Mmmm, I've a geared Brunel, it is very sedate, but it's not a very good runner. Although I like it, and enjoy running it, it does need to cool right down between runs.
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To Live Steam or Not to Live Steam
- Thread starter Madman
- Start date
Well Madman you are to be congratulated on raising this topic: to live steam or not. To gain a feeling for playing with live steam search for on line videos of the Great Southern Steam Up (on this weekend 8-9 November at a hall in Emerald, Victoria - the terminus of the NG Puffing Billy heritage railway.
For garden railroaders ease of use is important. First years ago it was clockwork (wind up) powered large scale models in O gauge, then along came LGB low voltage electric resilient plastic models in 1.22 scale on 45mm brass track! at a reasonable cost many people could afford, and now these models can be battery powered, too. Most importantly for enjoyment of ‘live steam’ is the provision of a ‘steaming bay”, fire proof and at about waist height.
Now every thing happens in Victoria this week: today there is the Melbourne Cup, the horse race that stops the Australian nation for a few minutes. The TV room has to be prepared, tasty nibbles and sparkling wine laid on, so as to enjoy the spectacle of rain soaked Flemington race goers attending the event. I will have the best race track view and informative commentary at a dry leisure venue!
For garden railroaders ease of use is important. First years ago it was clockwork (wind up) powered large scale models in O gauge, then along came LGB low voltage electric resilient plastic models in 1.22 scale on 45mm brass track! at a reasonable cost many people could afford, and now these models can be battery powered, too. Most importantly for enjoyment of ‘live steam’ is the provision of a ‘steaming bay”, fire proof and at about waist height.
Now every thing happens in Victoria this week: today there is the Melbourne Cup, the horse race that stops the Australian nation for a few minutes. The TV room has to be prepared, tasty nibbles and sparkling wine laid on, so as to enjoy the spectacle of rain soaked Flemington race goers attending the event. I will have the best race track view and informative commentary at a dry leisure venue!
David Price
Registered
And for large radius curves - and some very tasty (expensive) live steamers running at prototypical speeds search for Big Sky Rail Steamup April 2024 on Youtube.
KB might be watching the Melbourne Cup today but I'll be in the shed prepping my locos for the GSSU.
KB might be watching the Melbourne Cup today but I'll be in the shed prepping my locos for the GSSU.
Do not laugh. I forgot about the Victorian daylight saving time shift and missed the broadcast of the 165th Cup! Anyway a 100,000 people went to a wet Flemington and watched a lady jockey,And for large radius curves - and some very tasty (expensive) live steamers running at prototypical speeds search for Big Sky Rail Steamup April 2024 on Youtube.
KB might be watching the Melbourne Cup today but I'll be in the shed prepping my locos for the GSSU.
Jamie Melham, win riding a South Australian owned and trained horse “Half Yours”. !0 years ago her friend Michelle Payne was the first lady jockey it ride a winner in the Cup. Melham has created her own history in being the first lady jockey to ride the winning horses in the Caulfield Cup (run last Saturday) and todays Melbourne Cup Doub!e. By the way
Maybe another winner will be the ANZ Bank. The Victoria Racing Club is indebted to the tune of 65 million Aussie dollars to the Bank to keep going. They should have earned a profit on today’s race meeting. By the way the Club purchased a new bell to ring when the horses enter the finishing straight to warn people on the track to clear off cf as at Royal Ascot in the UK.
Club members when entering the Members’ Stand passed under a giant red banner inviting them to call into Maccas on the way home for a bite to eat ( the Ronnie McDonald firm was a major sponsor of thre race).
An amusing twist to Melbourne Cup Race Day is the Sydney based Australian Federal Reserve Bank announces its decision on the Australian Bank Cash rate about half an hour before the running of the Cup. Sure enough the Sydneysiders did their spoiler keeping the rate at 3.6 percent ensuring no reduction in the Australian trading banks’ home mortgage lending interest charge. All told I missed an amazing live TV broadcast.
David do enjoy the Great Southern SteamUp in the hall at Emerald, and give my regards to Fletch and thank him for the pleasure his books and Baldwin loco draft drawings and other important input into the Argyle/Accucraft live steam loco models I have been following his work since the early days
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Kees van der Waa
Registered
Besides a RH Billy and a coal fired Riverdale Irene, I have the Accucraft Ruby.....a simple first starter loco.
However for RC built is up to you, some do a single channel control, direction and speed only with the Johnson bar and ignore the regulator. Seems to work, mine is pure mechanical. From a kit and fires and runs good.
Rgds
Kees
However for RC built is up to you, some do a single channel control, direction and speed only with the Johnson bar and ignore the regulator. Seems to work, mine is pure mechanical. From a kit and fires and runs good.
Rgds
Kees
Chris Vernell
Three score and nineteen
Only on Sunday?
Something to look forward to!Only on Sunday?
Back when I was in Luton (1987-2000) I bought a Roundhouse 0-6-2 Fowler Tender Loco. I visited Roundhouse to collect it and it was demonstrated running on their LGB R1 test track. Not sure if they still do that but shows that the smaller stuff is certainly R1 compatible though possibly some may have a disclaimer to the effect that they do not these days.
David Price
Registered
And I believe Roundhouse still run all of their locomotives prior to shipment?
Less run time for the basic series but at least you know they will work - which is often not the case with a Ruby whose problems often put off newcomers to live steam.
You also may not get the support in troubleshooting an Accucraft purchase unless you have a good dealer...........
