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

The Regular Stuff: Chat, Buy, Sell, Off Topic, etc. => General Discussion - Model & Toy Steam Engines – Stirling Cycle – Flame Lickers – Small Antique Originals => Topic started by: RichSteamTx on February 15, 2024, 09:36:33 am

Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: RichSteamTx on April 03, 2024, 12:39:58 pm
opps, try again please
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: Stoker on April 03, 2024, 11:48:44 am
I'm getting a big black rectangle with the message:

"Video Unavailable"

"This Video is Private"
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: RichSteamTx on April 03, 2024, 11:41:18 am
Thank Charlie!

This little 90 was been really annoying me.  I just couldn't keep the performance stable and I even switched bases with the one that had the nice tank.  I ended up just putting it up on the shelf to have a think about it for a while.  Sure enough a few days later I had a idea and the right one too.  It dawned on me to check the steam pipe opening, where it meets up to the cylinder.  Sure enough it was mashed a bit and wasn't laying flat against the cylinder.

Here's a little video I made going over this.  Sometimes I am really a idiot and should have realized this a LOT sooner...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRdNocaT1WY
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: txlabman on April 01, 2024, 02:43:30 pm
Looking good Rich!  :)
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: RichSteamTx on March 30, 2024, 09:43:54 am
Here's the Nickel 90's tank on my base - I'm darn happy how it looks.  Though the smoke stack is now out of place as most of its nickel is gone.  The other one isn't fairing much better than came in the other day.

Now I need to put the other one back together and decide what to do with it.

At least now with the two Nickel 90's showing up on eBay, I pretty much know this is how these came out of the factory.

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: RichSteamTx on March 27, 2024, 12:05:41 pm
Two Nickel 90s have come up on eBay lately, I got one of them that has a pretty good tank.  I likely paid to much for it but I really wanted a nicer tank.  I'll likely see if I can sell the extra once I do the tank swap.
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: RichSteamTx on February 19, 2024, 05:57:43 am
Quote from: TEC on February 18, 2024, 01:23:34 pm
Quote from: Nick on February 18, 2024, 01:11:47 pm
Welcome to the forum Bob, I have many of your father's books

Thanks, Nick.  I'm not sure Dad published any books, he did work with Stilson on his, as well as some of the other authors (e.g.of Weeden books). He also occasionally wrote articles for magazines such as Live Steam. Dad published the TEC newsletter, which I'll be making available on a quarterly basis.  The Complimentary Issue is there now.  These are not scans of the printed copies, but pdf's created from the original artwork, the photographs will be much better than the original laserjet prints!

I didn't put this together until I was looking through Stilson's book a bit ago.  That is really cool he helped with his book.  There is a CAD drawing on page 51 for the cylinder and rod assembly that Stilson attributes to your Dad, Richard Cutler.

Might you have a high(er) resolution of this CAD drawing (or any/all drawings of Empire items)?  This would help me match up & get the little parts around the spring, I hope.
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: RichSteamTx on February 18, 2024, 09:27:03 pm
Interesting you place a 90 & 62 together.  I remembered I had the same thing with 62s, one nickel and one copper.  Here they are.

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: TEC on February 18, 2024, 08:30:16 pm
Quote from: TEC on February 17, 2024, 10:29:46 pm
Thanks, Richard.  I'm glad you enjoyed the article.  It's pretty new, and Google hasn't found it yet, though Bing has. In fact Google doesn't seem to like my website, probably because I won't put their tracking scripts on it.

Here's a picture of a 62 next to a 90.  The boilers are the same length  Hopefully this works.  First attempt at pictures on this forum.

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: Nick on February 18, 2024, 01:56:15 pm
Quote from: TEC on February 18, 2024, 01:23:34 pm
Quote from: Nick on February 18, 2024, 01:11:47 pm
Welcome to the forum Bob, I have many of your father's books

Thanks, Nick.  I'm not sure Dad published any books, he did work with Stilson on his, as well as some of the other authors (e.g.of Weeden books). He also occasionally wrote articles for magazines such as Live Steam. Dad published the TEC newsletter, which I'll be making available on a quarterly basis.  The Complimentary Issue is there now.  These are not scans of the printed copies, but pdf's created from the original artwork, the photographs will be much better than the original laserjet prints!

