[Les]

Posted By Mik on 04/01/2009 7:17 PM
"controls"???? This is one of the first successful commercial locos..so they are spartan and dead simple...

/// Yup, provided you know what to look for....

There is a bypass valve for the pump.

/// I have to assume you mean the water pump/injector pump, which isn't shown anywhere--or I don't recognize it when I'm looking at it (not impossible). The bypass valve for the pump ... does what? Recirculates the water back to the tender?


And a foot operated reverser on the left side of the footplate -- push it down and it shifts the eccentrics to engage the collar for reverse -- let it up, and with the help of a spring, they slide over to engage the collar to go forwards.

///I'll go back and look at the museum piece. The one in the museum is missing the con rod and some other stuff, the models are too small to see. Anyway, I've never even seen a diagram of this arrangement. I found one on 'Gabs', and intend to mock one up to see how they work, the drawing isn't clear.

The throttle is the lever in the middle above the firebox (It's still in place on the original if you look).

/// Yeah, I saw that one on the steam model someone posted.

Brakes? there ain't none.

/// Brakes just screw up a clean design.

Pressure 'gauge' is this loooong pipe beside the stack which has a scale on top and a weighted plunger with a pointer (the Bourden tube hadn't been invented yet).

/// O-okay, on early American engines, many are shown with 2 long pipes located on the spine of the boiler. The better engravings show wisps of vapor at the mouths. I thought they might be safety valves, since one is usually over where I take the crownsheet to be, and the other is sometimes on the steam dome, or just in front/behind it. They end in a trumpet-mouth, and they're tall. Know what these are? Remember the pic of the Crampton I posted the other day? It as two of 'em.

Two brass faucet looking things on the side of the boiler are your water level trycocks.

/// Didn't notice them.

The two brass things on the cylinder heads are your cylinder lubricators.

/// Wondered what those were. All the oilers I know of have a glass in them. WHich brings to mind: Where's the lube reservoir?

the long lever with a weight hanging on the end is the safety valve.

/// Didn't notice it, either, on models or the museum piece.

Thanks for the hedzup. I'll go study those pixes a little more closely. This actually seems like it'd be a fairly simple engine to scratchbuild.

I don't know if you read my post to Pete, but he put me onto a website that sells 'em in 1:24 ga for $139, + $90 for the motor for the tender (has solid brass wheels). I've been thinking that that isn't such an outrageous price when you consider all the hard part--the thinking and research is done and all one has to do is assemble it. BTW WHat is the exchange rate between a Euro and a US dollar? Do you happen to know? There's one in Spain you ought to take a look at. Live steam. I think it's Spain--I've looked at a lot of stuff tonight. The site is CeCo, or something like that. I'm pretty tired just now.

Les

 

[Guest]

The Rocket has the most detailed description of any loco I have ever seen. When the National Railway Museum restored their Rocket, a couple of people did a detailed analysis of each part and hole. They published the results in a book titled 'The Engineering and History of the Rocket' by Michael R Baile and John P Glithero. The loco was completely taken apart and viewed. Most parts are photographed and many have drawings made of them. Along with the pictures and drawings are a analysis of the sequence of events that could have caused that particular part. The book was published in 2000 so is still available. ISBN 1 900747 18 9

 

[Ray Dunakin]

Nice work, Bob!

 

[Les]

Many thanks for the ISBN, Dennis. I'll see if it's doable.

Les

 

[Pete Thornton]

then I noticed the engine's name was spelled something like TEKCOR, strange that...



Is this better?


where the specs indicated the gauge was 65mm


Les, I think you need new specs, or you need to get some sleep!

 

[Les]

Heheheh... It took me a minute to realize the pic was printed backwards. And yeah, some sleep before posting last night was sure needed.

 

[Mik]

Posted By Pete Thornton on 04/02/2009 8:06 AM
then I noticed the engine's name was spelled something like TEKCOR, strange that...



Is this better?



Pete, here is the thing, and feel free to tell me I'm nuts, BUT 1. This is supposed to be a rather expensive commercial SCALE model, not something some guy kludged together in his basement, or a cheap "toy" intended primarily to amuse children. 2. In the SCALE model world it is taken for granted that somebody actually did some research and got the details reasonably correct, unless there was a cost, structural or material limiting reason that they couldn't - or - the historical data was incomplete or wrong. 3. Someone at the company proofed that advertising picture, more likely more than one, and it wasn't caught, yet it was a rather glaring error to some yahoo from the sticks that mostly just plays with toy choo-choos...

Which brings me to #4 - If they overlooked THAT, then what else did they miss/ get wrong? (besides having no valve gear, the pump discharge pipe coming from the middle of the cylinder head, lacking much of the piping. etc.) Followed quickly by #4a - If they are that sloppy about details, then how do they justify $140 for the damned thing?

