Steam train layout.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed May 10, 2017 4:55 pm

Working on a new layout for the steam locos.

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Wed May 10, 2017 5:12 pm

Can't wait for the movie.......

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Wed May 10, 2017 9:49 pm

gamekeeper wrote: ↑Wed May 10, 2017 5:12 pm Can't wait for the movie.......

Yea, me too. I'm buying the popcorn, beer and weed. Pitchy, what's the wood for? Are you making an "L"?----6

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Wed May 10, 2017 10:12 pm

As a kid, I used to think how cool it would be to make an HO-scale railway all around the old farmstead I grew up on; the hills and bridges and grades it would need would be far more 'realistic' than what you see on the typical 4x8 sheet of plywood in someone's basement "train layout". We have a 200 foot tall hill behind the house, and an HO-scale train climbing all the way up that sucker would require lots of engineering, to say the least.

Of course one good downed branch/tree, or an overzealous groundhog, and there'd be lots of repair - probably on a weekly basis.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Wed May 10, 2017 10:42 pm

I always wondered what top speed those trains could achieve on a long enough straight stretch. I know on most steam trains the speed is almost unlimited.

OldWin · Post by **OldWin** » Thu May 11, 2017 12:35 am

Cool Pitchy! That's a fair amount if track to put down crawling on the ground. Can't wait to see the video.

Reminds me of when I was a kid. In the winter, my dad and I had electric trains on 4×8 tables in the attic we used to work on. Lots of fun.......and warm and dry.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu May 11, 2017 6:18 am

Rusty wrote: ↑Wed May 10, 2017 10:42 pm I always wondered what top speed those trains could achieve on a long enough straight stretch. I know on most steam trains the speed is almost unlimited.

Thanks everyone

Rusty the Bowman loco`s I`ll be running have no throttle and have to be regulated by the load of cars ya put on it.
Here`s a link about it.
http://www.sidestreet.info/locos/loco88.html

Borregos · Post by **Borregos** » Thu May 11, 2017 6:20 am

Looking good Pitchy

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu May 11, 2017 6:26 am

Borregos wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2017 6:20 am Looking good Pitchy

Thanks buddy, we should have it operational today.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu May 11, 2017 9:18 am

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Thu May 11, 2017 9:51 am

Waiting ... waiting ..... watching ..... with great anticipation ...

Joe

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu May 11, 2017 3:40 pm

well we got er done, first up was a clockwork Marx loco just to see if it would stay on the track.
Next up was the Mamod but it wouldn`t go dang wind was raising havoc with everything.
So we tried the Bowman and got one lap out of it, dern things must be pretty wind sensitive.
But all and all things went pretty well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGkf30rAVXM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKwQZ1yEIEo

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Thu May 11, 2017 3:51 pm

Very nice, Pitchy. I have a pal from the UK who is deeply into this. Man, that little Marx sure ran like a champ!

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu May 11, 2017 3:56 pm

Thanks Bill, those Marx actually have a governor in them to keep them slowed down.
We`ll have that Bowman making a hundred laps before long.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Thu May 11, 2017 6:37 pm

Whooooo hooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanna see that Bowman do the 100 laps.

Joe

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Thu May 11, 2017 7:45 pm

J Miller wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2017 6:37 pm Whooooo hooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanna see that Bowman do the 100 laps.

Joe

If all things are right it will, that engine was advertised to run for 45 minutes or a mile and a half on a fill.

piller · Post by **piller** » Thu May 11, 2017 7:52 pm

Looks like fun.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Thu May 11, 2017 8:08 pm

THAT is what I call cool beans. The wife loved it. I'm amazed at how fast it goes and don't fall off. Do you have the bends angled?----6

OldWin · Post by **OldWin** » Thu May 11, 2017 11:10 pm

Haha awesome bud!
All I could think of watching that is how I would have flipped out to have something like that for my boy when he was young. He loved old steam locomotives.

