Shaylover
Dapto , NSW Australia
Brakeman
Posts:40
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 | | 02/29/2008 11:18 PM |
| Just got home from my first run of the AC-12 on our club layout 
Though the layout is small at least I had a run.
Only 20 feet forward then 20 feet backwards but at last I got her to run.
Nice healthy chuff, nice steam plume and could see the splitter actually working.
Now to find a nice big track and let her rip!  | |
Never fly faster than your Guardian Angel can fly.
John de VK2XGJ | |
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Alan in Adirondacks
1st Class Member
Glens Falls, NY
Brakeman
Posts:85
Send Message
| | 03/01/2008 12:00 PM |
| John,
Glad to hear it went well. I look forward to further reports!
Best regards,
Alan | |
Alan Redeker
SA #17 | |
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Chillicharlie
1st Class Member
Chillicothe Ohio
Brakeman
Posts:14
Send Message
| | 03/02/2008 6:44 AM |
| John I'm waiting for warmer weather to give mine a try anything I should look for?
Chillicharlie | | | |
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Charles
1st Class Member
Foreman
Posts:469
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| | 03/02/2008 6:59 AM |
| Quick check list:
- Care with the pilot and trailing trucks; weak design
- Check the piping around the engines could prevent engagement of levers
- Extended the bypass pipe in tender to see pump action
- Tender hatch can easily fall in
- Careful with the flip top cab roof can easily rub paint on the cab front
- Appearances- running board has a raise of .25 inch from cab to smokebox
- Finally, lighting the engine is the big challenge: clean, clean and clean both gas tank and jets
There are other significant changes that should be done but that is another thread and many hours of work.
Here is a brief from the initial unpacking of AC-12
http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/11/postid/4091/view/topic/Default.aspx
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Happy Trails on the Rails
Charles
SA #614
http://cebednarik.googlepages.com/home | |
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Shaylover
Dapto , NSW Australia
Brakeman
Posts:40
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| | 03/02/2008 4:05 PM |
| Many thanks to Charles for the answers.
Gordon Watson had "pre-delivered" my loco so a lot of the little "features" had been fixed.
Two things I fixed, I made up a wooden walkway to hold the tender hatch and stop it falling into the tender.
Second I took the smokebox door off and filed a chamfer on the closing edge so that there would be some lead-in to the smokebox and make closing easier.
I found I had to open the throttle over half a turn to get the loco to move, but that will probably change as I get more familiar with the loco. | |
Never fly faster than your Guardian Angel can fly.
John de VK2XGJ | |
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SPgeek
Folsom, California
Posts:9
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| | 03/03/2008 1:52 PM |
| John, As Charles stated about the appearance of the running boards being 1/4" to high towards the smokebox this is not the case. In fact the whole "boiler" is tilted up 1/4" towards the smokebox. I think that Accucraft did this only on the live steam version to make room for the fittings.
Michael, | | | |
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Shaylover
Dapto , NSW Australia
Brakeman
Posts:40
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| | 03/03/2008 4:08 PM |
| I've seen the reports on the 1/4" problem of the boiler, but at the moment my interest is in making sure the loco performs to my satisfaction before I start doing any little mods to it. ie it runs properly, the burners light and stay alight and is easy to run, then I'll start fixing the other little features.
About the only mods I'll be making first will be to cut back the cylinder cock drain levers so that I can run over turnouts with them open. I've made up a little do-hickey to turn them once I've cut them back, but it has not been tested under fire so to speak. | |
Never fly faster than your Guardian Angel can fly.
John de VK2XGJ | |
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SPgeek
Folsom, California
Posts:9
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| | 03/03/2008 4:20 PM |
| | I cleaned out my fuel tank with brake cleaner and fired up the engine for the first time two weeks ago. I was a little surprised that it ran so well after hearing some people say that their Cab's were a little tight. First run was on a treadmill that I built, can wait to take it out for a real run. | | | |
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Shaylover
Dapto , NSW Australia
Brakeman
Posts:40
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| | 03/25/2008 3:53 AM |
| Well I've just come inside from giving my AC-12 her first kero/oil bath as per SP instructions.
We've just come home from our first run on a large track and we're both Happy little Vegemites!
She had about an hour and a half running so is a little free'er than her first run on the RitG Club track, sounds good too, particularly when you close the cylinder cocks. 
As I mentioned in another section of this board I circumsised the cylinder cock levers and made up a do-hickey to open and close them.
In fact made at least half a lap with them still open trailing over a couple of turnouts in the process with no problems. Took a couple of pix but I can't put them up here.
Looking forward to our big show in May at the Southern Highlands Steam Up in Bowral when we'll have two big tracks in the same venue to play with.
Life is wonderful at the moment.
Gotta go, she's calling me.  | |
Never fly faster than your Guardian Angel can fly.
John de VK2XGJ | |
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