Falk Locomotive build

Started by bparrish, March 19, 2014, 01:46:33 AM

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bparrish

John Siekirk put me up to this so here we go.

I started on the notion of building a G scale locomotive late last fall while on an anti rejection drug after I received a blood stem cell transplant.  The drug gave me something that could only be described as the permanent coffee jitters.  So I had to give up HO for a time and move to something a little larger.

I had long been fascinated with this locomotive and considered building this in HO but there was no place to put a motor and even in G scale it's going to be tight.

The plans are from an Al Armitage article in the Mar/Apr 1988 issue of Narrow Gauge Gazette.

The only parts I have used from a commercial source are the wheels that I obtained from Allan Pollock at Missouri Locomotive Company.  Beyond that everything is bar stock from a local metal supply house here in Boise.

The scaling of the locomotive drawings from the prototype to something that could be built took about two months as simply scaling something down doesn't mean it can be modeled with enough durability to hold together while operating.

I made the decision early that I would make the valves operate in time with the main rods and cylinders and that the brakes, although out of the way for running the locomotive, could be engaged manually.

With that........... I begin.

Below is a photo of the main frame rails with nothing but the wheels loosely installed.


And then with the end beams on so as to set the spacing of the frame rails.  Everything relies on this calculation.


I also decided that the suspension would be sprung so I created a spring system as it showed in the drawings.




Also shown above is the retainer plates for the axles

I'll stop for now and add some more tomorrow.  All of these photos are resident on this site in the gallery.

Thanx
Bob
Did you ever notice how many towns are named after their water towers ! ?

bparrish

Next batch..........

It should be noted at this point that all of this is just so many parts as it will all need to come apart and have each part cleaned, rounded and shaped, and a final finish put on.  Finishing includes working out with 400 grit emery paper.  I shared an office when I was in the school district with an auto body instructor that had a huge sign on the wall that said, "don't sand metal".  I understand why that is important in auto body stuff but I can't just leave stuff raggedy and hide it with paint.

Steam chests and cross heads are next.  The steam chests are a turning for the cylinder heads and soldered to some 5/8" brass tubing.  The fun part of this is being able to make up parts that can't be modeled in HO.  The packing glands for where the piston rod comes out of the piston is a fun part to make.  I'm going through a lot of 00-90 nuts and bolts.



The cross head beam is steel as it won't hold paint during operation. 


The oilers on the top of the valve box are a simulation of the Lunkerheimer oilers.  The prototype have a glass sight for how much oil remains in it and another of watching the drip.  The oilers are fully adjustable for how many drips per minute.  They have a shut off but along with everything else on a steam locomotive, operations were a very labor intensive.  I have a prototype of this oiler if anyone wants to see what one looks like.

The cross head slider mechanism is a third generation part as it took me several before I liked the appearance and worked acceptably; as in, little or no friction with no oil.





Next are the Gooch links.  I think the name comes from the inventor and date to the mid nineteenth century.  This sort of valve linkage replaced D hooks and some other early linkages that required full stops to change direction.  Although shifting from forward to reverse on the fly was tough on machinery it also allowed for something of a neutral.  The link rocked from a motion at an axle cam and the link was raised or lowered from a central point to accomplish forward or reverse.  This link survived for a very long time and is visible in a modified form on the Walshaerts valve gear.  The improvement was that the Walshaerts was all outboard of the frame and could be oiled and adjusted more easily.  Baker and Southern valve gears all work similarly but the Gooch link is modified and less noticeable.


Be back later
see ya
Bob

Did you ever notice how many towns are named after their water towers ! ?

bparrish

Coupla things........

Here is a shot of the now ancient Unimat that I use for making this whole thing up.  I've had this lathe since about 1962 and have built a lot of stuff from it.  There was nothing available in small scale machine tools at the time as there is now.




Next is a photo of the cab sides with the lower panels done and the stationary window in place.  As sliding window will be in a movable track behind this and both will have real glass in them.  I have this thing about nothing looks like glass except glass.  The mullion for the glass is visible.  I use microscope slides for glass.


see ya
Bob
Did you ever notice how many towns are named after their water towers ! ?

S&S RR

Bob

It looks great! This is going to be so cool to watch.

Thanks for posting it.

John Siekirk
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

gnatshop

Old school reigns supreme!!!   ;D ;D ;D ;D

That Unimat may be from 1962, but where will today's tools be in 50 years?  :( :( :(
I think that I'll invest in landfills!

