Projects on the go (etc.)

Current projects are:

1) Single fairlie - cylinder blocks machined, front covers fitted, along with steam chests, covers and valve glands. The pistons have been roughed out. So the next steps here are to make the piston rods and finish the pistons, machine the rear covers and glands, then the valve rods and valves. After that, the cylinders can go on the frames, which are already assembled with cranks quartered and conn rods fitted.

2) Tinkerbell - my third!! - Came to me as a stalled project - I have just quartered the cranks and fitted the conn rods. The cylinder blocks are machined (did those a while back), so the next steps there are to complete the cylinder assemblies and get them on the frames too, along with making the rear truck plungers to keep the back end up.

There are more in the pipeline, but I won't worry you with details until they become reality. . . . .

Yesterday, I travelled on a train carrying the olympic flame in Barking Park. This train was hauled by a loco I built and the coaches ran on bogies I built. A very special day for me.

I don't see me having a great deal of time to do things next month (August) because I'm a volunteer at the Olympics - but who knows??

First post

Welcome to my blog. In the past, I have documented projects via a website (Siusaidh), a blog (Zebedee and Zanna), and facebook (start of the Fairlie project). I am now completing a tinkerbell for a friend, so have now decided to document all my activities via a blog (this one). I hope you enjoy reading this, and that it gives you help, inspiration or just some fun.