Constructing Siusaidh - a large 7.25" gauge engine

Running dates
Siusaidh will be visiting the Moors Valley Railway on 1st May 2010 for their Tinkerbell rally

Something you won't find anywhere else on this website - a picture of me!! I'm the ugly old one leaning on the cab, by the way. This photo was taken on her first day of serious work at the SNBR. Lining and numbering still to do, but the end of the road is VERY close now. There were a couple of minor niggles, all easily sorted out, and, apart from that, she did a very good 7 miles on her first day out.

This page documents the construction of a LARGE Tinkerbell style engine. This started out as a locomotive close to the original (Roger Marsh) drawings, but ended up as something a lot bigger. Follow this link for the full story, from what I started building to what I am now building.

This link takes you to a page with some pictures of Jason at the Moors Valley Railway, the inspiration behind this project.

Progress

This table summarizes progress to date. From the start of 2006, I will attempt to update it monthly. Click on the photos to see a larger version.

January 2008

  • Make and pipe up vacuum ejector
  • Fit cab beading and rain strips to cab
  • Make and fit chimney liner and spark arrestor

    Total: 22 hours work

  • Just before Xmas 2007

  • Pictures of her first and third steaming: Not all brilliant quality, I'm afraid, bit I was smiling too much to care. . . . .
  • Raising steam

    Under power at last

    After her boiler test at the SNBR (Thanks to John Downes for this photo) - and me in the cab at last !!

    November 2007

  • Fit chimney
  • Make and fit gauge glass blowdowns
  • Make and fit regulator stand
  • Make and fit grates
  • Make and fit blast pipe nozzles
  • Remove tanks and undercoat

    Total: 37 hours work
    Just a few jobs to go before she's steamable, we've provisionaloly booked the boiler tester just before xmas (Fingers crossed)

  • October 2007

  • Complete welding up cab
  • Make and fit bunker coal rails
  • Seal tanks
  • Make and fit firehole door

    Total: 38 hours work

  • September 2007

    At last! The boiler's on !! Tanks nearly done, started on the cab. The photo shows the engine in early October. The rear of the cab is welded up, the front is just clamped on, and the roof is just placed on. But she looks the part !!
  • Make RHS tank
  • Fit tank water valves
  • Fit blowdown actuators
  • Start welding up cab

    Total: 38 hours work


  • July/August 2007

    Went to the Severn Valley Railway to roll the smokebox and other curved bits, then made up the smokebox. With this fitted to the frames she really does start to look like an engine at last - probably more so than at any time in the past !!
  • Make LHS tank
  • Make smokebox
  • Start fitting chimney

    Total: 50 hours work (Over 2 months - and passed 700 hours on the project)


  • Boiler on, chimney, dome and tank placed on: looking like a locomotive at last.

    June 2007

  • Continue chime whistle
  • Make MVR style coupling
  • Mill and lap vacuum control
  • Complete smokebox dart

    Total: 16 hours work

  •  

    May 2007

  • Make and fit firebox supports
  • Fit second smokebox support
  • Fit ashpan
  • Adjust RHS expansion link position
  • Air test on large compressor

    Total: 26 hours work

  •  

    April 2007

  • Run vacuum pipe through, make standpipes, continue work on the drivers valve
  • Complete ashpan
  • Start work on smokebox door and closing apparatus

    Total: 15 hours work
    The boiler has arrived !!!

  •  

    March 2007

  • Make remainder of drain cocks and fit
  • Fit running boards
  • Form ashpan
  • Start to fit vacuum piping and stands
    Total: 21 hours work(Also passed the magic 600 hours on the project)

  •  

    February 2007

    First air test (on a small compressor) done, makers plates arrived

  • Remedial work from air test
  • Cut out ashpan
  • Start boring out chimney cap
  • Make first drain cock
    Total: 24 hours work

  •  

    January 2007

    Several 'little' jobs done, so not much to show for the work but much closer to air testing. Ordered the makers plates.

    ·  Build lubricator and fit

    ·  Fit steam pipes

    ·  Shorten rear brake hangers to make ashpan simpler to make

    ·  Mock up ashpan (in card)

    ·  Total: 26 hours work


    Makers plate, in negative form, ready for etching

     


    Motion complete, lubricator piped up, in forward gear. Ashpan micked up in card.

    December 2006

    The festive season meant that I didn't get as much time as I might have liked to work on the engine, but, as 2006 closed, I had a chassis which was ready for air testing apart from the LHS eccentric rod which needs welding and the lubricator needs completing.

    ·  Make and fit LHS motion pins

    ·  Calculate and make LHS eccentric rod

    ·  Fix reverser stand

    ·  Cut reverser reach rod to size

    ·  Start on lubricator

    ·  Total: 15 hours work

     

    November 2006

    ·  Get RHS eccentric rod re-welded and ground back

    ·  Make and fit final RHS motion pins

    ·  Complete reverser catch and handle

    ·  Fit LHS piston rings, pin piston rod to crosshead

    ·  Cut and fit first section of footplate

    ·  Start making lubricator tank

    ·  Total: 26 hours work

     

    October 2006

    ·  Fit RHS Trunnion hangers

    ·  Shorten and turn down valve rod tails

    ·  Trim backs of combination levers

    ·  Make new union links

    ·  Make new eccentric rod forks (More offset towards centre of loco)

