Complete novice

Hello all, I have had a dream of building my own locomotive for years and years, i have looked at websites and spoken to club members. after lots of decision making i have decided on a 5 inch B1. i have also joined a club and hope to gain some engineering experiance. what i really want to know though is, is it possible for someone like me, with no engineering experiance at all, able to build a locomotive from a set of drawings. i have had a good look on Reeves and found the Springbok drawings by Martin Evans and all the parts which i know will need machining. the boiler i was going to look into getting made for me as i think it would be too much for me to do. i completely understand that this is not an over night thing and am quite expecting it to take me 10 years to build, but i can't wait any longer and need to start something. am i still dreaming?? Thank you. Paul

Paul

I guess it would be possible but a B1 is not going to be a quick or a simple project. My suggestion is that you start off a little less ambitiously with a stationary steam engine where you will learn the techniques and build the skills required for the loco build. The classic starter for model engineers is one of the Stuart Turner range- see HERE . You can buy books giving detailed construction techniques and those techniques will be applicable when you come to the loco. If ( when?) you mess up a casting individual ones are available separately so mistakes ( and you WILL make some!) are not too expensive. The outlay for a B1 is considerable and you want to start this with a realistic knowledge of the difficulties that will be encountered and the confidence that you have succeded with a smaller and more straightforward project .

Good Luck!

Norman.

Edited By NJH on 05/08/2013 21:30:10

Hi Paul,

My dream of building a steam engine (actually a beam engine), became a skeleton clock.

But then again, it was mostly for display purposes.

Check up on `skeleton', under Clocks in the drop-down list.

Regards,

Sam

Paul
I have almost finished my B1, but if you PM me can point you at the source of laser cut items, copper tig welded boiler and other parts, I also have posted (on a different forum) 2 pages of errors in the drawings, this is nothing new as most ME drawings have errors which seem to never be corrected.

Good luck
Bob

Oh Paul sorry forgot to say Welcome, You have no profile but if you can get to the BSMEE Exhibition either on the 16th 17th or 18th of this month at Thornbury N/r Bristol, I will be demonstrating on the club stand and my B1 on display. 1/2 page advert in ME
Bob

Go for it. Why build a simple loco that at the end you don't really want. Just go for what attracts you in the first place. There are loads of small projects to hone your skills along the way. I started a 5 inch King as a first Loco admittedly some years back (it's half complete) and diverted onto clocks, a Quorn TCG, 2 dividing heads, and umpteen other things. Large projects are just a collection of small projects after all so treat the subunits of your engine as seperate projects and you won't get overpowered by it.

regards Martin

Start with a coupling hook - you don't even need a lathe - and if you change your mind about which loco to build it will still be usable.

Im going to get shouted down for saying this, but in all honesty, no! Its a complex loco requiring skills which can not simply be honed whilst building it, and castings are too exensive (for me at least) to make fatal errors on. You certainly will be able to make it but not yet. In order to get a 'feel' for things I would start with a stuart d10 or similar, you may not want to own one but the machining involved will quickly give you an insight into ability and possability, and when finished just sell it on and move to a more complex item. The danger of moving straight to this loco is that mistakes or inability to machine to tight tollerences is both expensive and dissapointing. If I were to start with any loco at 5" it would probably be Ajax. Titanium umberella at the ready! Bazyle has some wise words there, make a couple of coupling hooks and linkages first, they will take a heck of a lot longer than you can imagine and then evaluate your plans - good thinking that man!

Hi Paul,

Welcome to the Forum.

I agee with those who say try something simple to start and if you really are determined to start with a big loco like Springbok, to try making the coupling hook first. Inexpensive, a file and emery cloth and no doubt someone will send you a copy drawing from the relevant ME, if you ask.

Do bear in mind that the large copper boiler requires quite a lot of expenditure on gas and burners not to mention silver solder in quantity and of course the copper. Suggest you ask Helen Verrall or one of the other professional boiler makers for a price for a completed boiler - could be a lot cheaper than a lot of spoiled copper + s.s. Dont want to put you off but the trade say a lot more castings sets sold than finished locos around which suggests that a lot give up at the finished chassis stage.

I bought in my completed 5"G boiler as its quite big. I am happier maching up chassis parts which is what I am doing now.

Good luck, let us all know what you decide and keep us up to date with progress. All the best, John.

Hi Paul,

Only you can judge your capability and patience. Even the most complex project can be brioken down into stages and bring satisfaction if seen as a series of 'mini projects'. Others might get fed up and abandon such a task, or decide the early parts aren't good enough...

Some model engineers appear magically bvrilliant from the start, some of us continue to struggle, especially with getting 'exhibition finish' on the simplest of parts.

If you are really set on a B1, try and view a finished one, and start with smaller, simpler parts that won't have you giving up in disgust if you discover they really aren't up to the standard of later work.

Neil

Hi Paul, I have been in engineering all my working life but apart from my apprenticeship, about 50 years ago! my experience is all tech sales and design so I am not an accomplished machinist.Started model engineering a couple of years ago, so far built a Jan Ridders 2 stroke engine, a Weir pump, not quite complete and a GLR vertical boiler. Never had any interest in a loco until the series on Emma Victoria started, a 5" gauge saddle tank, this somehow fired my imagination. It is, I understand a relatively simple loco, so I made a start few weeks ago and finding it completely absorbing. Why not have look at this one? Bill D

Hello all,

Thank you all so much for your advice. i have really taken it all in and am really concidering what to do. i will start with the hooks and see how i get on. i have joined a club so hopefully with some good advice and help from them and yourselves, and my head screwed on tight i might be able to do it. just have to wait and see i guess. i will keep everyone updated.

if anyone has any more comments or advice please keep posting, it all helps.

Thanks again

Paul

Hi Paul I am also busy building a 5' B1. When i started off I was talking to one of the old timer at our local steam club. I thought he was crazy when he said the loco would only take on avarage 5years to make, of which the first 10 years is the hardest. I did not understand what he meant. But after 2 years I understand. It is a big project, but off all the loco's I have looked at it seems to be a great loco to build. The biggest problems is that we are never happy with our workshop or the tooling in it. You will always need some special tool and machine and like most of us we will want to make a better version or cannot afford to buy it.

Understand taht the cost of a workshop is very expensive, and the model part like the castings prices have gone crazy. Not many people can afford the luxury of building any type of model, even Lego costs a arm and a leg.

But ll said my greatest pleasure is the time spend in my workshop and It does not matter how long it takes or how many :"_)*%$#@@ I make the pleasue and satisfaction of making even the smallest part is worth it.

Last of all don't show your wife any thing you have made as the look on her face will not impress you. Taking the completed part to your local club there again will get difficrent reaction. Half the people will be impressed and supportive and half will criticise.

Good luck and enjoy the journey