Thread: 1863 Thatcher Perkins 4-6-0 Locomotive

Sliding doors. Fun. Hope they slide easy and no little bits of fuel gets stuck in the slides. Of that's right its a wood burner. Makes it a bit easier, so long as the billets fit through the fire hole.

Here is a short video I thought you might enjoy. YouTube The engine is a bit newer and has outside valves, but the basic principles are still the same.

Thanks Kevin,

A great video. Much appreciated.

Keep safe

Regards

Keith and Cathie

Hi All,

Continuing to work on my locomotive controls.
I needed a spring for my regulator handle. Drilled a hole in a piece of 6mm rod and then placed it in my lathe chuck. I used some 2mm soft wire. I turned the chuck by hand (in neutral) and guided the wire.
Looks like a spring.

81.jpg

I made up my regulator assembly and then painted my firebox assembly.

82.jpg

Tomorrow I will start work on the water sight glass.

This is a nice locomotive to work on.

Everyone take care.

Regards

Keith

Hi All,

Hope you are all well.

Been working on the sight glass for boiler water level and the 2 valves that can isolate it.

A bit tricky cutting the glass for the 4 sides but went OK. The ends of the sight glass are made of pine.

The "pipes" are solid 4mm mild steel and 3mm mild steel painted in copper paint. (Spray can I got from Bunnings when making "Rocket")

The valves are machined out of aluminium rod and the fittings are 4mm and 3mm nuts machined out to fit the machined aluminium. Quite time consuming making the valves but in these times doesn't matter much - no bowls etc.

83.jpg

Everybody be safe

Regards

Keith

Nice work Keith.
The gauge glass will have a connection to the steam space (top) and one below the glass to the boiler, hopefully in the water space. These are generally fitted with (In America) valves called steam isolating valve and water isolating valve. Below the bottom gauge glass fitting is a drain or blow down valve used for checking the level of water and cleaning the glass and passages.

Looking at your model, you need an additional fitting at the bottom of the gauge glass between it and the boiler, with valve in between.
Hope this quick sketch explains.

The British and Australia generally use cocks rather than valves, although at least the Victorian Railways had a slightly different set up again.

With the gauge glass guard, my experience is that there is only glass on three sides, although I have also seen two sided guards, the rear been open. It is possible the engine in the museum has a toughened refractive glass and as such has no guard.

Hopefully this helps.

Thanks Kevin,

Really appreciate your knowledge and expertise. The blowdown valve as shown just allows to release to atmosphere ?

Thanks again

Keep Safe

Keith

Yes. Normally there is a pipe to a tundish or below the floor.

Hi All,

Following on from Kevin's advice, I have added a blowdown pipe and valve. I had to make an elbow (out of aluminium). I have joined the elbow components with 5 minute araldite and then covered joins in bodyfiller and then sanded off. The blowdown goes into a tundish on the floor of the cabin. I think I might start on erecting some of the cabin. That will give me a better idea of placement of valves and gauges.

84.jpg

Regards

Keith

Keith I have tried to attach an image of a actual pair of gauge glasses so you can see how they are connected to a boiler. It has cocks (instead of valves,) and you will notice that the steam and water cocks, even though they are at 90 degrees to the pipework are in the open position, and the blow through cock, even though it is in line with the drain is in the closed position.
How ever I try, the image is rotated 90 degrees. (Left side is the top.) The boiler is of the vertical type. Hope this helps.

Thanks for that Kevin,

I will look at connecting my sight glass assembly when I have done the majority of the cabin controls and attach the firebox end to the boiler.

Thanks again

Be Safe

Regards

Keith

Hi All,

Hope everyone is well.

I have spent a couple of days making up my main steam pressure gauge for inside the cabin. It took a number of goes before I got to what I was happy with.

I found an old watch (it is pretty amazing how many watches you accumulate over the years - flat battery and you get another from K Mart).
I had difficulty getting the back off to pull it apart. Googled "How to get back off a watch" Pretty helpful.

Pulled the inners out and then ground the watch band connectors off. Went online and googled "Steam Gauge Images" . Saved my image and put it in a word document. Printed off on photographic paper - high resolution. This replaces the watch face.

Drilled a 2mm hole in the case where the winder used to be and then araldited a piece of 2mm wire into and along the internal back of the watch. This is now my main support that will sit into the boiler.

Machined up 6.3mm aluminium as my gauge stem. Machined up to suit 5mm nuts top and bottom of the stem.

Had to file notches in the watch back plate so it didn't foul on the 2mm wire when I snapped the back into position.

85.jpg

Take Care

Regards

Keith

I would not have been able to pick that it was an old watch.
Looks like a pressure gauge to me. You also have the correct units, Pounds per square inch. Younger folk might need to look that up!

Ps -pounds in this case is mass not monetary.

Hi Keith
I may be wrong but would there have been chrome or stainless steel given the vintage of the engine, maybe had nickel plate or pewter but to my way of thinking wouldn't the pressure gauge be brass bodied, just a thought that crossed my mind.