Plus, the old school expertise and skill to use them!!
You be the true Renaissance Man!  8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

bparrish

Well with those flattering remarks.......... I'll put up the rest of the photos and get caught up.  These photos were elsewhere on several threads and that's why John suggested I pull 'em together.

I have also figured out how to pull in photos and text...... with John's help.

The valve linkage is designed to operate and demonstrate how an early Stevenson system worked.
First is the Gooch links fastened to the hangers. As the link is constantly rocking when the locomotive is moving the hanger is needed to get rid of the transfer of motion to the selecting apparatus.


This photo shows the selecting apparatus before mounting to the frame rails.


The next photo show the entire linkage mounted in the frame and secured to the valve levers.



The following two photos show the Valve levers and the valve rods to the steam chests.


The valve rod is clevised to a piece of .062 ID brass tubing and is threaded to 00-90.  The screw comes from the inboard of the valve lever and collides with the valve rod to secure it.  The screw is cut just long enough to allow it to float freely in the valve lever as it rocks during operation.
Valve rod is visible at left center.

Did you ever notice how many towns are named after their water towers ! ?

bparrish

Next is the operating mechanism for the Gooch links.

This was accomplished with a series of cams that were mounted on an axle in between the frame rails.  This was the major draw back of the Stevenson system as it was high maintenance and difficult to get to.

This shows the two cams before I split them to create a clam shell that would clamp to the axle to allow the valves to be timed to the motion of the pistons.  This timing is also correct in reverse.



Cams have peen split, had set screws applied and mounted to the axle.


The four connecting rod big ends are shown here before splitting to create a rod and cap; very much like an automobile engine.  On the prototype these were of a poured in babblt bearing that was high maintenance also.
These were turned out of a piece of 9/16 brass rod and bored to a few thousandths smaller that the cam diameters.


A finished rod big end that was split, drilled and threaded for 00-90 screws. Then put back in a four jaw chuck and counter bored for final fit to the cam as splitting the part caused the hole to be .010" out of round due to the thickness of my saw blade.


Assembled and viewed from underneath.


From above looking to the rear.


From the rear looking forward.

Did you ever notice how many towns are named after their water towers ! ?

bparrish

This photo shows the brake rigging in a released position.  The shoes are ABS plastic as I could not have an electrical leak from the wheels to the frame.


Brakes applied.


Brackets for the cab mounting.


Cab deck.


So now I am caught up to date.  Below is the two cab sides both interior and exterior with the panels in and the stationary window in place.  The aft window will slide in a track and both will have microscope slide material in them.


Thanx for following along.
Bob
Did you ever notice how many towns are named after their water towers ! ?

ACL1504

Bob,

This isn't just great, it's FANTASTIC! Beautiful work on the model and great skills on the use of the lathe. A whole bunch of thumbs up for you here!

Tom ;D
"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

S&S RR

Bob


I'm stopping by your thread every night to see the progress you have made. Looking great!
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

bparrish

So I met with disaster today........

I clamped up the two sides for the cab with the cross members to start framing it up, along with some temporary pieces to stiffen the structure a bit as there is not much there.  When I took it out of the clamps today in fell apart with only a small amount of handling.

To keep the scale there isn't much there in the mortise and tenon structures at the corners.......

So with that...... the wood is hereby abandoned and I'm going to build the cab in brass.  I've got it re-scaled and will start tomorrow.

I'll put up something when I have something.

see ya
Bob
Did you ever notice how many towns are named after their water towers ! ?

S&S RR

Bob

Sorry to hear about the setback. Any chance you can build the brass cab and add a wood veneer?
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

bparrish

I had thought of that but have never had a good experience with bonding wood to brass. 

Ya got any suggestions ? ? ? ?

see ya
Bob
Did you ever notice how many towns are named after their water towers ! ?

Jerry

Bob a fine piece of workmanship.

Jerry
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." A. Lincoln

S&S RR

Quote from: S&S RR on March 21, 2014, 10:06:28 PM
Bob

Sorry to hear about the setback. Any chance you can build the brass cab and add a wood veneer?

Sorry, I don't have any experience with gluing wood to brass. How are the wood cabs attached in the 1:1 world - bolts, rivets? I will see if I have any pictures - never thought about it?
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

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