[redbeard]

Hello everybody,
I got most of the major pieces made to convert the two cylinder pirate rail-truck to a single cylinder pirate rail-truck. Since I wanted to utilize as much of what was built already, I am still using most of the Ruby parts that I started with. I am removing one cylinder, one valve and valve gear and one set of drivers. I am adding a jack-shaft, flywheel, and chain drive. In picture "A" I have mounted the jack-shaft in the old driver location using sealed ball bearings from a local hobby shop. I purchased some chain and one sprocket from Stock Drive Products back when I was planning to use the Midwest boiler and engine. (I made the rear sprocket and cut the teeth by hand.) The Ruby wheel is drilled and tapped for the sprocket to mount to. (picture "B")

I turned the flywheel out of 1/2 inch by 1 inch brass stock I had laying about.(picture "C") The crankpin is made form an old steel axle from some plastic wheels I replaced on my ore cars. I disassembled the Ruby drive axle with the eccentrics to use one of them on this truck.(picture "D")
As soon as I fine tune the fit of these new parts and figure how to temporarily block off the valve block on the "chain side", I will air test the running gear. If everything works, THEN I will cut off the valve block and cap the lines. Then I will have another Ruby valve, eccentric and cylinder for ANOTHER project. Hopefully I can get this configuration to work!
More Later !
redbeard AKA Larry Newman SA #1956

 

[CapeCodSteam]

Looks wonderful so far. Can't wait to hear how the air test turns out.

 

[John Riley]

Larry,

Have been watching your progress with great interest. If you are thinking of changing boiler config's suggest you look at Mark Horovitz Sidestreet Bannerworks Loco of the Month for Sept 2007
He shows a pair of tram engines, and their boilers which would fit well in a rail truck. He has also converted a single Ruby piston/cylinder to a double acting ossie. Since you have a spare this might be
a future project. My own experience with a small horizontal porcupine pot boiler fired by a ceramic burner originally designed as an after market upgrade for a Mamod feeding a two cylinder ossie
steam motor geared a la Larry Herget has been quite satisfactory. The horizontal boiler also can be hidden in a truck easily.

Keep on truckin'

John Riley

 

[placitassteam]

Larry, Too bad, it was looking so good. I think your solution is really neat. It should have the good side effect of slowing the speed. To plug the extra valve can you just reinstall the valve slide and hold it in neutral? Good luck, I think this thing would be cool to watch it run. (Don't post a video just for me, I can't get it on my puter anyway) Sometimes chasing problems can be a pain, but it really brings out the engineer in you. I feels so great when you come up with a sollution that works. I hope the Big Blows don't get you!!!

 

[redbeard]

Hey Winn!
Good to see some new "Bogie Posts" !
I worked on all the rough edges of the moving parts and reassembled the single cylinder set-up today.

/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gifIt Runs ! (on air anyway)

Got all the kinks and high spots taken care of and ran the single cylinder and drive train on air tonight. I tried to do a movie but my camera just won't focus that close in movie format. (I don't have a movie camera, my digital camera will take short mpegs) So all I can show you is a still of it running in my hand. Since the reverser linkage is mounted to the truck bed, I had to hold it in my hand and set the reverser valve with my fingers. Not a pretty picture, but it did run pretty. I may not get much time this week but I am anxious to to reassemble the truck and get some steam to this set-up. As soon as I do I will post more pictures.

redbeard AKA Larry Newman SA #1956

 

[redbeard]

Hey John Riley,
Thanks for the comments. On this truck I am going to keep the boiler as is. I have enjoyed building this so much I am going to build at least one more steam truck. (probably two more!) Since I cut out the "extra" valve block I have an extra cylinder and valve to work with. So I will have to learn how to build a reverser valve! Have not thought about boiler for the next truck yet, so I will reserve comment on that one at this time.( well almost,..... it will probably be horizontal) Before the next truck I have another very complex Ruby Kit bash underway. No announcements yet, but lots of gears involved!

Winn,
I cut out the valve block so I would have a complete cylinder assembly for a future project. (missed that comment in my first read of your post)

redbeard AKA Larry Newman SA #1956

 

[redbeard]

Worked on the pirate truck again today instead of working on business. Have to play catch-up now!
BUT the truck is now on four wheels. I built the front axle assembly today. Simple and sturdy.

And here is a shot of the truck showing it's new stance as a four wheeler instead of a six-er. Oh Well, live and learn ! And boy have I learned a lot on this project.

It will be several days before I can work on it again.

redbeard AKA Larry Newman SA #1956

 

[redbeard]

/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif It Steams ! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif

Hi everybody, I put all the pieces (that are made) back on the truck and clamped a Ruby fuel tank to the truck bed. Filled everything, lubricated everything and fired her up. Tried to catch the safety valve popping but I never got it.

Once she was up to the safety (35lbs) I rocked the shifter to clear the condensate from the cylinder and off she ran. Still a lot of fine tuning to get everything just right, but the mechanism is proven now. Will self start in forward, but I had to nudge her to get reverse. I am going to build a fuel tank next and then start on the trim and decor. I made a short low quality video of the first steaming with the one cylinder modification.



redbeard AKA Larry Newman SA #1956

 

[redbeard]

Hi everybody!
Today I built the fuel tank for the truck. I bent some .039 copper into two L shapes, drilled the appropriate size holes for the gas valve and the filler valve, and hard soldered it together. The first picture shows the pieces as they were made.

