dewintondave
Live Steam, Live Diesel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS4WOJPbDmg
Sunday the 30th of September saw the first proper run of the Aster Kiso Baldwin, outside in the garden. It was a lovely summer-like spring day. In my inexperience I overfilled the boiler when doing the preps in the workshop - Oil, Water, Meths. The boiler is filled using a 10 mL syringe applied to a valve fitting at the top of the bunker at the back of the loco. I had filled the boiler until water spurted out of the blower nozzle and up the funnel. It wasn't a problem, I just had to open the blower valve as the boiler warmed up and the steam raising suction fan distributed it about nicely. I lit the loco inside the workshop as it was quite windy. The loco was unaffected by the gusts of wind when outside.
In the video the distinctive hissing sound is the blower, I left it on nearly all the time as I learnt about driving the loco. The bypass valve was closed mostly all the time - pumping water into the boiler near continuos. On only one occasion did the loco start priming - with water coming out the exhaust or blower nozzle.
I regularly stopped the loco to service it in steam. When previously steam testing it on blocks I noticed that all the steam oil had been consumed in the two quite short runs. So every 10 minutes or so I drained the lubricator and refilled. I wanted the loco to be particularly well oiled in the running-in phase. At the same time I topped up the water tank and topped up the meths tank, with the loco in steam. With the meths tank the control valve can be shut off while filling, there is enough capacity in the sump for a few seconds, the valve has to be shut off though or the burners would flood with the head of meths above them, the meths tank is tall and narrow and sits in the water tank.
The run was very pleasing, we pulled our standard train of four open LGB trucks and a LGB van. The loco has a fine sounding exhaust, a chuff pipe is not required. The loco was in steam for about an hour.
Best wishes,
Dave.
Sunday the 30th of September saw the first proper run of the Aster Kiso Baldwin, outside in the garden. It was a lovely summer-like spring day. In my inexperience I overfilled the boiler when doing the preps in the workshop - Oil, Water, Meths. The boiler is filled using a 10 mL syringe applied to a valve fitting at the top of the bunker at the back of the loco. I had filled the boiler until water spurted out of the blower nozzle and up the funnel. It wasn't a problem, I just had to open the blower valve as the boiler warmed up and the steam raising suction fan distributed it about nicely. I lit the loco inside the workshop as it was quite windy. The loco was unaffected by the gusts of wind when outside.
In the video the distinctive hissing sound is the blower, I left it on nearly all the time as I learnt about driving the loco. The bypass valve was closed mostly all the time - pumping water into the boiler near continuos. On only one occasion did the loco start priming - with water coming out the exhaust or blower nozzle.
I regularly stopped the loco to service it in steam. When previously steam testing it on blocks I noticed that all the steam oil had been consumed in the two quite short runs. So every 10 minutes or so I drained the lubricator and refilled. I wanted the loco to be particularly well oiled in the running-in phase. At the same time I topped up the water tank and topped up the meths tank, with the loco in steam. With the meths tank the control valve can be shut off while filling, there is enough capacity in the sump for a few seconds, the valve has to be shut off though or the burners would flood with the head of meths above them, the meths tank is tall and narrow and sits in the water tank.
The run was very pleasing, we pulled our standard train of four open LGB trucks and a LGB van. The loco has a fine sounding exhaust, a chuff pipe is not required. The loco was in steam for about an hour.
Best wishes,
Dave.
