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

It turned out out be a screw, or maybe someone previously tapped it. I have it running now and it runs lovely, the video is on Youtube. Thanks for the help guys.

I can't raise the white flag, it's a hill I think I gotta' die on

Dust!!!!! Golly how I hate dust.

It was the Kings Birthday Long Weekend here in Australia and I've just finished (nearly) my biyearly dusting and wipe down of my steam room, every engine, every accessory and all the shelving, literally every surface.

Started on Thursday morning and its Tuesday here now and I should be (hopefully) 'done & dusted' this afternoon, so that's a solid 6 days of work.

What's your battle against dust like for your collection? Do you have the odd skirmish here or there or do you do like what I just did ..... a battle to the finish when it needs it?

Looking in my logbook, its roughly (give or take a month) every two years for me.

Yes, very good....long time follower of him.

Thanks for the advice.  Slow and modest heat, cycled up/down a few times
then soaking in a penetrating solution.....All sounds reasonable to me.

The heating element, flat, is toast.  I looked around at industrial band
heaters and have several saved on ebay, but first...

I did try compressed air (bypassing the boiler) into the engine and it
runs slowly in one direction.  The other direction, nada.  Oiling a bit
helps but....I took it apart and now it is worse.  Hmmmm.  Sometimes it
takes work just to get back to where you started. 

This all sounds like my Weeden 34.  Work the problem, try it, and if it
doesn't run, work it some more from a different angle of attack. 
Eventually, the 34 ran and so will this.  Grrrrr.

Wayne