Regner "Otto" steam tram - starting difficulties

[KandNWLR]

Anyone had any experience with the Regner steam tram "Otto"? It´s an Easyline range loco with a single oscillating cylinder and a small flywheel away from prying 1:1 fingers. Like other single cyliinder oscillating locos it´s not technically self-starting, so with other ones a quick flick of the flywheel suffices. However here said flywheel is tucked away. It did start once, only I can´t actually explain why. I know that the reversing lever is sometimes the key with Easyline locos, but I´ve tried it in any number of possible positions.

Any ideas?

 

[bobg]

Self starting is always a problem with single cylinder steam engines, even twins can get a bit stuck sometimes. It's due to the power stroke not always being ready to push. I'm not a Regner owner so don't know what the gearing is like, but if you give it a small push with the steam off, does it not turn over? If so, and assuming you can see the cylinder, move it till it is mid-stroke and then open the steam (might still need a little nudge to get it moving). I'm sure a little fiddling in that sort of way will get it going.

 

[KandNWLR]

Self starting is always a problem with single cylinder steam engines, even twins can get a bit stuck sometimes. It's due to the power stroke not always being ready to push. I'm not a Regner owner so don't know what the gearing is like, but if you give it a small push with the steam off, does it not turn over? If so, and assuming you can see the cylinder, move it till it is mid-stroke and then open the steam (might still need a little nudge to get it moving). I'm sure a little fiddling in that sort of way will get it going.

Thanks. I´ve got a number of Regner Easyline locos (which are fun when they work), and I´ve been running this one in during the afternoon.

It turns out that at this stage (still very stiff) that you need to press the loco to the track and get the fly wheel turning this way, rather than giving it a nudge. And as you point out, once the cylinder is half-way through the cycle if it´s helped "over the edge" then it overcomes the inertia, builds pressure, and keeps going. And like some of these things it run better in one direction than t´other. Once it´s got a couple of hours in, I think that things should be better. but it had me worried there.

(Running forward is sounds like a Singer sewing machine (already), backways as though the cogs don´t mesh ....)

 

[bobg]

Yeah, there ya go! tight machines is like tight w . . . . . . . . . . . . . :-X