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

Here's a first look of the Empire B-44 Engine.   I only did some light rust cleaning and some slight adjustments on the linkages.

Now what to do about its shape... pretty sure I can get it painted okay but the nickel not really in my wheel house of skills.  Perhaps I could find a restorer to do a proper job on it.  I think it is well worth the price to have it done properly.

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

Thank you for showing it running here. You have a unicorn!

Happy New Year..!!

Thanks guys!

I started cleaning.  The flywheel is cast white metal, shines up nicely.  Though I believe I'll paint the spokes red, like we see in the 1935 Empire illustration.  I then disassembled the engine, only snag was my drill slipped when I was removing the inner battery cover rivet that separates the negative from the battery case (darn it).

My focus now is the battery acid/rust off the battery tray.  I have a lot of that KBS rust chemical so I have been dipping it.  Then wire brush, Dremel tool, sanding, rise & repeat.  I am thinking I'll need to do electrolysis.  Which if I setup a electrolysis dip, then I can use that on the battery cover, the rust inside the cover I actually think is worse than the battery tray!

The base is going to be pretty easy to clean up, compared to the battery tray/cover.  Anyways, here is a photo and the progress I have made on the tray (back into the rust dip it goes).

Edit: Oh, I thought someone worked on this engine before because it looked like it had modern shrink tube.  Nope, that's original going over the coil's wire that has been extended out to the lever & negative battery connection.

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Nice progress Richard, your doing this plant up right ! Its going to look & run real nice when you get er' done.😊

A little be ago the eBay Seller replied with a little information about the B-44

We worked with a family member that had this collection stored in there garage untouched for 30 years. We have sold close to 200 different types of steam engines over the last few months.

I have a feeling before the engine went into storage 30 years ago it was likely in good shape, if not perfect shape.  By the sounds of it, this person was a big collector.

Great progress Rich!

Seeing it running put a smile on my face.

Please keep us posted on your progress.

Thanks Charlie!

Here is the top base painted, I ran out of my old can of Dupli-Color Bright Red BGM0398 so I still have the bottom side to do.  Then shoot it with clear for protection.  I'll not get the battery cover done this week, as it is going to my brothers for a good stand blasting the rusty pits on the outside and the horrid rust on the inside.

Edit:
In case you are wondering, the two bare holes are for the battery tray & rivets.  This is how it was when I pulled it apart (but better formed).  This is so the tray touches the base, which allows the positive power from the batteries to reach the flywheel shaft when it engages (kind of like a short / spark).  Which also means the stand off holes for the flywheel have to be bare metal too.  That allows the coils to make a magnetized field to attract/pull the bar.

The stand-offs were easier with toothpicks broken off into the holes.  The tray holes I used a screw & o'rings but that didn't work very well but it should work (and will be hidden by the tray when it is re-riveted into place).

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slick paint job Rich, well done.

Thanks for the update Rich.