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

The "Before" video




this is a Westbury Cheddar steam engine I recently purchased from Mini-Steam. It is a ready to run plant that incorporates a Jensen #75 boiler with PMR brass plumbing , throttle valve & steam oiler. I did just a bit of modifications to it by exchanging the metal base for an Oak plinth , I split the axle stanchion , created a beveled slot in the oak & added a larger (Jensen) flywheel to the axle. the boiler now has an immersion rod heater (665W) with a 16/3 awg grounded cord. these Cheddar engines are a treat to run with their sliding through the rear piston rod assembly. they are very smooth & almost noiseless if not for the exhaust note.

Yet another engine that has seen "The Bruce" and come away all the better for it!!!

Merry Christmas to you and your family good Sir!

Thanks Daniel , I consider this a bargain @ $225.00, I don't really know how powerful it is yet as I haven't powered anything with it , but by putting my finger on the drive pulley to create some resistance it doesn't seem to have anymore power than a Jensen #25/75....if that much. I'll make a video of it running something soon.

That sure is a smooth runner Bruce, enjoyed the show 

Been looking at these listed by "dougssale" quite a few times, as i find the engine/plant amazing looking, besides a couple of design-flaws...

Agree completely when it comes to the original flywheel.
Always thought they looked like something that fell off a Chinese stirling, and was completely out of place on such a classic looking engine.

...and now that i am spilling my guts already, i actually have one little "beef" more with the original setup here.

I don´t like that steamline much, being the KISS kinda guy i am.
Just because one has a drawer of fittings, there´s no need to use them all at once.
I really am having a hard time seing what good it does, stretching the steampipe to the floor like that, neither visually nor in a steam engineering perspective.
IMHO there should just have been one downwards bend after the steamdome, like a Jensen...or at least just one knee taking it back to horisontal, in line with the oiler.
Besides a cleaner look, it would most likely also reduce the condensed water slurping, making the engine this hard to get going initially, if it didn´t have to drain that water trap on every startup.[/size]

However, this latter objection of mine, might easily turn out to be a well pondered business decision.
First off, it shows of a bit more of the PMR piping options, which is in stock with MiniSteam as well.
Secondarely it does take it a bit further away, from being in direct competion with the Jensen line, seing that it already has one of their boilers installed as well.

Jan , you read my mind exactly , its scary how much we think alike. I almost put a Jensen steam line on it for a very much more "Classic" look ,but didn't have a spare line laying around & forgot about it, that line does look very scabbed together & detracts from the elegance of an otherwise beautiful display (along with the metal engine base) probably why its not a great seller....he got most of the way there , but forgot to consult with his design department. I may have to look a little harder at replacing that steam line here in the future, I don't understand that catch basin trap design in the bottom of the "U" as well....& your right , that probably is where the "gurgling" is coming from.

The wood engine base does look a whole lot better than the metal one. I have one of these
and have been wanting to electrify it also, but I might try the belly heater. Picked up
another engine assembly for it and was thinking of a twin. What do you think Bruce?
The pistons in these things are the size of the head screws for a Jensen 20.

Very nice plant and even nicer after the 'Bruce' pamper and treatment.

Good to know Nick, I still have mine down & playing with , but will try to coat these areas with wd-40 when I put it away 😉👍

Much cleaner looking and less gurgling sound from the condensate    And now the little men won’t have that pipe to trip over when oiling the engine