Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

Today I had the first steam of the new Wilesco D32, and the first lesson is it was no different than any new hobby, there is a learning curve for sure!

I've ordered a tripod so future videos should be on a stable platform with no more of the agricultural panning. There is a slight knocking under the flywheel/pump area, but I'm hoping that will quieten down once she has been run in.

All in all I am stoked with my first run of hopefully many on this lovely plant. I have now cleaned and oiled it, dried out the boiler, and removed the steam-oil/water mix from the lower tray and wiped it clean.

What a buzz!

Bruce, you have a beautiful example of this plant...treat it right and you will enjoy years of steaming.

best of luck
Roger

What a nice lovely "largr" beast you have there Bruce.  The knocking pump noise is quite normal in these plants as it's the check valve ball clattering up & down , you should notice it get quite when you open/close the bypass pump valve.

Thank you, I appreciate your comments. And you're quite correct, as you increase the flywheel speed the clattering does quieten down considerably.

Bruce
NZ

I hope these new ones have better boilers than the previous ones as they are very prone to developing pin hole leaks and repairing one of these is a nightmare of the utmost degree!

What do you mean the "previous ones" ?    Surely these brand new "limited edition" 2017 D32's are well past any issues?

Bruce
NZ

Rest easy Bruce, I haven't heard of any boiler issues with the latest batch. I had one from 1968 and it was sound as could be. Jim is right in the fact that these are difficult to work on (Jim & I both had our hands deep into them) 1st & last time I'll ever do that again.😉

Quote from: St Paul Steam on October 19, 2022, 08:50:20 pm

Rest easy Bruce, I haven't heard of any boiler issues with the latest batch. I had one from 1968 and it was sound as could be. Jim is right in the fact that these are difficult to work on (Jim & I both had our hands deep into them) 1st & last time I'll ever do that again.😉

Thanks, given this is a brand new item, and cost NZ$5,500 and 3 weeks to deliver, I do not expect to send it back to Germany via Australia under warranty for many years, if at all.

I have another big plant due here in a few days that is equal to this, it is a lovely Marklin 16051 steam plant, which I am going to convert from methylated spirits to gas. That will be fun with these 2 side by side!

Cheers,
Bruce
NZ

Convert it to gas by just using a ceramic burner? That's what most of us use to fire up our 16051.

The D32's are more 'toyish' when sat side by side next to a 16051, but then a lot of German steam collectors looks down their collective noses
at the 16051 as being a poor modern engine compared to the original it was sort of designed from (the 4158/7).....but I like mine immensely.

One hint, be VERY VERY careful not to knock the boiler drainer pipe.
It's very easy to do and will break where it's been soldered on and its major pain to resolder.

Thanks Jim, I actually knocked that very pipe when draining the boiler of excess water this morning. I placed a "too large" dish between the pipe and the  boiler and felt some resistance. Thankfully there is no sign of any harm but I will be very very careful in future to watch out when near that area.

Bruce
NZ

Buy one each of the 135mm, 275mm & 450mm you will be pleased having all those lengths for different engines.

Get one of these for the disposable camping gas bottled (brilliant) -

https://www.forest-classics.co.uk/ceramic-burners/gas-essentials-and-jets/gas-valve-for-disposable-tank

One of these for refilling with the super cheap camping gas -

https://www.forest-classics.co.uk/ceramic-burners/refillable-gas-tanks/refillable-gas-tank-small

And you will appreciate one of these greatly -

https://www.forest-classics.co.uk/ceramic-burners/gas-essentials-and-jets/bix019l-long-spout-gas-refill-adapter

Depending on what engines or separate boilers (like Stuart boilers) you likely to own in your steam addiction (trust me it doesn't get any easier ) a selection of these
and one round one will also be very beneficial. The BIX gear is just terrific kit to have -

https://www.forest-classics.co.uk/ceramic-burners/rectangular-burners