I think 3/4 scale.

Simon B. I think I have a spare Minnie book which you are welcome to for free - only cost would be a £5 donation to the RNLI and I will pay postage. Assuming you live on the UK? PM me if interested.

Many thanks Sandy,

message sent

simon

Hi Bazyle,

Rear rolls are 3 5/8" diameter, but look proportionately a bit small if it was 1/2 scale the 'original' would be nearly 9' to the top of the firebox. I think it's one of those things that 'looks right' at toy size but would be really odd if made 'full size'.

Neil

I'd say the mamod is 5/8 to 3/4 to the foot. A full size Marshall roller has 66" rear rolls so thats 2/3" to the ft

A lot depends on the prototype for example a 2" scale Gold Medal tractor is 34" long but a 2" Superba ploughing engien comes in at 51" long so you can't just go by overall size.

Also further to my comment abought Hughes' book after I posted that I went and bought Traction Engines Worth Modeling..... Its OK and may do as a bit of a taster much like Hainings book by fare from the "best" book on the subject.

J

Edited By JasonB on 15/12/2012 20:09:40