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EDITORIAL
188 SMOKE RINGS 209 PUMA – A FOUR CYLINDER,
Editor: Martin R Evans
News, views and comment on the world of TWIN CAMSHAFT
Tel: +44 (0)7710 192953 model engineering. 30CC I/C ENGINE
Email: mrevans@cantab.net Pete Targett builds a four cylinder version of
Assistant Editor: Diane Carney 189 FLYING SCOTSMAN Malcolm Stride’s two cylinder engine.
Club News Editor: Geoff Theasby IN 5 INCH GAUGE
PRODUCTION
Peter Seymour-Howell builds a highly 212 TEENY-TINY ENGINES
detailed Scotsman based on Don Young’s Gerald Martyn finds that making small engines
Designer: Yvette Green
Illustrator: Grahame Chambers drawings. provides challenges of its own.
Retouching Manager: Brian Vickers
Ad Production: Andy Tompkins 194 A RANSOMES ELEVATOR 216 MEASURING THREADS
Ian Couchman builds a 2 inch scale elevator Jacques Maurel describes some gadgetry
ADVERTISING to keep his threshing drum company. to make measuring threads using the
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196 ADVENTURES
MARKETING & SUBSCRIPTIONS WITH INJECTORS 219 SHOWCASE
Subscription Manager: Roger Froud investigates the science and We feature Paul Durden’s Harlandic
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MANAGEMENT
Group Advertising Manager: Rhona Bolger
Email: rhona.bolger@mytimemedia.com 198 A 7¼ INCH GAUGE 220 BALLAARAT
Chief Executive: Owen Davies ‘STEAM’ CRANE Luker builds a simple but authentic narrow
Kevin Baldwin yields to the irresistible gauge 0-4-0 Australian locomotive.
urge to build his own steam crane.
226 AN ENGINEER’S DAY OUT
200 A DOUBLE ACTING Roger Backhouse visits the Queen Street Mill in
ENGINE FOR ELLIE Burnley to discover how cotton became king.
Tony Bird felt that the boiler and engine of his
© MyTimeMedia Ltd. 2022
All rights reserved ISSN 0026-7325 Ellie steam tram deserved an upgrade. 230 CLUB NEWS
Geoff Theasby compiles the latest from
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Vol. 228 No. 4683 • 28 January - 10 February 2022

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gauge steam crane (photo: Geoffrey Bethell).

