gibs035
1st Class Member
Houston Texas
Foreman
Posts:213
Send Message
 | | 07/04/2008 11:20 AM |
| 
First picture of Aster S2 kit that Jeff Runge is building for me.
I ask Jeff's permission to post the pics as he sends them to me. If he wants to comment on the build
I will leave that up to him. I don't have the skills to build the kit. I tried an Aster Reno kit that I am going to need help getting to run properly. I'm excited about Jeff's building the kit and am lookig forward to running her. | | | |
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gibs035
1st Class Member
Houston Texas
Foreman
Posts:213
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| | 07/04/2008 9:45 PM |
| Jeff provided me with afew more pics of S2 build.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mergib/2638274518/" title="Art-S-2-e by rthrgbsn, on Flickr">
Boy am I getting excited. Looking good. Jeff really knows his stuff. | | | |
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JEFF RUNGE
Foreman
Posts:170
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| | 07/05/2008 7:03 AM |
| This kit has so far gone together with out a hitch. As always one must pay attention to the instructions. Aster has made some changes in this kit,(from the Berk.) so it is a bit different then the Berkshire build. I would not say it is any more or less difficult. Hans has provided on his web site some helpfull building tips. If your going to build one of these great engines, read them.
Jeff | | | |
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gibs035
1st Class Member
Houston Texas
Foreman
Posts:213
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| | 07/05/2008 10:53 PM |
| | I just noticed , that if you want to get aa real close look at the detail of the kit, just click on one of the pictures and it takes you to the flickr site. There you can increase size of photo and really see the clean work that Jeff is doing. Don't mean to be a pest , but as you can see, am excited about project. | | | |
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Steve S.
1st Class Member
Foreman
Posts:257
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| | 07/06/2008 12:04 AM |
| Jeff, Art...............looking great. Art, I am almost as excited as you are.  | | | |
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gibs035
1st Class Member
Houston Texas
Foreman
Posts:213
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| | 07/06/2008 8:18 AM |
| 
Got these this morning. Cannot belive the progress Jeff is making. He said he had been able to spend more time on the build than he had expected.
I may have duplicated one of the photo's. Pardon if I did. | | | |
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JEFF RUNGE
Foreman
Posts:170
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| | 07/06/2008 9:49 AM |
| Art, you did not duplicate shots, I took 3 diff. angles of the front. I was not sure how they would come out shooting @400ISO with the ap @ 6.3 and the shutter speed @ a sllooow 1/15 an 1/20 of a sec hand held. No flash
As Pat had posted in his thread mating the boiler assembly to the chassis takes a bit of care to align everything, watching both the front and back to see that all the plumbing and the cylinder drain mechanism end up where they belong. When you look a the number of components that have been assembled to get to this point it is a wonder any of it fits together at all. Aster must have a "0" tolerance policy in their QC dept. ! More building tonight
Jeff | | | |
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k5pat
1st Class Member
Covington, LA
Foreman
Posts:115
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| | 07/06/2008 11:51 AM |
| | Looks great Jeff.
When you get to installing all the long piping on the right side beneath the running board, let me know what you did with the end that hangs down on top of the cylinder cover. The book is not clear about what to do with it. I guess I could bend it back in towards the smoke box.
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Pat in Covington, LA--- SA#1.414
Timber and Tallow Branch RR | |
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seadawg
1st Class Member
Virginia Beach, VA
Brakeman
Posts:86
Send Message
| | 07/06/2008 2:30 PM |
| | Jeff, have you run into any issues? A friend of mine is building one and was unable to get full deflection of the slide valve on the left cylinder. All valve rod parts mic out exaclty to the dimensions of the right valve. Upon closer scrutiny we noticed that the steam ports on the left cylinder do not line up in the center of the steam chest. The slide vlave body does not cover the ports! He's one rather unhappy camper and this is his third Aster kit (not a noob). | |
Dave Orwig
SA #333
S.K.W.R.Lines
My Club:
http://www.tbto.org
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k5pat
1st Class Member
Covington, LA
Foreman
Posts:115
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| | 07/06/2008 4:03 PM |
| | Seadawg,
Check to make sure he put the various valve plates in the correct orientation. The holes are offset must go on in the correct position. | |
Pat in Covington, LA--- SA#1.414
Timber and Tallow Branch RR | |
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JEFF RUNGE
Foreman
Posts:170
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| | 07/06/2008 4:17 PM |
| Seadawg, make sure you are getting full motion of the lifting arm (4-11) Is the slide valve travel the same as the other cyl ?
It it fully uncovering both ports at the extreams in travel? If the total travel distance is not the same on both sides then go back and check the posistion of (3-26) also compare (4-13) and (4-11) is the range of motion the same on both ?
Pat, I have an Aster advertising catalog page with a few good photos. The bottom pipe on the engineers side, at the front end above the cylinder, turns 90 deg and points toward the other side of the engine, running horizontal. Not like it looks in section 13....
Looking at some of the pics of 1:1 engines Hans's site it's hard to tell for sure but thats what I'm going to do. | | | |
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k5pat
1st Class Member
Covington, LA
Foreman
Posts:115
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| | 07/06/2008 4:52 PM |
| Jeff,
Thanks, I found my color brochure and see that the pipe turns toward the smokebox. | |
Pat in Covington, LA--- SA#1.414
Timber and Tallow Branch RR | |
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gibs035
1st Class Member
Houston Texas
Foreman
Posts:213
Send Message
| | 07/07/2008 11:12 PM |
| Here are four additional pics of the Aster S2 build that Jeff Runge is working on.
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Steve S.
1st Class Member
Foreman
Posts:257
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| | 07/08/2008 12:46 AM |
| A beautiful engine. Looks like she is going together very well, of course Jeff is an old pro. He sure makes it look easy..................I would be lost.  Art, I can hardly wait to see her cruising around the track. | | | |
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gibs035
1st Class Member
Houston Texas
Foreman
Posts:213
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| | 07/08/2008 6:44 AM |
| I wake up this morning and low and behold, there are five more pics of the S2 on my computer. Jeff must be building in his sleep.
Notice in the picture of the cab, where the fire box is located for lighting the wicks. | | | |
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Steve S.
1st Class Member
Foreman
Posts:257
Send Message
| | 07/08/2008 7:37 AM |
| Gosh Art, this incredible engine will turn you into an Aster Snob.  | | | |
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gibs035
1st Class Member
Houston Texas
Foreman
Posts:213
Send Message
| | 07/08/2008 8:14 AM |
| | Got an email from Jeff this morning. He has the tender to build and says he can smell the steam oil already. | | | |
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SailorDon
1st Class Member
Houston, TX
Brakeman
Posts:41
Send Message
| | 07/08/2008 10:43 AM |
| Art,
Are you planning for R/C or are you going to chase it around the track like Steve does with his Berkshire? :-) | | | |
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gibs035
1st Class Member
Houston Texas
Foreman
Posts:213
Send Message
| | 07/08/2008 12:06 PM |
| Sailor,
Jeff is gonna put R/C on everthing he reach . He knows I am an old man and not capable running after
the engine. | | | |
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GNSteamer
Brakeman
Posts:98
Send Message
| | 07/08/2008 12:06 PM |
| | Interesting observation, on the RTR S2, the steam guage is on the left side of the cab while the kits seem to route the guage on the right side. Beautiful job on the locomotive! I'm waiting for some parts in order to finish mine. While I await their arrival, my tender is just about complete. I'll be bending a bunch of wire this evening for the handrails. | | | |
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