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Shadetree's posts regarding his Wilesco D20 got me thinking about the "mid-range step up from the entry level" models of steam engines.
So I'll pose this question if you care to weigh in on it.
Are these non-electric engines in the same league?
Jensen 75
Wilesco D20
Fleischmann 125/4
To me:
They were all a step up from the most basic models from their manufacturers
They were originally of a fair build quality w/o having to pay too much
They can still be found fairly easily in very good condition and are fantastic runners
They can be had today for $75 to $300 depending on condition and extras
... if you want a nice engine, you can't go wrong with any of these.
Jensen 75
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Wilesco D20
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Fleischmann 125/4
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I would agree and to continue on with more in this range, I would say the Märklin 4095/5 or maybe even the 4097/6 falls in the same size/price range (without the dynamo), plenty out there too.
So what’s the Mamod equivalent? An SE3? While it’s a twin cylinder, I think it fits this range better than the SE2... -
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I would agree and to continue on with more in this range, I would say the Märklin 4095/5 or maybe even the 4097/6 falls in the same size/price range (without the dynamo), plenty out there too.
Märklin 4097/6 on the right:
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That Fleishman 125/4 looks interesting to me!...the flywheels/cyl/governor have a well made attractive look and I like to see oil cups on the flywheel main bearings specially....boiler looks good to....the only thing I notice is the black painted brick Firebox....copper is my favorite color metal and I find Wilesco copper bricks are my favorite so far...are these 125/4 quite rare?
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I've always thought the Fleischmann 125/4 was up there towards the top on build quality... (OK Jensens are built like tanks)
The 125/4 line has many extra features that make it a favorite of mine (in the mid range level):
Highly adjustable steam supply valve
Oil cups
Weighted safety valve
High quality nickeling on connecting rod, eccentric, etc
Top-notch and detailed enamel paint treatments
Nice steel-blue bluing on the boiler
Water outlet valve on front of boiler
Nice treatment on the ladder and gallery railings
Not too hard to find in good condition.
I guess you could say I like the 125/4
A few more photos:
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That Fleishman 125/4 looks interesting to me!...the flywheels/cyl/governor have a well made attractive look and I like to see oil cups on the flywheel main bearings specially....boiler looks good to....the only thing I notice is the black painted brick Firebox....copper is my favorite color metal and I find Wilesco copper bricks are my favorite so far...are these 125/4 quite rare?
You won’t regret buying one, I only sold mine on for shelf space when I bought it’s larger brother the 135/2. They also come with a very attractive purple-blue boiler 😍 (they are often missing a little door on the back of the firebox under the smoke stack, but I see Scott’s still has it) -
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I just watched one run on YouTube...a gentleman from UK started it at a slow idle and I was surprised it made quite a clacking sound like a rod knock!....as it warmed up and he speed it up a little it did smooth out some....I suspect an evaluation of the flywheel axle bearings and rod bearings would find the culprit...I am sure it could be corrected....it could be this particular engine had a lot of run time wear...this would not keep me from purchase one...I like to do detective work and see if I can refine issues similar to this.
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Ok....I watched a few more videos on YouTube and they are not all that loud so I suspect wear on first engine.
I like mechanical sounds engines make and was thinking about the tin base on this class of engine...I suspect it acts like a Speaker or bullhorn and amplifies engine noise....I suspect a wooden board would soften the noises....also there is a product called dyno-mat, basically sticky rubber sheet with aluminum foil facing...applyed to the underside it would quiet a tin base I bet, but may be difficult to remove later...ok I will stop hijacking your thread now Scott
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Kein Problem. The more posts, the merrier.
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I have to throw in my two cents. I have the Fleischmann 130/2, and the 135/2.On the 135/2 it has that noise
but there's an oiler with a handle on the end cap. When you first put the steam to it, being cold, the steam
condenses in the cylinder with the piston slapping it. Open that valve just a crack to blead out the water
and she smooths right out. Don't leave it open, just a couple cycles.
On the 130/2 it got the plague, the zinc plague, bearing journals and flywheel. It wasn't pretty. It's fixed
now by hunting down the parts but it took quite a while. Now I'm not knocking Fleischmann's, they're beautiful.
If you're want to run it and run it hard, I'd go Jensen or Wilesco. They're still in business and parts are
readily available. I have a couple Jensens and several Wilescos, those are for, well, "STEAM IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT".
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You're right Tommy. Zinc pest has taken a toll on many of the older engines. Perhaps others know, but somewhere in the 50's Fleischmann fixed the issue.
I think we all inspect ebay photos closely looking for the rot. I'll keep a spot in my collection for the nicer (zinc pest free) examples of the model line.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_pest
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I'll also post here a link to Ventix's excellent resource on Fleischmanns:
http://www.ventix-pages.de/fleischmann/html/125-4.html -
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I found a 120/4 on ebay...with several accessories...the color scheme is different than Scott's 125/4
It had a starting bid of under $40 and as of last night had not received a bid...this makes me cautious so I looked more carefully and the 120/4 has no nickel plate on the boiler and no steam control valve. There may be other features its missing from the 125/4 model as well. It did get one bid this AM but think I will hold out for a 125/4! -
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A wise move, the 125/4 is an entirely different beast
The 120/4 is a nice but very simple engine, with a single acting oscillating engine, and no steamvalve for speed control. -
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I was on the site showing the timeline of the model and it's variations.
I like that many of the toy grade model engines are bright fun colors...some are much more tasteful than others. Having said that I really like the more realistic color of this one...it may actually be a Doll variant?
Followed close by the blue one, almost as dark as navy blue. -