The Home Machinist!

Really like the looks of the wheels with the polished tire surfaces. Only problem is if not given some sort of clear coat protection the nice polished surface soon turns to a nasty rusted surface and all the work is for nothing. What material do you use to clear coat the wheels?

I too along with Russ have done battle with full size steam throttle valves. The single valve with double seats are a bit more of a challenge to achieve a good steam tight fit at both seats but with patience can be done. The full size multi-valve front end throttles are only single seated and far ea...

Have seen a double poppet valve throttle that appeared to be for 1.5 scale. Had a smaller primary valve that opened first for ease of slow movement and a larger secondary valve. Looked like a good design, but never did find out how well it worked and why it was no longer in the smokebox of a model l...

First ever photo I have seen of the pole in use. When I worked in the pole days of railroading, we might use the pole once a shift in the tight industrial trackage designed for 40 foot cars with the resulting sharp curves. Outlawed in late 1975, switching was changed forever. Thanks for sharing the ...

Which one do we put our money on to win, red or black?

Thank you Dick for posting the informative drawing of the E type generator. This answers the long standing question I have always been curious about in regards to why the turbine end cap looks so plain at the center. Seems the outer bearing support casting and the bearing cover were never included w...

Russ,

Yes, a well detailed Allen design locomotive I helped to construct with the original owner/builder back in the late 1980's. Lots of custom details that Barry Hauge was considering marketing at the time, but never did happen.

Robert

Jeweler's rouge usually made from a super fine grind of iron oxide, note the color of the rouge polishing sticks for buffing. The product does come in a powder form and probably just mixed with a distilled water and applied with a fine brush. Would make for some interesting research and let us know ...

Seems only the finest dies give good results with small diameter threads in 303 stainless steel. I have found the OSG brand to be far superior to most. They cost more, but the results are worth the slightly greater investment. Another trick is to use a 6-40 die on the round stock first to start the ...

John was always making subtle changes that few might notice, but his locomotives slowly transformed over time into his special works of art. It was always a pleasure to take a look to see what had changed since the last meet. One big ticket item that really got my attention was when he used a more c...

The caboose tool box door was often made just large enough to shove one or two of these re railing frogs inside and out of sight until needed. Later years when the caboose lost its tool box, simple brackets were welded onto the underframe of a caboose and the re railing frogs could be seen hanging r...

If you only need two of the oil cups, just look at some full size photos or locomotives and make up a pair out of some hex stock. Then make a threaded or slip on cover and have something that looks like the real deal. Quite a few full size steamers out there with slip on oil cup covers with a bit of...