Great job Pitchy..........again.

rodeo kid · Post by **rodeo kid** » Fri May 12, 2017 12:09 am

When I saw the first video, I was going to be a smart Aleck and ask where was the stinking train?

but wisely I waited and voila a train appeared. Very neat! God Bless.

TWHBC · Post by **TWHBC** » Fri May 12, 2017 7:07 am

Cool, very nice, awesome, fascinating, and just about every favorable adjectives I can think of.
Elevated track with curves, very nice!!
Nice green background seems to accent it well!

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri May 12, 2017 7:19 am

Thanks everyone, we`ll try for a longer run today.
Six, nope the track lays flat, all in the wheel flanges.

M. M. Wright · Post by **M. M. Wright** » Fri May 12, 2017 8:20 am

Great stuff buddy. I'm a nut for steam trains. Been to Chama 3 times to ride the narrow gauge over the pass to Antonita. Beautiful scenery on that trip. I've ridden several more coal fired trains too. Heck, I even ride diesel trains when I get the chance.

There is a steam train fired by propane near here that used to run for about a month at Christmas time with signs telling the story of the Christ. It's a narrow gauge too I think.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri May 12, 2017 10:22 am

M. M. Wright wrote: ↑Fri May 12, 2017 8:20 am Great stuff buddy. I'm a nut for steam trains. Been to Chama 3 times to ride the narrow gauge over the pass to Antonita. Beautiful scenery on that trip. I've ridden several more coal fired trains too. Heck, I even ride diesel trains when I get the chance.

There is a steam train fired by propane near here that used to run for about a month at Christmas time with signs telling the story of the Christ. It's a narrow gauge too I think.

Cool wish there was a train to ride around here.

Just made a couple runs that went pretty good, have to upload them which will take at least an hour.

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Fri May 12, 2017 10:57 am

You did a good job laying that track, it's going to be fun watching the different locomotives chugging around it........

The Marx went really well for clockwork....

JOHNNY WACKO · Post by **JOHNNY WACKO** » Fri May 12, 2017 1:28 pm

That's going to be sweet and steam too. Sweet

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri May 12, 2017 3:36 pm

Thanks fellars, just got internet back, TDS was down in about five states I guess so I haven`t got the latest vids uploaded yet.
Things are going as usual with the trains, problems problems, these things have to have everything working just right.
Burner is the biggest problem getting the wicks to burn hot and stay that way, then the track has to be perfectly level of ya have derailments.
Ya either only have enough steam to run a couple cars then it goes like a bat outta hell but if ya add a car to slow her down then don`t have enough power.
It will take some tinkering to get a good run, and to think these things were made for kids.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri May 12, 2017 4:36 pm

Here`s one of the runs today with the red loco.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF2PFifqOWw

OldWin · Post by **OldWin** » Sat May 13, 2017 6:20 am

That's really cool bud! That thing rolls right along pretty good.
Looked like a nice day there. It was here yesterday but I was laying under the jeep most of it haha.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat May 13, 2017 6:42 am

Thanks OldWin, beautiful day around 75 degrees

The problem with toys is ya don`t get any work done

hope it wasn`t something major with your jeep.

OldWin · Post by **OldWin** » Sat May 13, 2017 7:07 am

I hear you Bro! I got so much I should be doing!
No problem with the Jeep. Changing all the hoses over to silicone and new coolant. Putting on an oil pan skid plate and steering box skid plate too. Got a wheeling trip memorial weekend.
Still ain't got my Harley out!

piller · Post by **piller** » Sat May 13, 2017 10:26 am

The latest video was just as cool. Is there any way of adding some weight to one of the cars, probably one third of the cars weight, to slow it down when you want it a little slower? For balance, I would expect it to be better in the coal car or the next one. Putting extra weight all the way to the last car would create a whiplash effect. Maybe you could attach a wire to the bottom of the car and crimp on some small pieces of lead or some other metal for weight and just add it until you get the speed brought down to where you want it.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat May 13, 2017 11:00 am

Thanks Piller, it`s all in how the burner is working and maintains, when first steaming up the burners are burning high and it has power to pull three or maybe four but as the fuel burns down it looses power so ya have to take a car off to keep it going.
I have to do some tinkering with the burner because it should maintain the same steam pressure longer.

