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

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

Post by SZuiderveen »

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CALS has two mass boiler inspections a week apart every spring tor the Maryland Department of Labor. One at the Club in Leakin Park and one at Vintage Restorations in Union Bridge. Individual inspections can be scheduled, but this makes it easier for all involved. It also allows training for new inspectors, as DOL will usually send all the miniature and historic boiler trained inspectors to the CALS events.

Here is part of a line-up at Vintage Restorations. The Shay, the portable on the Shay’s deck, and the Sandy River loco are all copper tubes rolled in steel. The Fairmont car with a steam plant is steel rolled in steel. The CliShay is OEM silver soldered water tube. All inspected to Maryland hobby and historic standards.

Steve
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NWCF_1
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by NWCF_1 »

So, in essence what seems to be shaping up is that copper tubes act in a way like a fusible plug; they will fail first, the fire will be extinguished and draw attention to inspection and repairs before the steel structure fails. The Maryland inspector was correct and on point with the comment about the copper tubes.
I am planning a boiler with copper flues as it is the least likely method that may require future work, as in replacing flue or throat sheets. Cutting out leaky tubes is highly desireable compared to this.
I have very much appreciated this thread, and congratulations to pipescs on getting to this point in his build. It has been quite thorough in areas unmentioned in the typical post.
I look forward to many more pages (you MUST report success; pics to prove it!)

Cheers

Stan
Garage cleaning as complete as possible- next step test Lincoln Idealarc 250 roundtop
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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 »

Happy New Year Everyone.

Just a quick note to anyone reading this. The Rust Bucket is a kit bashing effort, of what was considered by many to be a horrible effort by the Winson company of England, into a American Forney. There are no plans and I am building a "That Looks About Right" scale model.

The first effort was to mount the smoke box to the boiler which required fabricating and welding a set of brackets in the front of the boiler and rear of the smoke box. The smoke box bolts to the boiler with 7/16 inch socket head screws that are tightened through the front.

Just before new years I set the boiler in place on the frame and, with guidance from my support group, I have worked out a height above the frame.
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Todays project is to start building the saddle.
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The original LYN Kit was to be a bolt together effort requiring no machining effort. It was to also have a 8 inch copper boiler. I should mention that the company went bankrupt prior to providing anything but the Running gear and frame. As the saddle was CNC cut from a large aluminum block with the saddle machined for that size boiler, I milled off the upper portion and worked for an add on piece that will fit the larger diameter I am working to.

Today I am cutting a piece of ten inch pipe to be the upper piece. The lower box will be welded up from 1/4 mild steel plate to fit the lower aluminum section.
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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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Pipescs
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

The smoke box saddle progresses.

I cut the arched top piece from a scrap of pipe. While it flexed out a little, I will still have to shape it when all is welded up.

The sides of the lower section are cut from a piece of 1/4" x 4" Mild Steel. I have it all tacked together and have discovered the welding process (as expected" has warped and shrunk it in places I did not need. This is why all machinist and welders have large hammers and files in their tool boxes.

It now fits into the rabbits I machined into the original Aluminum Saddle. As my boiler height is not set in stone I will need to machine the height of the box down and radius it to the curved plate prior to welding.
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Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


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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 »

Looking good!

Can certainly see the advantages of using cylinder castings that have a cast smokebox saddle on it after watching the amount of time it's taken you to finish your fabbed saddle.
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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 »

Saddle Continues.

Not so much machine shop work as Blacksmith work.
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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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Pipescs
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

Took the rough saddle up to Pontiacguy's shop to fly cut the saddle. This to work out all the rough areas caused by welding distortion. The Boiler/smoke box dropped in and fit like a glove.

Scott has a set of oversized jaws on his vise and this very large fly cutter that can stretch out to a 5 3/8 inch radius.
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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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Pipescs
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Re: Converting a Baldwin 2-4-2 LYN to a Baldwin 2-4-4

Post by Pipescs »

The smoke box is now bolted to the boiler and the Saddle is bolted to the Smoke Box.
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Today the little time I had in the shop was spent trying my hand at putting in rivets.

I still have to cut on the saddle to make the openings for the steam lines passing thru it to the cylinders and put in the bolts to attach the saddle to the cylinder castings. Right now it is simply sitting on it.
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Charlie Pipes
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Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
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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 »

So as all should know by now I am not building anything scale. I have found these two photos on the net and have decided to go somewhere in this direction for appearance.


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Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers


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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 »

All the rivets are in the smoke box tube. It took the whole box of 100. Somewhat tedious. I have ordered the steel to make the front of the smoke box from Richland LLC in Pulaski Tennessee. Need to call about that today.

The saddle is machined to fit around the steam lines from the cylinders and I now have to machine the smoke box tube for the stack and cutaway the area for the steam lines to enter the bottom.
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 »

Plug for Richland LLC in Pulaski Tenn.

These guys are great when you need specialty cut steel. Yesterday I picked up rolled bands to do the boiler lagging along with a water jet cut plate 11 inches in diameter with a 5 inch center hole. (This for front of the smoke box. Cost was $40.00. four day turnaround.
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 »

The saddle is now bolted to the frame and the machining/blacksmith work on the smokebox is complete (well for now anyway).
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My stack base is a castings from Little Engines. I bored it on the lathe for a 2.75 inch piece of tubing. Pretty heavy piece of pipe. Having talked with members of my club, I have used two set screws to hold the stack tube in place. This to allow adjustment up and down to make the petticoat adjustable in height. I still have to shape the casting more. This will entail going back out to Pontiacguys shop to use his massive fly-cutter on the inside radius to match the smokebox.
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A side project going on is adding the strapping on the boiler. I hope to start welding the pieces in place this weekend.
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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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