Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Where users can chronicle their builds. Start one thread and continue to add on to it.

Moderator: Harold_V

User avatar
Pipescs
Posts: 2194
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:16 pm
Location: Lester Alabama

Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

So, Tested all week, Not COVID, Not Pneumonia, Not Flue, Might be RSV, Contagious Maybe. Still on lockdown with the Helicopter Wife and Mom hovering over me with a lock on the shop door.

Whatever it is, its worse than the COVID was last month. They are telling me it may have come about as a side effect of the COVID, Treating me for Pneumonia as a precaution.

Still planning on the boiler flush and steam test as soon as the locks off the shop. Going to try the Steve method using Soot's wash process. Main thing is to test the safeties, blower, and injectors. Then back to working on everything else.
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
User avatar
Greg_Lewis
Posts: 3014
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2003 2:44 pm
Location: Fresno, CA

Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Greg_Lewis »

Stay down Charlie. Get well. This might be a good time to go through the old Live Steam issues and read the articles you've forgotten about from 30 years ago.
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
User avatar
Pipescs
Posts: 2194
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:16 pm
Location: Lester Alabama

Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

Temp water tank installed, Temp Injector ready, Blower rigged. Talking to Jeff at Loco Parts for an oiler. Getting closer to a November test run at the track.
DSC_6216.jpg
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
User avatar
Pipescs
Posts: 2194
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:16 pm
Location: Lester Alabama

Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

Seem to be fully recovered.

We tried something new in the shop Tuesday and Wednesday. A group of us have decided to start getting together and support each other with common work days on one project. This week a friend brought his 1 1/2 inch scale shay to the shop and we spent two days removing the front truck for some much needed cleaning and repair along replacing the cylinder oiler and working on the steam powered water pump. This is the second session of doing this and I find it quite enjoyable to work with someone else with different ideas of how to do things.
IMG_3052.JPG
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
User avatar
NP317
Posts: 4557
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by NP317 »

An outstanding way to enjoy our Hobby!
RussN
User avatar
Pipescs
Posts: 2194
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:16 pm
Location: Lester Alabama

Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

I must say it has been enjoyable. I have met a few new members at Mid-South that may not have access to heavier shop tools and will be inviting them out to use the shop also.
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
User avatar
Pipescs
Posts: 2194
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:16 pm
Location: Lester Alabama

Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

As I am working towards putting fire on the grates, I have dropped back to working on the ashpan details. On the Lucky 7 drawings these were called baffles and ran the entire length of the ashpan. I am calling them ash clean out doors and have made them a little shorter than the entire length.

Still having to clean up the opening which is a pain with a hand file. Still trying to decide if I will add the door raiser linkage from the Lucky 7
DSC_6217.jpg
DSC_6220.jpg
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
User avatar
NP317
Posts: 4557
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by NP317 »

Are those clean-out doors supposed to work as air dampers too?
Then remote activation is needed from the cab. Prototypical...
Nice.
RussN
User avatar
Pipescs
Posts: 2194
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:16 pm
Location: Lester Alabama

Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

Are those clean-out doors supposed to work as air dampers too?
Then remote activation is needed from the cab. Prototypical...
Nice.
RussN
Hey RussN,

I had not thought of using them as Dampers, although the Lucky 7 drawings show them as such and have a notched handle coming up thru the cab floor to make them adjustable. I believe I may add them. If nothing else to hold them up when I am cleaning out.
Damper.JPG
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
User avatar
Pipescs
Posts: 2194
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:16 pm
Location: Lester Alabama

Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

Today was a day of note. A friend came by the house and we fired up the boiler.

DSC_6226.jpg

We spent the first three hours filling it up with water and boiling it. This allowed me to test the blower ring, which worked fantastic. I used my shop air compressor to feed the blower as a separate line so that now air went into the boiler. I had to turn it down to 25 psi to keep the fire from raging out of control.
DSC_6225.jpg

On the first fire up we did not realize how fast it would heat up and had twenty pound of pressure on the gauge even though I had the steam dome venting to the side thru a 5/16 inch copper overflow. We filled it to the top with water, let it boil until the fire died down. Then blew it down to with in half an inch of the crown sheet, added water thru the steam dome to the top and brought the fire back up to boiling again. Did this four times. This took three hours

Finally let it die out an put in new water and fire. This time to test the throttle and the injector Throttle worked great but the injector refused to work. Tried a second SS economy injector with the same results. At this point my friend noted I had the steam line right but the outlet and inlet were switched. I had installed it backwards. A quick change out of lines had all working at that point. Ran it for an hour playing with the injector and throttle.


DSC_6227.jpg


I have a list of six changes to fix and rework over the next few weeks.

1. Stack leans a little aft.
2. Replace injector to boiler fittings (The ones I have are too restrictive)
3. Re-pipe the injector.
4. Install the other injector.
5. Redo the piping on the blower with stainless steel and simplify the run of pipe
6. Cut the outer frame back to allow the blowdown to blow clear without hitting the frame.
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
User avatar
makinsmoke
Posts: 2260
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2003 12:56 pm
Location: Texas Hill Country

Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by makinsmoke »

That’s awesome, Charlie.

Congratulations!
User avatar
Pipescs
Posts: 2194
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:16 pm
Location: Lester Alabama

Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

This photo shows how big a 3 3/4 inch scale engine can grow.
IMG_3217 (002).JPG
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


Current Projects:

Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
Post Reply