Decauville 0-4-0 1:22.58 Scale

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Benjamin Maggi
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Re: Decauville 0-4-0 1:22.58 Scale

Post by Benjamin Maggi »

Or, purchase some LGB rolling stock (which is pretty much 1:22.5 scale) and measure up from them.
"One cannot learn to swim without getting his feet wet." - Benjamin Maggi
- Building: 7.25" gauge "Sweet Pea" named "Catherine"
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diddler
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Location: Sebring Florida

Re: Decauville 0-4-0 1:22.58 Scale

Post by diddler »

Is I wait for my boiler to be welded, I managed to make a few parts for little bugger. The valve itself don't look good in the picture, that is grease on it that makes it look rough. The steam dome is completed and adjusted to 45 lb pop off. I used that because someone told me that was the pressure it would run on.
The site glass was made different to the print, I made a mold and made the seal out of 2 part dental silicon, not the kind for an impression but the one used for duplication.
I looked and looked to find the pressure gauge I wanted with the line on the bottom of the gauge, Nota. So I machined a gauge with the connection straight out the back to be a bottom exit, the silver soldered a copper tube in it. You can see it in the back of one of the pictures 8)
Attachments
dome_1.jpg
dome_2.jpg
dome_4.jpg
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diddler
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Re: Decauville 0-4-0 1:22.58 Scale

Post by diddler »

Happy Thanksgiving everyone
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diddler
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Location: Sebring Florida

Re: Decauville 0-4-0 1:22.58 Scale

Post by diddler »

The build is sort of at a stand still, I am still waiting for the boiler to be returned to me welded. I knew this was going to be the problem :cry:
I have performed a few things on the build, things I was not too happy with. :roll:
When looking at the video of the locomotive running, I could see a hop in the motion. Along with, when I rotated the wheels, there would come a spot it would get a little tighter to turn the wheels, then it would go away. There was also some movement from side to side, this I thought would move the rods out of alignment causing the slight bind.
I disassembled the loco, pressed the wheels off, indicated the wheels in the lathe and bored out the centers, they were off a tiny bit. I then turned down new axles, so I have only .002 movement from side to side. This should be good for rod alignment.
I pressed the one wheel on each shaft. to achieve the 90 degree offset of the other wheel, I took the diameter of the wheel and divided in half minus half the diameter of the rod pin. I stacked gauge blockers and placed them under the pin. using a square, I slid it over right and left to see where it aligned with the shaft/wheel opening on the opposite wheel. when it was equal I knew I was 90 degree opposed, I then pressed the wheel the remaining way. Boom simple fix, The loco has no hop, or tight spot now.
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diddler
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Re: Decauville 0-4-0 1:22.58 Scale

Post by diddler »

I have a question, If you look at the drawing of the wheels, the rear wheels have a spoke missing, this I removed when machining. This I was not so sure why they did this, because the weight of the connecting rods would make it unbalanced. Do you have any idea how I can figure out the weight needed to counter balance the assembly. The balance will only work if you are dead on, there is no way to tell if you are too light or too heavy, both will give you the same outcome.
Pontiacguy1
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Re: Decauville 0-4-0 1:22.58 Scale

Post by Pontiacguy1 »

Well, in the world of small scale railroading, balancing is much less important because:
(1) the weights involved are miniscule compared to their full-size counterparts
(2) Speeds are not usually as high. Although some people run their locomotives really fast, most will keep the speed pretty reasonable, and it isn't noticeable
(3) We don't run them nearly as much, or for nearly as long a distance, as they were typically run in actual revenue service

With those things in mind, most people just worry about getting the correct appearance of counterweights and rods so that they appear as close as possible to the dimensions of the prototype, and don't worry about the balance of it at all.

Most of the time when a locomotive had the space between the spokes filled in right near the crankpin, especially on the main driver, it was to strengthen that area so there wouldn't be problems with cracking. A lot of locomotives have this done on their drawings. Also, on most locomotives, the main crankpin was larger diameter than the crankpins on the other axles. Small industrial and mining locomotives may not have, but your typical mainline locomotives did have bigger main crankpin diameter. Extra strength was needed and extra iron was put around those areas. On your locomotive, with the small forces involved, it would only be a matter of appearance.

I bet you will find that your locomotive runs like the proverbial sewing machine even at pretty high speeds, without any effort made at balancing it.
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diddler
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Re: Decauville 0-4-0 1:22.58 Scale

Post by diddler »

Thank you for your reply Pontiacguy1, Believe it or not, my little locomotive is for the most part steady without too much shake after all the rework I just done on it. I will just leave the cut out spoke the way it is , as the designer intended.

News flash, Just received a call from the welder, he is having a problem with his weld leaking. It wasn't me, a professional welder is having the same problem I had, There is a Santa after all!!!
Time to machine a new tube and parts, and start over fresh I think :?
Pontiacguy1
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Re: Decauville 0-4-0 1:22.58 Scale

Post by Pontiacguy1 »

Did you ever get your boiler finished up and working? You said that you were going to start making another one... Copper this time or steel again?
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Benjamin Maggi
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Re: Decauville 0-4-0 1:22.58 Scale

Post by Benjamin Maggi »

I hope your boiler issues are being worked out. Perhaps this spring/summer we can steam up our engines together. By that time I should have my new Roundhouse Lady Anne and will bring it to ALS.
"One cannot learn to swim without getting his feet wet." - Benjamin Maggi
- Building: 7.25" gauge "Sweet Pea" named "Catherine"
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diddler
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Joined: Wed May 20, 2020 4:21 pm
Location: Sebring Florida

Re: Decauville 0-4-0 1:22.58 Scale

Post by diddler »

Hi Everyone, I am so sorry for the delay in/ or lock of posting. I retired early November and moved to Florida.
Now I have the shop put back together, I have started working on the build again.
I did pick up the boiler from the welder the day we moved south, However I am not too happy with the way he welded the seat for the valve/ pressure regulator. I have attached a picture, he welded the seat about 5deg to the port side of the boiler.
I had to re-machine the the valve on a rotary table to elongate the three holes for the mounting bolts. The put the pop offs off center a bit. I am not happy with it at all, However, it will not effect the function. :evil:
I made the sand dome yesterday, this you can see in the picture.
Attachments
boiler.jpg
miss weld.jpg
shop.jpg
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Benjamin Maggi
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Re: Decauville 0-4-0 1:22.58 Scale

Post by Benjamin Maggi »

Congrats on the move! I was hoping to meet you at ALS, but I guess that won't happen. Good luck with your engine down south.
"One cannot learn to swim without getting his feet wet." - Benjamin Maggi
- Building: 7.25" gauge "Sweet Pea" named "Catherine"
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NP317
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Re: Decauville 0-4-0 1:22.58 Scale

Post by NP317 »

Congrats on your retirement and successful move. Non trivial.
Now you will have LESS time to follow your hobbies...
RussN
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