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 Emerging from the Gloom
By the time you read this, most
of the latest covid restrictions
should have been eased,
possibly all of them. The
omicron variant of the
covid virus appears to
have become more
contagious and less
deadly, as all wise viruses
should (it’s unwise to
kill your host), and is
‘elbowing out’ the previous,
rather nastier variants. It’s
currently suggested that the
omicron variant is no more
lethal than the usual seasonal
‘flu viruses so we should in
MARTIN future be able to accept it on
EVANS
Editor much the same terms. The
virus is evolving quickly though
so perhaps it would be foolish
to bet on anything but I think
there are grounds for optimism.
This is of course good news
for our usual model engineering
DIANE events and activities. There
CARNEY
Assistant were no major exhibitions last
Editor year but several of the usual
events were able to take place,
especially those that could
be rescheduled for later in the
year once restrictions became
less strict, notably IMLEC and
YVETTE LittleLEC. The prospects for
GREEN
Designer this year look good and we
can probably plan, with some
confidence, for most of the
usual events to go ahead.
We have, sadly, missed the
Alexandra Palace show this
year and prospects do not look
good for Doncaster but the
Midlands show, I am glad to
say, is scheduled to take place
as usual in October. Apart from
that I am also looking forward
to giving notice here of other
shows and events over the
coming year.
The first ‘post-covid’ show,
then, is the Garden Rail show
(see above), which, according
to the advertising, covers the
‘larger gauges’. In the model
Martin Evans can be engineering world, of course,
contacted on the mobile that translates to ‘smaller
number or email below gauges’ but I suppose it is all
and would be delighted to relative and I’m not here to
receive your contributions, quibble…
in the form of items of
correspondence, comment
or articles. Business or Pleasure
07710-192953 Many model engineering
mrevans@cantab.net societies with railway tracks
provide rides to members of
188
Garden Rail Show
Plans are ‘on track’ for the 2022 Midlands Garden Rail Show
taking place on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th March. This
show, sponsored by the Engineering in Miniature and Garden
Rail magazines, is one of the leading model railway events
dedicated to garden rail. The event features the larger gauges
of O Gauge, G Scale, Gauge 1, 16mm and more.
There will be over 15 layouts and clubs at the event - plenty
of inspiration if you are planning your own garden railway,
whether it’s live steam, gas or coal fired.
Over 30 leading suppliers will also be at the show to help
you create your dream garden railway, selling everything you
could need including locomotives, rolling stock, track and
accessories.
For further details on the exhibition and suppliers attending
see www.midlandsgardenrailshow.co.uk.
the general public; in fact, operating over the last couple
for some societies it is a of years at a loss. They have
condition of the occupation been forced to look for other
of their site. It is also, quite sources of revenue and the
often, the major source obvious solution, after cutting
of income for the club. In back on expenditure, is to raise
many cases the two major club subscriptions. This is a
items on the ‘profit and loss’ rather contentious approach
account are the revenue from and inevitably will meet with
passenger hauling and the some opposition.
club’s insurance premium. Let’s think about that
As the insurance premium for a moment though. My
is a ‘non-elective’ expense, impression is that a typical
this can make a club heavily club subscription is of the
dependent financially on order of £25 per annum. To put
its passenger hauling this into perspective, I attend
revenue. The result is to risk about 10 club (non-track)
transforming the club from meetings each year. For each
a society of hobbyists who meeting I drive 20 miles there
simply want to ‘play trains’ and back to the pub where
into, effectively, a business. the meetings are held and I
Now – I am not arguing drink one or two pints of beer
against giving rides – it while I’m there. Overall, then,
provides a source of I’m spending perhaps £10 to
enjoyment to the community £15 pounds to attend each
(an ‘amenity’ in council-speak) meeting, a total of over £100
and it’s good ‘PR’ for the each year. This makes the
club. It’s not so good though size of the subscription look
if it becomes an obligation fairly insignificant. Compare
or a necessity rather than a it, too, to the cost of a gym.
pleasure. membership or (far worse!)
The recent restrictions membership of the local golf
during the covid pandemic club. Seen in this context the
have made it very difficult cost of belonging to most
to maintain this source of model engineering societies is
revenue and some clubs, very low and indisputably good
inevitably, found themselves value for money.
Model Engineer 28 January 2021
 Peter
Seymour-
Howell
builds a fine, fully
detailed model of
Gresley’s iconic
locomotive to Don
Young’s drawings.

Continued from p.161

M.E. 4682, 14 January 2022

PART 27 -
HATCHES, GRAB
RAILS, LAMPS
AND STEPS
Painting by Diane Carney.

Flying Scotsman
in 5 Inch Gauge
N
ow we take a break
to deal with a few
little details. None of
these add anything to the
functionality of the model
but all of them enhance the
appearance and authenticity of
the model significantly.

2. Here is a jig being used for the upper

running board flap. The running board
is held flat on some wood with the flap
positioned and held by a clamp which also
holds the jig. The position for each hinge
was plotted from the outer edge of the
1. Here are the various hatches, made and in position. Now there’s that lovely opening - I just chose what looked right
tedious job of drilling, countersinking and tapping yet more 10BA holes. The for hinge size to flap size and the pictures
plan is to do most of them using short csk 10BA screws but also a small to hand. There is a centre line scribed on
number that go straight through the 10 x 5 mm steel uprights and are tapped each side of the jig to line up with the joint
into the running board below to hold things in position. to keep the hinge central. >>