NB: the Fowler is a lovely loco - I have a colleague who drove them in sugar cane service in Queensland and another who has a Roundhouse one fitted with a Brian Wilson slo-mo. Sadly, it will not be at the Great Southern Steamup this weekend (nor will its owner).
Less run time for the basic series but at least you know they will work - which is often not the case with a Ruby whose problems often put off newcomers to live steam.
You also may not get the support in troubleshooting an Accucraft purchase unless you have a good dealer...........
NB: the Fowler is a lovely loco - I have a colleague who drove them in sugar cane service in Queensland and another who has a Roundhouse one fitted with a Brian Wilson slo-mo. Sadly, it will not be at the Great Southern Steamup this weekend (nor will its owner).
HobbitFertang
Registered
Roundhouse runs each chassis for 9 hours. They have a special jig which runs several at once using compressed air.
I sold mine to a pal who hated it as he tried running it on track laid on his grass and wondered why it would pull nothing. I pointed out the steepness of gradient on his lawn was not helping! When I tested before the sale it it ran up my gradients with 3 coaches quite happily, those grades wre in the order of 1:30.
David Price
Registered
The Roundhouse Fowler is based on the 0-6-2 tender version that ran on the Queensland Government Railways Innisfail tramway - nice shot from 1960 on Flickr:
Sadly only one survives - in a fashion: Preserved Steam Locomotives Down Under - Fowler 17110
This is possibly one of two additional Roundhouse locomotives that I might purchase in the near future.
Sadly only one survives - in a fashion: Preserved Steam Locomotives Down Under - Fowler 17110
This is possibly one of two additional Roundhouse locomotives that I might purchase in the near future.
maxi-model
UK/US/ROW steam narrow gauge railways 1:1
Accucraft locos, and other makes fitted with piston valves (but not slide valve types) can be operated from a single channel RC, operating a proportional control servo acting on the reverser only. My 20 year old Lyn is run that way. Perfectly controllable, even on a 1 in 20 gradient with 3 full length L&B coaches in tow. Just crack the regulator open an 1/8 turn and off you go. I am amazed by how many other 16 mm NGM members that are puzzled by it at steam ups. But it was my 2nd loco and I knew no better when I bought it (GRS !
).Some people insist you get better control on this type using control on both regulator and reverser. I can't tell the difference and I run locos with slide valves with 2 channel control, which is needed, and I also have piston valve installations that have supplied with two. Tried to tell a frustrated owner of same loco model, who's regulator servo control had failed, at the CFR one day. He stalked off complaining their whole day had been wasted. Obviously knew better. Max
Recent surgery replacing 18 year old NiMH batteries for RX and (note single lead) one reverser operating servo, only, on my LYN. It can be done.
That reminds me of my Merlin Monarch and Mayflower. They were bot controllable from one RC, one on each stick. My party trick was to have both in steam and double head them, quite an easy trick.Accucraft locos, and other makes fitted with piston valves (but not slide valve types) can be operated from a single channel RC, operating a proportional control servo acting on the reverser only. My 20 year old Lyn is run that way. Perfectly controllable, even on a 1 in 20 gradient with 3 full length L&B coaches in tow. Just crack the regulator open an 1/8 turn and off you go. I am amazed by how many other 16 mm NGM members that are puzzled by it at steam ups. But it was my 2nd loco and I knew no better when I bought it (GRS !
Some people insist you get better control on this type using control on both regulator and reverser. I can't tell the difference and I run locos with slide valves with 2 channel control, which is needed, and I also have piston valve installations that have supplied with two. Tried to tell a frustrated owner of same loco model, who's regulator servo control had failed, at the CFR one day. He stalked off complaining their whole day had been wasted. Obviously knew better. Max
Recent surgery replacing 18 year old NiMH batteries for RX and (note single lead) one reverser operating servo, only, on my LYN. It can be done.
View attachment 349436
palmerston
trains
LGB-Aster Frank S
If youre controlling the engine withe reverser, is more instant than using the regulator
stevedenver
Registered
Imho, this particular loco might be the perfect ‘toe-in-the-water”.
Simple. Very good quality.
Not too pricey. Make sure it has neither seized from non-use, nor been scorched.
Will run on r1. Albeit a bit exciting depending upon the speed.lol.
Easy to operate, once you know the trick of slightly lifting the front end of the tender while lighting /heating to avoid gas splutter. (This is discussed, either at southernsteam.com, or sidesreetbannerworks (horowitzs site) not sure if the frank s tips are still there. In any event, imho, the section of rwy aesthetics is a must read.
Easy to add r/c, even if you know nothing.
Gently lube, clean and tighten everything, everytime you run.
Use only distilled water, steam oil.
Be patient in your hunt.
Otoh, roundhouse, imho, is just so wonderful. Its all about perspective and wherewithal.
I like , but do not ‘love’ running live steam. Its just fiddly enough that i must be in a ‘committed-to-do-so mood”. Fair disclosure, my layout has grades, 2-3%. So, i cant simply sit and watch, which i think would greatly improve my overall enthusiasm. My layout is 50% ground level, 50% at waist or abit higher. The latter is highly recommended for live steam preparation.
Same reason i no longer brew my own beer. Superb, satisfying, but more often, a PITA.
For a long time, i wanted a coal fired loco…still do…but now know enough to know these take genuine skill to properly fire. And, they command quite a premium. And they need lil tiny welsh coal bits……
Thus, you can invest as you like.
I got my frank s, then shortly thereafter, a RH SRRL 24.
I would buy an accy masonbogie in a heartbeat….but that’s another obsession.
Good luck
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Jasper
Hey, I'm only being creative here!
I find this entirely relatable.