The next picture shows the finished tank before cleaning and painting.

The gas valve was made almost exactly like the lubricator drain valve earlier in this string. The only difference is the needle has a long tapered point to allow adjustment of gas flow, and a threaded fitting for the fuel line to the boiler. The filler valve came out of a cheap butane pencil torch (had for years and never used). I think this is the last major component on the truck. Now its LOTS of little pieces and parts.
redbeard AKA Larry Newman SA #1956

 

[redbeard]

Forgot something VERY IMPORTANT............
Shad, I LOVE the new editor!

THANKS!
redbeard AKA Larry Newman SA #1956

 

[redbeard]

Hi,
I got the fuel tank mounted today and did a short steam on the bench. Here is a picture of the tank mounted.

redbeard AKA Larry Newman SA #1956

 

[steamboatmodel]

Hi Larry,
Did you do a hydrostatic test on the fuel tank? I was told to test any butane/propane tank to 350 psi. A fuel tank is a pressure vessel the same as a boiler is and should be tested to twice the working pressure. a 70/30 or a 60/40 butane mix have pressures of 145 and 165psig (10 and 11 bar) respectively. Straight propane will reach 260psig (18 bars).
Regards,
Gerald

 

[redbeard]

Hi everybody!
I can't believe it has been a month since I posted anything on the railtruck. I have only worked on it a little now and then, my business is having a tough time in this economic environment so I have been staying focused on survival. Today however I have worked on getting more heat from the burner and I built handles for the steam valve and the lubricator drain. In working on the burner I realized that the lubricator is uncomfortably close to the boiler for adding oil while engine is hot. So I soldered a piece of 5/16 hex stock to the cap to allow a wrench or nut driver to be used. On the burner I figured I needed more air to get proper combustion of the fuel, so I added a circle of holes in the base around the burner. Then I made a "cup" for the burner to keep the flame contained and aimed at the boiler bottom. I added a coil of stainless wire to act as a radiant heat source. The first picture shows the modifications to the burner.

The next pictures show the new handles.

I think everything will work out OK now. On blocks I got several long runs by adding water to the boiler, and was able to keep steam up at 30 lbs. Lots of adjustments and a small leak on the lubricator to deal with. Hopefully I can set up a small track this weekend and test it then.
Gerald,
I do not have any way to "hydrostatic test" the fuel tank. I leak tested it and pressure tested by dunking it (full) into hot water.
redbeard AKA Larry Newman SA #1956

 

[Alan in Adirondacks]

Larry,

Fantastic work! I like SS the radiant coil --- and your photos are first class.

Best regards,

Alan

 

[steamboatmodel]

Hi Larry,
If you have a feed water pump they will usually do for testing. You can also fill the tank with cold water plug all openings except one install a gauge in it and put the tank in hot water. I have tested Boilers this way up to 60psi. Also the higher the % of Butane the lower the pressure with temp. change.
Regards,
Gerald

 

[redbeard]

Hi Everybody!

Well after a lot of fiddle-factor and adjustments I got the truck to run 14 minutes with a few pumps of water in the goodall valve. So I think I will move along with the rest of the truck. I still have to decide if I want a pilot or just a beam on the front, mount a beam and coupler on the rear, build a stake body, replace the boards on the boiler, (during the burner mods they got a little singed......OK they caught fire a few times) and then I don't yet no what else will go on it. Here is a short video of the truck running, still low quality stuff, I can't buy a camera right now.

More later!

redbeard AKA Larry Newman SA #1956

 

[Semper Vaporo]

Don't say, "caught fire", say that is expertly applied "weathering"

The words are, "I meant to do that!"

 

[redbeard]

HMMMM Weathering! Of course that's what it is......I just forgot I did it that way!

So after I ran the truck today, I worked on the pilot beams. The rear beam, braces, coupler and steps are finished.

I ran out of time and energy before I finished the front beam. I have laid out what I am building and cut the beam itself, and started the bottom bracket. Maybe tomorrow if there is time available.

I think things will move along now, but WHO KNOWS ?
redbeard AKA Larry Newman SA #1956

 

[maculsay]

You're getting to that point where you can see how much you railtruck will haul, right??? Really looking great. The radiant burner coil is very clever.
I'm anxiously waiting to see what treatment you give the truck bed...wood stakes and rails or solid brass sideboards or ....

Again, nice work.

 

[redbeard]

Hi Howard,
I am glad to have come to the point where I know the boiler-engine combo will pull a car or two. My choice of this combination was flawed from the beginning, but I am sneaking around the problem. I have one special car in mind to go behind the truck....a dynamite car for the pirate miners! I am now at the point where I do not want to add weight to the back of the truck, so anything behind the cab now has to be as light as practical. So it will likely be a wood stake body, but I have not started it yet.(meaning no plans yet!) Still OK for weight on the front, but I don't think I will use a "cow-catcher" pilot. Just a beam with a coupler, can't see steps even.....no where to step to! Maybe a few tools or such......
redbeard AKA Larry Newman SA #1956