    ·  Fit 2 weighshaft arms

    ·  Fit RHS piston rings, pin piston rod to crosshead

    ·  Trial assemble RHS valve gear. Eccentric rod 5mm too short

    ·  Grind off eccentric rod fork, clamp and check

    ·  Make RHS return crank

    ·  Mill out reverser handle

    ·  Total: 36 hours work
    Note for anyone building their own design of Walschaerts valve gear: the gear is very sensitive to the length of the eccentric rod (have a play with Charlie Dockstader's simulation to see this). However well you design and build the gear, the length of this rod is critical and won't be what you expected !! It is essential for good valve openings that the expansion link swings excatly the same amount fore and aft of its centreline. So, calculate where that centreline is and find an easy way of measuring it (I measured from the motion plate). Now, assemble all the valve gear (but leave the eccentric rod adjustable length, e.g. clamp the fork on the end rather than weld it) and measure the swing. Adjust the fork position until it is correct. In the picture, I've adjusted it and it waits re-welding and dressing. The drop links are also temporary ones for checking.


    RHS motion trial assembled, in forward gear !!

    September 2006

    ·  Bore out and fit connecting rod big end bearings

    ·  Make little end pins

    ·  Fit Left hand motion bracket

    ·  Fit and align slidebars

    ·  Make and fit valve rod tail supports

    ·  Make jig and turn eccentric rod end caps

    ·  Make and fit valve straps

    ·  Fit right hand valve

    ·  Test fit both connecting rods

    ·  Total: 40 hours work


    Motion plate, slidebars and conn rods fitted !!

    August 2006

    ·  Make and fit piston rods

    ·  Machine rear cylinder covers and all glands

    ·  Fit parkside speedo sender unit, refit rear bogie

    ·  Make cylinder gaskets

    ·  Wash out cylinders, fit to frames

    ·  Fit coupling rods

    ·  Fit front smokebox support

    ·  Make valve rods and tails

    ·  Bore out trunnion hanger brackets

    ·  Make return cranks

    ·  Complete milling out of crossheads, fit union link hangers

    ·  Total: 60 hours work

    July 2006

    ·  Complete brakes

    ·  Complete and test front pony

    ·  Fit cycle speedo

    ·  Total: 19 hours work

     

    June 2006

    ·  Complete new front pony - just needs rubbing plate in frames to complete

    ·  Bore out and fit bearings to coupling rods

    ·  Fit reverser bracket to frame

    ·  Total: 20 hours work
    New pony built and ready to go. Coupling rods ready to fit. Laser cut smokebox supports, front footplate filler etc. arrived.

     

    May 2006

    ·  Turn new front pony wheels

    ·  Order new front pony frames

    ·  Fit driving wheel spring hangers

    ·  Make brake actuating rods and cross beams

    ·  Machine first slide valve

    ·  Total: 20 hours work
    Having sprung the drivers, stability was much better, but the extra stability gained by the outside-framed pony was still considered worthwhile.

     

    April 2006

    ·  Make and fit brake shaft bushes

    ·  Fit footwell angles and floor

    ·  Cut and fit reverser stand angle

    ·  Cut and fit brake hangers

    ·  Drill and tap cylinder front covers

    ·  Drill and tap left hand steamchest fitting bolts

    ·  Rough out pistons

    ·  Grind port faces flat

    ·  Total: 20 hours work
    Tests showed that with the original inside-framed front pony, stability was not as good as it could have been, especially on tight curves. In order to accomodate an outside framed pony, the wheels would have to be made smaller, and new side frames ordered.

     

    March 2006

    ·  Fit rear bogie

    ·  Mill out cylinder ports

    ·  Drill steam passages (from ports down to the bore)

    ·  Mill out steamchest to size

    ·  Mill steamchest covers to size

    ·  Drill and tap right hand steamchest fitting bolts

    ·  Total: 30 hours work

     

    February 2006

    ·  Bore and face cylinder blocks. Top photo shows the right hand block being bored, having already had the mounting and valve faces machined flat, and the exhaust outlet drilled and tapped.

    ·  Face steam chests

    ·  Paint flycranks

    ·  Join frames together. The bottom photo shows them after fixing, the smokebox supports are just put in place to show how they will fit. Some footplate and firebox support angles also bolted in place. (Note: Chalk marks in the picture are where the frames were straightened. As delivered, there was a slight bend at the front of the frames)

    ·  Total: 31 hours work

    January 2006

    ·  Drill frames

    ·  Make spring hanger welding jig

    ·  Mill connecting rod small ends

    ·  Fit horncheeks and axlebox retainers

    ·  Total: 31 hours work

     

    December 2005

    Laser cut frames, buffer beams, coupling and connecting rods arrived. Photo shows one frame posed with the wheels (and a lot of leaves)

    Summer 2005

    All valve gear and motion forks, trunnion blocks, drop link hangers, crossheads and combination levers milled from solid. Picture shows some of these fitted to rods, and the whole lot laid out to show how it will all fit together

    Early 2005

    Tinkerbell trailing truck turned round to be used as leading truck. This may require wider wheels making to suit "Haylock gauge" as the ones currently fitted are from 25mm thick blanks.

    Drivers machined from 35mm thick blanks, fly cranks and crankpins machined, assembled and quartered.

    Rear truck wheels manufactured from 28mm thick blanks, truck laser cut and built

    Both trucks use ball transfer units on the contact surfaces. Sacrificial rubbing plates are to be employed for when/if wear gets unacceptable.