 

[Les]

Posted By Mik on 04/02/2009 10:37 AM
Posted By Pete Thornton on 04/02/2009 8:06 AM
then I noticed the engine's name was spelled something like TEKCOR, strange that...



3. Someone at the company proofed that advertising picture, more likely more than one, and it wasn't caught, yet it was a rather glaring error to some yahoo from the sticks that mostly just plays with toy choo-choos...









HEY! JUST A DAM' MINUTE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mik]

Les, I meant ME. lol

 

[aceinspp]

Definitely nice for a change. Very interesting on making it an operational model. Later RJD

 

[Les]

Dennis,

I went to Amazon and looked up that book. ~$55 incl shipping, and softcover.

 

[Pete Thornton]

This is supposed to be a rather expensive commercial SCALE model, not something some guy kludged together in his basement,


Mik,
I think you are expecting a bit more than OcCre intend. For a start, I don't think $140 is 'rather expensive' for such a model - a couple of freight cars will cost you that much. It's just a wooden kit. The 'scale' bit is also dubious, as a 45mm gauge model of a standard gauge engine in 1/24th scale is a bit suspect.

And the reversed photo is typical of a small 'craft' shop that doesn't employ a marketing department. We're lucky they have a website with pictures!

 

[Bob Baxter]

It seems that when I step away from the computer for a couple of days, everything breaks loose. We have a number of people here who are well versed in digging up detailed information, something I haven't mastered yet. The control and operational details that can be added to a model, especially one in 1:26th scale are beyond my capacities. I'm happy enough that I was able to find ways to make it run down 45 mm rails. The reaction of the visitors at the train shows is quite positive and satisfying.

A special thanks goes to Pete Thornton for finding very nice pictures of the coach that the Rocket pulled. They will be very helpful. My absence from the computer is a result of a fence and gate rebuilding project that has had me either working or napping for the last two days. It's supposed to be raining a bit today so maybe some work can be done on the coach. Those pictures have me wondering whether some plastic wagon wheels can be adapted to the Hartland "Woodie" power unit rather than the solid wheels I was planning to use. Those big spoked wheels in the pictures sure look good.

I'm happy to see so many folks inspired to look into that loco as a modeling project.

 

[Les]

Posted By Bob Baxter on 04/03/2009 8:22 AM

A special thanks goes to Pete Thornton for finding very nice pictures of the coach that the Rocket pulled.

I'm happy to see so many folks inspired to look into that loco as a modeling project.








Bob,

It's encouraging to know I'm not the only one who works awhile and naps awhile.

Pete is one very nice guy, very helpful.

I'm inspired--so long as we're talking NOT-steam--I just can't go there. The electric version ... I'm considering deeply. If you look at my post above, there's a book about the restoration of it on Amazon, if you're interested.

 

[Mik]

Posted By Pete Thornton on 04/03/2009 7:46 AM. ....For a start, I don't think $140 is 'rather expensive' for such a model - a couple of freight cars will cost you that much.....

And the reversed photo is typical of a small 'craft' shop that doesn't employ a marketing department. We're lucky they have a website with pictures


I guess it depends on where you're from. Around here $140 is my take home pay for an entire WEEK or almost 1/3 of my disability.... And it ISN'T " typical of a small 'craft' shop", it's typical of larger businesses, or ones on the verge of failing to be sloppy, not small shops that actually take pride in their work.

Expect too much? I simply expect fair value. While we as a nation seem to have become willing to accept mediocrity as 'normal', I generally don't. A bit off topic, but there are restaurant chainss I will not patronize anymore, not because I didn't like the food, but because I felt the service there was sloppy and slow.

 

[Les]

If I remember correctly--and I was really tired that night--the motor unit for that engine is another $90. It is shown with brass wheels, pretty un-scale looking, so the total cost would be upwards of $230, and that's pinching my pocketbook pretty hard.

In my case, I can get along well enough, until some unexpected medical costs pop up, like last month: $300, wholly unexpected. My wife has no insurance, and won't be eligible for any until she's 65, another two years. By then, who can tell what sort of mess we'll have, what with the Universal Health Care scheme.

 

[Pete Thornton]

the motor unit for that engine is another $90

Les,
One of the vendors indicated it wasn't worth it and they weren't stocking it - I have no personal experience. However, the 'motorisation kit' always costs twice as much as the original static model. (I used to motorize the old Rivarossi O scale kits.)


I guess it depends on where you're from.

Mik, I guess it does, and gentlemen can always agree to disagree, right? I usually take the attitude that a model out of the mainstream (I think you'd agree that this spanish-made wooden model fits that description) will cost a little more.

Incidentally, the quoted Euro prices include 15% VAT (16% in Spain.) For export, you can pay less - but more shipping.


what with the Universal Health Care scheme

Les - you trying to start a whole new argument ???