| Author | Messages | |
Eric M.
S.F. Bay Area
Brakeman
Posts:51
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 | | 02/26/2008 5:22 PM |
| Proving once again that you can take the boy out of the Midwest, but you can't take the Midwest out of the boy, I fired up my Traction Engine on Saturday for a little agricultural fun. The engine in question is a modified D.R. Mercer. It has been Americanized, painted, weathered and I installed a radiant ceramic burner.
I cannot speak highly enough about the burner. It is dead silent. It resulted in a massive performance increase from the stock alcohol burner.
As I mentioned in a previous thread, I am dumber than a bag of hammers when it comes to alcohol firing. My first attempt firing this engine resulted in a full meltdown of one of the rear wheels "Oh that was soft soldered?!!!"
I won't bore you with the details of the tractors miraculous recovery, but as you can see, I re-built her, better, faster, stronger! She had absolutely no trouble pulling my custom Case threshing machine.
Here are a few vital stats on the tractor.
Base machine: Type 1 D.R. Mercer Traction engine, manufactured in England, factory assembled, unpainted.
Scale: 5/8" = 1' (very close to 1:20 scale)
Powerplant: One, double-acting cylinder, full Stephenson valve gear, fully notchable reverser in cab.
Boiler and fittings: Pot boiler, in cab throttle control, single safety valve.
Mods: Custom "lip" on smoke stack, sheet metal re-done on cab, Brass fuel bunkers added behind rear wheels, full disassembly and paint, insulated firebox, radiant ceramic burner, butane tank from Accucraft Ruby installed in fuel bunker, 8 ball shifter, fuzzy dice-- (just kidding about the last two)
Thanks for looking!
Regards,
Eric | |
Eric Maschwitz, Whistle Punk, Gunn Lake Land & Lumber
A subsidiary of East Devils Hill Lumber Co. | |
| Bruce
1st Class Member
Brakeman
Posts:24
Send Message
| | 02/26/2008 6:47 PM |
| Very nice traction engine. It came along way remembering the pictures in your first post. It looks like she gives you some good exercise too.
Bruce | | | |
| gibs035
1st Class Member
Houston Texas
Foreman
Posts:214
Send Message
| | 02/27/2008 12:41 PM |
| Must be nice to be so young and able to bend over that way to run the tractor. Some day you'll get as old as the rest of us. | | | |
| Eric M.
S.F. Bay Area
Brakeman
Posts:51
Send Message
| | 02/27/2008 3:04 PM |
| Wow, that's the second time in one week that I have been accused of being young. I guess it's all relative, I am rather young for a live steam enthusiast. I am often also accused of being an old man in a thirty-something body.
Don't blame me for being one of the smart "kids" who figured out that spending my hard earned money on steam engines instead of cars, women and rock & roll was more fun.
At least this way I have ample time to install Radio control in my steam engines before I am a crotchety old man.
Regards,
Eric | |
Eric Maschwitz, Whistle Punk, Gunn Lake Land & Lumber
A subsidiary of East Devils Hill Lumber Co. | |
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