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

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

Post by Fender »

We were joking about the fact that Charlie used about half of a five gallon bucket of coal on today’s run. Now, in truth much of that was for steaming up from cold, and a lot of the steam generated went up through the safeties, at least until we got a handle on firing the boiler, but 2.5 gallons of coal to cover 2.5 miles yields a fuel economy of about one mile per gallon!
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
Pontiacguy1
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pontiacguy1 »

If you were a car company, you'd be out of business! Honestly, If you're worried about fuel economy on one of these things, you're in the wrong hobby. There used to be a group in Ontario who held a contest every year called Ontario Model Locomotive Efficiency Trials (O.M.L.E.T.) Was an interesting way of utilizing these small locomotives to see how fast and efficient your locomotive could move a certain load. Usually these were small-scale locomotives if I recall correctly. They didn't count the coal used to start up the locomotive, though.

Congrats to you Charlie, and everyone else who was there to help and to see this happen. I know he's happy and will make things better and better as he goes along. That first run is a huge deal. If it performs well, then you know that your journey in building this thing is nearing an end, and that feeling of success is unparalleled. You know that you still have a lot of work to do, but you can now start enjoying it instead of just working on it.

Hard to believe it's been that long working on it! Time has a way of getting away from you. But he's done a bunch of other projects, built some other stuff, and restored that Kombrink 4-4-0 along the way.
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Pipescs
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

Went down this morning and started a to-do list before the May meet. One page long so far.

Hope to have it at the meet on Thursday and Friday. The weekend will be dedicated to getting my kids home from college.

Once again, thanks for all the support over the years.
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)
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NP317
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by NP317 »

Thoughts on To Do Lists

I keep a "lab book" like these:

https://www.amazon.com/National-53110-N ... 195&sr=8-5

for each locomotive, in which I document every day of operation:
Date, Location, Approx. miles run, Hours the boiler was under pressure.
Then I list any issues needing work as part of the day's shut-down process.

When I get the locomotive back home (or even the next morning) I refer to the accumulated list for servicing, writing in a record of the work done.
Then I have a complete long-term record of operations and maintenance.

I need to these lists because I likely won't remember them all otherwise. And they are fascinating to review to see where each locomotive has been and how it was operated and maintained.
Finally, whoever inherits/receives my locomotives will have a complete lifetime history of their edification.
RussN
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Pipescs
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

Fixed everything on the list. Primary thing was that the rear truck was too tight to the frame and was too restricted in rocking motion. The cylinders and steam chest bolts are now safety wired in place.

New water valves came in from Jeff at Loco Parts along with spare parts from Dave Bortz for the Super Scale injectors.

I have settled on mounting the injectors high on the boiler sides in the cab. They lifted fine clean to the bottom of the tank on the test runs.

Of to Mid South for the work day.
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)
Soot n' Cinders
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Glad she did good Charlie!
And those injectors should do just fine up high. Both of my EE injectors are up high and they lift great till the tank runs dry. Only thing I’ve found is it helps to be able to throttle steam to them, I use an American Model Engineering ball valve for mine. If they get hot and fussy, I can crack them open just enough to get them to prime and then they’ll cool down enough to start injecting.
-Tristan

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-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
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Fender
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Fender »

Pipescs wrote: Sat Apr 09, 2022 6:40 am
I have settled on mounting the injectors high on the boiler sides in the cab. They lifted fine clean to the bottom of the tank on the test runs.
Charlie and I discussed putting some funnels and drain lines under the injector overflow pipes in the cab. This will allow the overflows from the injectors to be easily observed (the wide cab prevents being able to see the lower end of the overflow drain line) and the air gap between the funnel and the injector prevents water from siphoning through the injector when it is turned off. On Charlie’s injectors, once you adjust the water valve from the tank to the injector to prevent dribbling, all you have to do is open the steam valve to start it, and close the valve to stop. They work flawlessly every time, unless the steam pressure gets too low.
Dan Watson
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Pipescs
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

Gregg Gloss, one of the four people that supported this first run, took this short video of the Miss Ann on the track last Monday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4Zwudg61XQ

While the effort at the beginning was called the rust bucket, the final engine has been re-named after my late Mother in Law.

She is now the Miss Ann
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


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Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
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Pipescs
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

A question for Forney Owners or Builders

I used the swing ling designed truck from the old Lucky Seven Drawings available forty years ago.

My truck can laterally swing two inches outboard from center in both directions.

On the test run at MSLS there is a tight curve on the lower loop. I am told it is something like 25-30 foot radius. When the engine runs thru it you can feel that the engine tightens up, needing more power to get thru it. No sign of derailing though. You can also feel the back of the engine swing out and rise on the links.

My question is concerning how this effects the coupling of the first car behind the engine.

Does anyone have actual experience on the subject of having to modify the rear coupler?

Charlie Pipes
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


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Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
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Berkman
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Berkman »

Is it on the mainline you will regularly operate ?

a 25-30 radius is going to be tight for about anything beyond a 0-4-0 or 0-6-0. Even the various allen 2-6-0/4-6-0s are recommended with a 35ft min radius.

Personally I wouldn't modify it for such an extreme situation, if you will rarely use that part of track. I've certainly felt larger locomotives like a northern and a mikado tighten up like that through sharp curves. But again, if its not on the mainline, how many times do you really need to put it through a 25-30ft radius curve?
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Pipescs
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

This seems to be the consensus of my friends. Stay off the tight curves. It will make the curve by itself, but I believe pulling a car thru it, with the rear of the engine swinging out, may be an issue.

I will have it back on the track for the Spring Meet at Mid-South in Columbia Tennessee on May the fifth and sixth.

I have gone thru it to fix all the little things that popped up along with adding the water valves from Loco Parts to the temporary ,wooden, tank.

It now has safety chain points and I will be test pulling a car behind it thru the curves. I have also purchased a set of 2.5 inch couplers from Accucraft. Very nice looking at a fair price.
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)
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Pipescs
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

Morning all,

Took the Miss Ann to the MSLS meet the first week of May, Still very much testing it. After a beautiful day of running I decided to try and pull a car. Two derails right away.

Turned out the problem came about because I was simply trying a coupler bolted to the back bumper of the engine. The car held the rear end of the engine firmly to the track line causing the front drivers to bind in the curve and jump track.

Solution is in the works. It is in the shop and the coupler point is being moved to the rear truck section that is anchored to the track. the truck is also being moved to a swing arm coming off the frame just behind the boiler.

Hopefully this will solve my issues.
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)
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