www.model-engineer.co.uk 189
Hatches
I noticed in my reference
photographs that there's a
hatch in the smokebox running
board (in addition to the
other various hatches) that's
offset to the left-hand side
and I wanted to include this
on my model. It’s not on the
drawing so I scaled the door
from the photographs that
I have to hand. Working out
the width was easy enough
as I have the photo that looks
straight towards the front so
I can scale the width pretty
accurately. The depth is a little
more problematic as the only
photographs that I have are at
angles from the front but a still
from a 1929 film came to my
rescue as I could see both the
smokebox running board and
the side running board doors
and thus could take a line
across from the back of the
smokebox door and see where
it met the side running board
door. This is close to half way
of said door which happens LEFT: 3. With the holes drilled it was time to make the hinges, which was done in a similar way to the way the tender locker
to be roughly where the back hinges were made, using the jig to drill the holes. I then had to get all of the hinges to the same width. Going back to the jig
of the 2:1 gear stay ends so I the holes were first tapped 10BA and then each hinge was held tightly in place via countersunk screws. It was then a simple
took this as a good omen and exercise of filing down each edge using the jig as a button. The last job to do here was to clean up with a little filing and the
modified the panel accordingly. opening up of the holes to the required 1.8 mm. RIGHT: 4. Here are the covers, all bolted back to their respective running
boards. This was a fairly long-winded affair but well worth the effort. I have left two covers open to show they work.
Lamp irons
I think while I'm in this area
I may as well do the lamp
irons. I had thought that I
wouldn't need to do the grab
rails, thinking that they may
be a later BR addition, and
they certainly aren't on Don's
drawing and nor have I seen
them on any of my reference
photos taken during the
20/30's. A new photograph
turned up though (new to me)
that shows 4472 as in the
late 30's, certainly after 1938,
showing very clearly that the
grab rails were present for my
chosen era. The lamp irons are
simple enough but thought that
I'd share how I tackled these
particular items as they are
slightly different to the tender
lamp irons covered before.

Working lamps
Onto the working lamps, which
are based on lamps from JCT
Fittings. I'm using 5 mm warm 5. I started off with some square brass as the base section. 6. I then cut up some over-sized lengths of square stock for the
LED's (a nice fit with a bulb Here is the base section on its side in the machine vice having uprights and silver soldered the lot together. This gives me a
holder in the lamp opening) slots machined across its back. Note these slots are in the stick which is easier to work on. I also tapped any parts square
which give a nice yellow light, middle of the two mounting holes already drilled. that had moved during the heating process.

190 Model Engineer 28 January 2022

 FLYING SCOTSMAN

RIGHT: 7. Next, I took a small amount

off the bottom of the base to square the
overhangs up so that I could hold the job
securely in the machine vice. Placing the
job face down I machined the excess from
the back of the uprights. With that done I
then machined the tips so that they were
all equal and finally machined the bottom
of the base until I had an overall size of ¾
inch. FAR RIGHT: 8. With the machining
finished it was time for a bit of filing. The
first job was to tackle the vertical taper. I
positioned the stick in the vice just below
the top edge so that I didn’t file away any
of the metal needed for the radius. The
base was then filed down leaving the
radius at the bottom of the vertical and a
slight angle to the tip. The last job was to
put a small radius on the end of each base.

with a suitable bulb holder and

turned up piece of PTFE that
fits into the roof of the casting
to insulate from the body. I
changed the LED’s slightly,
replacing the long negative
tab with a strip of brass
shim soldered on, and both
terminals covered with heat-
shrink. The casting body will
be tapped 10 mm and I have
bought from eBay some 10
mm plastic grub screws, again
to insulate from the body,
which will hold everything
together.
With the battery pushed up
from the bottom it will touch
the top positive terminal as it
presses it against the PTFE
insulating spacer in the top
of the lamp - there'll be a nice
recess here that a turned
spigot of PTFE can be pushed
tightly up into. The negative
brass shim which slides down
the side of the battery is then
folded under the bottom of
the battery so that when the
plastic grub screw is turned
a little both terminals make
contact as the grub screw is
tightened.
The batteries that I have
tried are the small LR44 types
which are 1.5V - you need
two of these to work. You can
use three but it's a little bright
and there’s not really enough
room in the lamp anyway. I
made up battery packs of two
using heat-shrink to hold them
together as they are a little too
delicate for soldering together.
Now this does work but it's
a little temperamental due
9. Here are the lamp irons and grab rails
fitted, along with the hose and a couple of
lamps. The rails were made from suitable
pieces of bar and tube which after bending
were held in a jig for soldering together.
The vacuum standpipe was made at the
same time as the tender pipe, details of
which can be found there. A half circle
filled in the centre running board clears
the pipe.
10. This picture shows the various parts needed for the lamps.
Ideally a 7 mm reamer would have been better but I didn’t have
one so used a sharpened drill bit (be gentle). Also seen is a
small metal spacer that was used to press the bulb holder with
LED into the lamp. It’s a tight fit, which it needs to be to stop
the LED being pushed out. You’ll find that the holders push
into the original openings nicely without the LED fitted but
once they have the LED’s you do need to open the opening up
a little to approximately 7 mm to get them to fit. The two white
spacers are PTFE (any insulated material will do). The one with
the step fits into the top neck, the other (which isn’t required if
using the plastic grub screw) fits between the battery and the
securing plate. I have included the M10 grub screw in the picture
although didn’t actually use it... I’ve lost the order details but
there are plenty of these available from eBay. I modified the LED
contacts; the top contact (positive) I shortened and sleeved
with the heatshrink, the bottom (negative) contact has a small
thin (approximately 1.5 mm wide) length of brass shim that was
drilled one end so that it slid over the LED terminal and was
soldered in place. The original terminal was then cut off as close
to the LED as possible. The shim is overlength in the picture;
I trimmed it to size after it had been tried in the lamp with the
battery - note it’s also insulated with heat shrink. >>

