The Home Machinist!

this is the way I did it...but I like things out where I can get at them and don't worry about 'prototype practice'.

I dump my pump exhaust into the blower line in the smokebox. This gets it out of the stack no matter what.

Condensate has not been a problem.

Your pump looks very nice! If it runs 1/2 as well as it looks -> you have a winner!

tight budget + limited shop space + 2-1/2" scale 1-1/2" engine = disaster -> even for a modest loco like this. If you are tight on anything, don't consider such a large loco...you have no idea what it will cost in terms of material and tools to build. If you don't believe me, just look at ...

not a bad idea....do away with all that extra hardware that allows the rail to 'move'....

spring clips and all that...

giggle....

ever seen the new electrical welding units they have now...?

they push the rails together like two welding electrodes, hit it with a gazillion amps and voila...one piece of rail...

I fill(ed) my propane tank for my 3/4" Hudson the way you describe...or did until the local club asked me to stop using it, so I am back to a commercial tank on a flat-car. the tank in a box-car is the most practical way to go from my point of view. Just be sure you vent the floor of the car so...

yes, copper will expand more than steel, but not enough to worry about... :shock: the biggest concern should be: how long will STEEL FLUES last in a steel boiler as compared to copper tubes in a steel boiler. I will let you know when my oldest (30+ year old) copper flues in a steel boiler go bad...a...

flogging dead horse....

Definition of insanity: Doing (or saying) the same thing over and over and expecting a different result

or you can purchase them at a local pet store...people actually use them on their pet's teeth.....

http://www.mcmaster.com/#graphite-packing-tape/=rekwxp

you want the stuff WITHOUT the adhesive backing...1/4" wide is more than enough...I cut it up the middle with scissors for my small locos.

I bought a roll of it 40 years ago and still have about 80% of it.

Actually, I remember seeing something like a ball turner that did large radii....think it was here, years ago.

but you are correct...that is a bit for an off the shelf ball turner....

but if you offset the tool back off the center of the compound, you could easily get that radius...

actually, that is a fairly common number used on machines. Most controllers have a 'divide by' function built into the control, so the 100 PPR on the wheel can become 1000 or 10000 with the flick of a knob. Since most controls work Metric internally, 100 ppr = 0.1 mm or 0.01 or 0.001 using the divid...