Not just locomotives . . .

We don't just build locomotives - pictured here is a coach (in primer) just completed for a customers garden railway.

The Tinkerbell cylinders are now done, so it's time to get them on the frames.

cylinder progress

The two sets of Tinkerbell cylinders are nearly done. Today I fitted the piston and valve rod glands, just leaving valve rod buckles, gaskets and fixing bolt holes to do. Hopefully these will get done next week, and the first pair on their frames early the week after. Meanwhile, I have fitted the Fairlie drop links, so that's moving on too!!

Early April

The diesels have both been and gone, converted to 6.5hp electric start petrol engines. They are a lot smoother, and also benefit from being common in everything except shape!!! The fairlie power bogie valve gear is complete except from the eccentric rods and drop links for the reversing gear. It also needs the drain cocks fitting, but, apart from that, it's done. The frames arrived from the cutter a few weeks ago now, ready for when space allows them to be put together. But first, I have a tinkerbell and a rolling tinkerbell chassis to complete. The two pairs of cylinders for these are coming along well, the pistons are made and fitted, work now concentrating on fitting the rear covers, then glands, and fitting the valves to the valve rods, all the gaskets and then they can be fitted to the frames. That will be real progress!!!

It's been a while

It's been a while since I updated this blog, so it's probably a good time to do that now.

The single fairlie power bogie has got its connecting rods on, plus valve guides, combination levers and union links. More recently, I have mounted the lubricator and fixed up a drive system for it, and also made the left hand side radius rod, which is now fitted. So that leaves the right hand radius rod, return cranks and eccentric rods and the valve gear is complete. However, she probably will take a back seat for the next few months, as work on other people's locos proceeds.

The tinkerbell rolling chassis I'm building - well, the two wheelsets are now made up and ready to go. The castings have arrived, and I've started to machine the cylinder blocks.

Later this month, two diesels are coming in for re-engining to petrol - apparently the driver has no fillings left so wants the change!!!

Progress - Mid December

In the last few weeks, I have been working on the single fairlie. I have completed machining the crossheads, and inserted the bearings. After that, I fitted the motion plates, then the slide bars. Finally, I have started work on the connecting rods. My aim is to have these completed and fitted before Xmas. A few days ago, the wheels for the next two tinkerbells arrived.

Crossheads

Now that the cylinders are mounted on the frames, attention has moved to the crossheads. These are castings supplied by Rod Burnley, however these are not the shape I'd like them to be, so I've been doing a lot of chopping with the milling machine to get them where I want them to be.