Here`s todays run which went pretty good except for the middle wheels on the loco derailed on a corner, the middle wheels are floaters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mJcM7XjB60

piller · Post by **piller** » Sat May 13, 2017 11:25 am

My little you electric Lionel train came with a piece of track which had a part on it to get the wheels bact on track. It was a plastic piece which was beveled so that it caught the off track wheels and angled them back into the track. It started out slightly wider and lower than the track while sloping up to slightly taller than the track so that the wheels had to go back on track. I place it right after the curve so that any derailment on the curve is fixed right afterwards. Is there anything like that for the gauge you are running? https://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Silver-Re ... B0006KSLLY.
Maybe there is something like this for what you have.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat May 13, 2017 11:36 am

I`ve seen what your referring too but it`s a track problem I`m having, I`ve redone the trouble making curve and will try it again in a bit.

JOHNNY WACKO · Post by **JOHNNY WACKO** » Sat May 13, 2017 11:48 am

sweet are those O gauge. I has a weight car I hooked to a 1099 loco to hold it back a bit. 1099 I think a old lionel.I am going to have to look.
Real nice set up congrats.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat May 13, 2017 12:47 pm

JOHNNY WACKO wrote: ↑Sat May 13, 2017 11:48 am sweet are those O gauge. I has a weight car I hooked to a 1099 loco to hold it back a bit. 1099 I think a old lionel.I am going to have to look.
Real nice set up congrats.

Thanks, that wouldn`t be steam ?

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat May 13, 2017 1:50 pm

Joe this is what it`s supposed to do.

http://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/inde ... odels_234)

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sat May 13, 2017 6:33 pm

Pitchy wrote: ↑Sat May 13, 2017 1:50 pm Joe this is what it`s supposed to do.

http://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/inde ... odels_234)

Absolutely cool!

Joe

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon May 15, 2017 7:13 pm

Just had the best run ever, made 55 laps and ran for 30 minutes.
Total distance is 4,455 feet traveled.

piller · Post by **piller** » Mon May 15, 2017 7:17 pm

Did you take video of any of the run?

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon May 15, 2017 7:26 pm

This run was earlier today, same setup as in that video.
I`m real happy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvIJYoU6LqI

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Tue May 16, 2017 7:22 am

Pitchy,
That is soooo neat.

Just a curiosity, can you couple two engines together for a double header?

Joe

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Tue May 16, 2017 7:40 am

J Miller wrote: ↑Tue May 16, 2017 7:22 am Pitchy,
That is soooo neat.

Just a curiosity, can you couple two engines together for a double header?

Joe

I thought of that but I don`t think it would work, if they had throttles maybe.

OldWin · Post by **OldWin** » Wed May 17, 2017 12:34 am

Great job bud. You got her rolling pretty good now!

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed May 17, 2017 7:20 am

Thanks OldWin,

JOHNNY WACKO · Post by **JOHNNY WACKO** » Wed May 17, 2017 10:57 am

Is the track it's self O or bigger scale? were you throttle by setting a valve on the loco and let go?

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Wed May 17, 2017 11:51 am

JOHNNY WACKO wrote: ↑Wed May 17, 2017 10:57 am Is the track it's self O or bigger scale? were you throttle by setting a valve on the loco and let go?

Standard O gauge, not the O gauge that Lionel electric trains use it`s taller rails for the higher flanges on bigger loco`s.
No throttle at all, only thing on top is the safety valve, the loco can only be controlled by the load ya put behind it or by capping off some of the six wicks on the burner, I`m using four wicks in the video`s.
It`s a real balancing act with these Bowmans.