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

Builds, Repairs, Show Your Machines! => Collections & Pictures => Topic started by: Hero on May 18, 2019, 06:53:26 pm

Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: crazydoug on January 29, 2020, 08:58:23 am
Amazing finds. I will have to start going to garage sales!
Crazydoug
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Nick on January 20, 2020, 08:48:59 pm

I always get "so-and-so collects trains" or "I had one of those trains as a kid"  :D

Too true, indeed. I'm constantly explaining the difference between a steam engine and a steam-powered locomotive.

I've told countless people that I collect stationary toy steam engines, not trains... but a quick look on the shelf and I see a couple dozen toy steam locos, so I guess I do still play with trains  ;) :D
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Hero on January 20, 2020, 08:39:16 pm

The wagon load is quite keen as well!

Thanks. Here's the train in operation:

https://youtu.be/kbLaHU6M_xY
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Hero on January 20, 2020, 08:31:54 pm

I always get "so-and-so collects trains" or "I had one of those trains as a kid"  :D

Too true, indeed. I'm constantly explaining the difference between a steam engine and a steam-powered locomotive.
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Nick on January 20, 2020, 08:07:19 pm

I have a triple and am not looking forward to the day I have to clean it up...

"Day"? Better set aside more than one....😜

Haha very true  :D

I am fairly young and think I already have more projects than days...  :o
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Nick on January 20, 2020, 08:06:27 pm
Where I live, when I mention I like miniature steam engines, I get a tilted dog head look.

I always get "so-and-so collects trains" or "I had one of those trains as a kid"  :D
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: SeeSteam on January 20, 2020, 08:03:11 pm
Where I live, when I mention I like miniature steam engines, I get a tilted dog head look.

The wagon load is quite keen as well!
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Hero on January 20, 2020, 07:12:02 pm
Very cool engines!
Do you keep your eyes peeled at garage sales? How do you find these pieces of art?

I just talk about engines to everyone I meet.

In this case, I bought a train (like a real 7.25" electric train set)

[attachimg=1]

from a guy who was downsizing and he said, ,"BTW, I have this old engine in the garage..."

So I took it too. The Serious Boiler came with it, though I was unaware of its existence when I got the engine (it just turned up later).

Does that help?
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: SeeSteam on January 20, 2020, 05:01:03 pm
Very cool engines!
Do you keep your eyes peeled at garage sales? How do you find these pieces of art?
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Hero on January 20, 2020, 11:28:49 am

I have a triple and am not looking forward to the day I have to clean it up...

"Day"? Better set aside more than one....😜
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Nick on January 20, 2020, 11:09:28 am
Oh Wow!  :o  That looks great now! And what a fine pairing  8)

I have a triple and am not looking forward to the day I have to clean it up...
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Hero on January 20, 2020, 10:15:50 am
Looking better now. Cleaned, lagging painted, new gaskets all around, old lagging removed from transfer pipes, lots of new BA fasteners, etc., etc.. Still have to put the air pump back on, though.

Not perfect, as there is enough pitting from hard use that I'd have to replace almost all motion work. Still, good enough for me (has character).

Ragged-looking steam inlet is just a temporary air adapter.

Have to re-time it, as I removed the HP steam chest to replace some poorly-installed mounting studs.

Plan to use this with the Serious Boiler (q.v. elsewhere in the forum).

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

[attachimg=3]
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: txlabman on December 29, 2019, 02:17:12 pm
Great work Bob.

It looks better already.

Looking forward to the next update.
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: RedRyder on December 28, 2019, 07:53:33 pm
Thanks for the update, Bob...!!!    Progress!!!
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Hero on December 28, 2019, 06:57:29 pm
Been pecking away at this.

It came to me accompanied by my Serious Boiler:

https://www.officeofsteamforum.com/restorations/serious-boiler/msg10109/#msg10109

My boiler has come a long way, and now the Stuart triple is getting some attention. This was never meant to be a museum quality model, or even a well-made shelf queen, but it was built for actual use.

Turns out that the engine and boiler were used to power a large model boat (but I have no information on the boat,), and it's clear that it has seen a lot of use. Lots of rust and pitting, so it'll never be perfect, but I don't care.

So far since I got it, I have started cleaning and repairing. I have started to restore the steam intake fitting, have ordered new nuts and bolts to replace some really awful hardware, and have begun to prepare for painting, etc.

The pictures show that I have replaced the gigantic non-scale reversing lever with the correct handwheel (made it myself!). I have also polished the rusty flywheel and begun cleaning up the cast iron cylinder block. In a box of junk that came with the engine I have found most of the original lagging; though it is pitted so that I cannot re-blue it, I can paint it a nice shade of green. I have stripped the string lagging from the copper cylinder exhausts and started to polish them.

I've done a few more little things, and when my BA taps arrive from England I'll be able to repair all the intake and exhaust plumbing, as well as the water and vacuum pumps.

I've also found a homemade lubrication system in the box of junk. Looks like it'll work, too.

Here are pictures of what I've been up to. Enjoy!

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

[attachimg=3]

[attachimg=4]

[attachimg=5]

[attachimg=6]



Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: SeeSteam on June 09, 2019, 02:40:39 am
What's the back story?
Great progress so far 👍
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Hero on May 24, 2019, 05:02:22 pm
I'll try, Charlie. But I have tons to do.
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: txlabman on May 24, 2019, 03:40:44 pm
Yabba dabba doo Bob!

Two Great Garage Finds. 

I have a better chance of being struck by lightning in Texas.   :)

Hopefully, you will film a short video soon.
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Hero on May 20, 2019, 07:45:36 am
Here's a picture of the other side.

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: RedRyder on May 19, 2019, 08:58:50 pm
Very well done, Bob....!!!!

Another superb acquisition....Congrats...!!!!



Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Hero on May 19, 2019, 08:01:06 pm
Actually, it runs too easily on air for a triple. I'll have to find out what's not connected to what.

It looks pretty old and well-used; that just adds character.😉
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Empire man 202 on May 18, 2019, 10:31:27 pm
VERY nice
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: St Paul Steam on May 18, 2019, 09:58:42 pm
Congrats Bob , fortune did strike twice in the same place.....er' garage.
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Hero on May 18, 2019, 09:28:41 pm
Thanks, guys.

Very happy about this.😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: oilfield_steam on May 18, 2019, 08:17:57 pm
Salute!
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Nick on May 18, 2019, 08:09:51 pm
You've done well!!  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Stoker on May 18, 2019, 06:58:49 pm
Fantastic Bob

Some folks just live right, and I guess you must be one of 'em!

Good on ya !!!
Title: Holy Smoke! Another One!
Post by: Hero on May 18, 2019, 06:53:26 pm
A while back I posted a picture of my garage-find Stuart triple expansion engine:

https://www.officeofsteamforum.com/general-discussion/show-us-your-stuarts/msg5989/#msg5989

That was very nice, but look what came out of a garage last Thursday:

[attachimg=1]


It runs pretty well on air and, though someone has played fast and loose with the fasteners (nylon lock nuts!), and has committed some other machining outrages, it can be repaired.

Who'd'a thunk that one could find two triple expansion engines in garages?