Yes, I meant the TEC newsletters ;) Were you a collector at the time he was writing them?
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: TEC on February 18, 2024, 01:23:34 pm
Quote from: Nick on February 18, 2024, 01:11:47 pm
Welcome to the forum Bob, I have many of your father's books

Thanks, Nick.  I'm not sure Dad published any books, he did work with Stilson on his, as well as some of the other authors (e.g.of Weeden books). He also occasionally wrote articles for magazines such as Live Steam. Dad published the TEC newsletter, which I'll be making available on a quarterly basis.  The Complimentary Issue is there now.  These are not scans of the printed copies, but pdf's created from the original artwork, the photographs will be much better than the original laserjet prints!
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: Nick on February 18, 2024, 01:11:47 pm
Welcome to the forum Bob, I have many of your father's books
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: RichSteamTx on February 18, 2024, 12:32:56 pm
I wonder who got that, I am pretty sure I could have gotten that one to work, in the theory.  I hope it went to a good home back in 2016.
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: TEC on February 18, 2024, 12:25:01 pm
Thanks, Charlie!  I'm glad you liked the website.

The pictures of the twin are recent.  The engine has been in the collection for 20 years and is the engine featured in Stilson's book. 

The only other twin I'm aware of was this one where the seller apparently didn't know what they had.  https://toysteamengine.net/vintage_steam_engine_toy_model_cast_iron_base_vertical_boiler.html  If that's not the one you now have, then there may be more of these than we thought.

I like the video, and will certainly take you up on your kind offer of a link.
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: txlabman on February 18, 2024, 12:01:22 pm
Quote from: TEC on February 17, 2024, 10:29:46 pm
Thanks, Richard.  I'm glad you enjoyed the article.  It's pretty new, and Google hasn't found it yet, though Bing has. In fact Google doesn't seem to like my website, probably because I won't put their tracking scripts on it.

Bob:

Your website is awesome!  Congratulations.

I am curious where you got the pictures for the Electro Twin on your website.

Perhaps a third example?

I am only aware of two examples that exist: mine and one on the west coast (which wasn't for sale the last time I spoke to the owner).

Here is the video of mine being steamed up:

https://youtu.be/pQIOloQmE54?si=Daz5iiTks7-aElhS

You are welcome to link my video on your website.

I have a playlist with 12 Empire videos on it right now.

Charlie
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: Stoker on February 17, 2024, 10:57:25 pm
WoW Yes .... what a fantastic website. I just scanned through it quickly, but it's late, so I'll settle in with some coffee and read through it in the morning!

WELCOME to the Forum TEC!!!
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: TEC on February 17, 2024, 10:29:46 pm
Thanks, Richard.  I'm glad you enjoyed the article.  It's pretty new, and Google hasn't found it yet, though Bing has. In fact Google doesn't seem to like my website, probably because I won't put their tracking scripts on it.
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: RichSteamTx on February 17, 2024, 10:02:50 pm
Hi @TEC - welcome to the forums!

You have a very nice website and I loved your Elektro to Empire section, I am not sure how I never found it before.  I love Empire's and have most of their line - there is a electric B-39 (a member here, crazydoug66,  has it) and then the D-Cell B-44 that I know for sure I am missing.  While I do have some EMPCO's - I try not to dive into the earlier Elektro's  or other badges like Quality Brand.

Unsure if someone would take the time/effort to plate this little guy. I guess it is also possible someone swapped the boiler.


Glad you put your Website in your sig, it was a real treat visiting it!
Title: Re: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: TEC on February 17, 2024, 09:28:26 pm
I'm glad you were able to save this engine.  I wonder if someone just decided to plate the boiler. It looks nice, except where the plating has been damaged.
Title: Nearly Became Parts, Nickel Plated Empire No. 90
Post by: RichSteamTx on February 15, 2024, 09:36:33 am
Got this engine off eBay last week, it was listed as No.43 but ended up actually being a No. 90.  While the eBay sale had a lot of photos, it didn't have one from the bottom of the base and there wasn't a photo from the top down.  So when it arrived I was surprised to find it was a No. 90 and the stack fitting area was a mess (see photo)!  I could kind of tell there was something going on with the tank fitting but neglected to ask for more photos.  The seller was a good chap, so in the end I got the engine for around $30-ish dollars (shipped).

I was very near throwing it into the parts bin but I kept at it.  When I finally got my Copper Tanked #90 and compared it to this one, I finally figured out the steam line was inverted.  Though it had other problems that I had sorted out before that.




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