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AC-12 first run.

3186 Views 13 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  Charles, 
Shaylover
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!  /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gif
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A
John,

Glad to hear it went well. I look forward to further reports!

Best regards,

Alan
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C
John I'm waiting for warmer weather to give mine a try anything I should look for?

Chillicharlie
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Charles
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 [/list] 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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Shaylover
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. 
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S
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
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.
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S
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
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.  /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blush.gif

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.   ;)
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Shaylover
Just arrived home from the GSSU (Great Southern Steam-Up) where the front truck of the AC-12 literally sat on the rail heads and the wheels changed gauge. I got the beast going enough to have a run late yesterday but to use plastic inserts on a plain steel axle with no other security than the friction of the plastic is ludicrous. I'm now concerned about the drivers etc.

At the moment I'm tired and going to bed I'll unload and inspect the AC-12 tomorrow. More later.
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Charles
John
Whatdid you do to resolve the problem temporarily, thus getting in the run?
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M
Hi all Cab Forward lovers.
Just a quick picture of two running at Thurnby here in the UK in June this year. Had loads of running now.
For max results always check that both burners are on. If you are unsure with the performance turn off the gas and relite. These engines like loads of steam to haul big loads ie. 40 wagons plus so keep the boiler 1/2 full.
If you leave the by pass closed, the pump will give you too much water in the boiler.Yes you can have too much.... The safety should be 'feathering' to get the best haulage capacity.
Remember, These engines are for men only, so run 'em hot and run 'em hard!! Grrrrrr
Trev.

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Shaylover
Hi Charles, well I ratted through my tool box that I always carry with me and came up with some thick-walled rubber hose. Cut a section to 40mm exactly, ripped off one wheel off each axle , slid the hose into place and replaced the wheel at 40mm back to back spacing.
This allowed me to have a run on Sunday afternoon.
I tell you what though, it was almost a Flying Cab-Forward on Saturday afternoon when I found the problem.
Just that she was a tad too heavy to lift one handed, otherwise it would have been a javlin throw out the door!
The burners worked perfectly after my fix so in time it will be a working loco. I hope.
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Charles
John
Interesting and make due with what ya got solution.

Burners- If one uses a technique that Gordon Watson suggested with screening inserted into the burner housing then it is not necessary to run as hot getting a more efficient burner and all the heat for making steam. The CF-GW offers the burner upgrade along with the ability of working combination levers to further the level of efficiency.
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