It’s too bad that life expectancy is about 80 years, give or take 20. I had wanted to build some live steam locomotives, but am gaining new respect for the close tolerances and fittings, as I assemble a live-steam Ruby kit.
Sure, a milling and turning machine could come in handy for some projects, but I’ve decided that life is too short to take the time it would take to build my own live steam loco. A kit will likely be as far as I go, and scratchbuilding structures and rolling stock, as well as turnouts, will likely be the most I’ll do, in the interest of time.
The kit has definitely given me new respect for those craftsmen who do it themselves. I met some today at a live steam show in Purcellville, Va. Some of these guys are so into the mechanics and engineering that scenery is not high up on their list. One guy is on year 5 of building a live steam 7/8n scale loco.
However, for me, I enjoy the gardening aspect as well as the train aspect.
I think I’ve found my balance.
Now, if I could play 24/7, I’d definitely have time for all of it. Unfortunately, most days I have to work, and the work is not model trains.
My father-in-law is building his second live steam engine. His first was a PRR 0-4-0, fed by coal. The little engine would pull him and me around the track in PA without any problems. Really cool! Everything was built from scratch by him. No ordered parts, nothing. I was really impressed at the time.
He’s now building a NYC J1E Hudson in 1 inch scale. I think he’s into his 4th year. This one tops the 0-4-0 by a mile. In his mid-70s, he has been a machinist and tool/die maker for years.
These guys, I believe, are fast becoming a lost breed much like the craftsmen who came to this country a generation or two ago.
I’ve been thinking about how to build a coal fired 1/8th scale 7.5" gauge steam locomotive. The issues are endless.
Design as system to pump feed water reliably into into the boiler and integrate a reliable low water level warning.
Design the firebox/boiler to produce a good continuous working pressure at speed and be able to prevent it from surging to the max working pressure.
Building and testing the boiler safely to ensure that it can withstand many years of the max working pressure and any abuse it recieves.
Integrate a preheater and a superheater as well as a watertube boiler in a fashion that will maximize efficiency.
Build a mechanical drive system that not only is fully functional via a johnsonbar, but is also reliable, balanced, durable, and can handle a good rate of speed.
Design, cast, machine, weld, braze, bolt, rivet, and otherwise build good parts into a quality machine.
Integrate means to clean, lubricate, and maintain along with the repairal or replacement the various parts.
And the list continues…
This project would be quite and undertaking and will take a lot of resources. Those who have completed their design have my respect.
I once saw a Hudson for sale in Live Steam magazine. The asking price was $36,000 and it took over 30 years to build. It seemed to be a lot of money, but not when you consider the time, materials cost and craftsmanship that went into it.
I’ve heard of guys that have put in $100,000’s to get a large steamer such as the big boy. These things take many years to build largely because it’s hard to aquire money for such projects quickly for most people. Personally I would cast as much as possible to reduce costs. Yes this takes a large amount of time and machining, but time is something I have plenty of.
Well… I am at the stage of building my first live steam loco. The design books that I am using are from : 1886, 1929 and 1963. All of these are current books -the re-prints are still on Amazon.co.uk!!! What is frightening to me as a reader and builder is: how much of what was commonplace and easily available then -is nearly extinct now? I had to ask my father (born 1919) “What does this mean Pop?” I will admit to buying my cylinders (it will be an oscillator) -but I do intend to build and fire my own boiler and burners for them. regards ralph
For those who like to dream, the website http://www.sscom.org/pnwls.html has lots of great pictures (and some not so great midi music). My home club is the second on the list (BC Society of Model Engineers).
To paraphrase Dear Abby in her reply to a fellow who said he’d be 37 in three years if he went to law school, I’d like to ask how old will you be in those years it takes to build a live steamer. BTW, you don’t have to learn to machine. You can get everything pre-machined and all you need is hand tools. You also really need to join a live steam group because they will have hundreds of years experience and a great willingness to help. It took Baldwin Locomotive Works five weeks to build a locomotive including three weeks to assemble the parts. Working with others and parts ready to go, you could probably do close to the same. One live steamer (who had over a mile of track) I talked to said you had to be able to get in, have your fun in 15 years and be prepared to get out because your land would probably be too valuable by then to use it to play with trains on.