The Home Machinist!

Scott, had a quick look back through Model Engineer and found this advert for the loco so it was around then (Jan 7th 1954). This was the only one I could find around this period. Looks like it was available as castings or ready machined parts. According to the introduction in the construction bookl...

Scott, You might want to investigate this offering: #011927 - Building the Bassett-Lowke 0-6-0 Tank Locomotive 3/4" scale 3.5" gauge 20 pages, $15.00/Aus TEE Publishing Ltd. in the UK can also supply copies of the original construction booklet if you can't get one from the above. http://w...

I believe the valves on Chloe are driven via a rocking lever? This reverses the position of the eccentrics so they are on the same side as the crankpin. The diagram shows the 'British' version where the valves are driven directly from the die block.

John

Looks like it will be at Sandown Park this year on 11th - 13th December. Apparently the public and the traders did not like Ascot as a venue, hence the move.

John

To answer Bill's question:

For example, an LMS Class 5 (Black Five) boiler runs at 225psi. The outer firebox shell and barrel, are about 1/2" thick steel and the inner firebox 5/8" copper.

John

A lot of members of our club use kerosene (paraffin to us) mixed with a bit of oil to wash our engines down after a run. Most use a small hand pumped garden sprayer to apply it as a fine spray. Washes off all the crud and then evaporates and leaves a thin film of oil behind to protect the steel. A q...

Bill, I don't know about the Macc ones but the Reeves International injectors seem to be ok. One or two of the lads in our club have fitted them with no problems. The ones made by Gordon Chiverton seem pretty good as well. I used one on Helen before replacing it with one of my own and it worked well...

I've made several small injectors (8oz) to the designs by D A G Brown published in Model Engineer some time ago. After a bit of tinkering I managed to get them working well. My Helen Long has two of them fitted. I've also made a 4oz which works but the output is a bit low even for a 2½" gauge l...

I doubt that the K-4 in your photos was "The first 2-1/2" gauge locomotive to be built in the US." Starting in July 1924, Mr. H.J. Coventry of Baltimore, Maryland serialized the construction of the 2-1/2" gauge K-4 in The Modelmaker Magazine. Prior to constructing his K-4 Mr. Co...

Carrying on, here's some photos of a 2½" gauge Erie Triplex chassis that appeared at one of our rallies in 2006. Unfortunately, the owner who acquired it has now sold it on as he thought that completing it would be beyond him! Hope it gets finished one day.

Following on from the 3/4" scale postings I thought it would be interesting to see if there is still a following for 2½" gauge anywhere in the world apart from in the UK where it is enjoying a healthy comeback. It was just as popular in the USA many years ago but seems to have virtually fi...

There are plans to publish all LBSC's 'Lobby Chats' from Model Engineer as a book but I don't know when it will appear. I think all the material has now been collected (I helped provide some of it) and last I heard, the person responsible for collating it all was looking for a suitable publisher. John