www.model-engineer.co.uk 191
 12. Once happy with the battery fit it’s time to insert the LED.
As mentioned before this first entails increasing the opening
to around 7 mm so that the holder is a tight fit. You also
need to grind down the LED face itself (unless you can find
smaller depth LED’s than I did, that is). I did this simply using
some wet & dry on a flat surface - it takes a little time but
is easy enough. I ground off the front face until it was very
close to the LED internals. Once polished it’s nice and clear
again. Don’t be tempted to use too coarse a paper or you
may not be able to polish out all of the marks. I finished with
1500 grit and plenty of water. Now some may be tempted to
use normal rounded lens LED’s and do away with the lamp
lens that comes in the kit altogether but I resisted this as
it will place the light source out of the lamp which for me
would look totally wrong. I do accept though that this would
make life somewhat easier. I used the small spacer that just
fits into the opening to push the holder home in a vice.

11. Next, we needed to prepare the

casting. First, an M10 tap was used
to cut a few threads into the bottom. I
then ground out a small channel from
the lamp opening to the base with a
Dremel cutter; this is to give room for
the negative lead to fit without being
crushed by the battery or threaded plug.
The top PTFE spacer had a step turned
that was a tight fit into the casting
neck; this is to give an insulated contact
that the live terminal will be pushed up
against as the screw plate in the base is
turned to the ‘ON’ position. Oh, I forgot
to add that the top live terminal needs
trimming so that when the LED is pushed
home its tip is around the middle of the
casting - it’s not critical but you must be
sure to not let it touch the casting itself.
The battery pack was then tried for fit.
The pack consists of two LR41 batteries
held together with some heat-shrink
tubing - I seem to have lost the details
but it was basically heat-shrink that
was around 9 mm in its un-shrunk state.
You can just see the PTFE spacer here -
needs to be at a height that’s just below
the lamp opening.

to space - that is, it turns on
okay but needs the grub screw
removed to turn off. It's also a
bit tight against the LED which
can try to push the LED out.
The holders might hold the
LED in place if the opening
was made a little bigger.
Currently they push in if you
cut the securing tabs off the
back but if the opening was
reamed out a little this may
work better. However, before I
start cutting the casting I have
since discovered that you can
LEFT: 13. Here we have both the LED and battery fitted with the negative shim tab folded under the battery just awaiting the screw
plate to be fitted. This picture shows a cut down plastic grub screw but this was a little problematic to do, only having a few threads
to screw into. So I changed to a slice of 10 mm studding and I cut a slot across its face for a screwdriver to fit. RIGHT: 14. So, here
we have it - a working LNER lamp. Now John of JCT Fittings states not to use cyano (super glue) to hold the lens in place - rightly
so as it can craze the lens due the glue turning white. We have moved on a little though and the rubber type super glue works nicely
- just use the smallest amount possible in a couple of spots to hold the lens in place. You don’t want too much as a) it could smear
the lens and b) one day you may need to change the LED. I’m quite pleased with the end result - I hope you guys like it too.
get other batteries around the You could, of course, saw more important things to be
same size that are 3V lithium the top off at its neck, drill getting on with but thought
and I think that these should and tap, modify and have a that I'd share this information
work perfectly as you only screw top that screws down to now while we are on the
need one and so they won't be make a contact - that's a little subject…
trying to push the LED out. It more work although might To start I'll give a list of the
just needs a little more R&D to be the best solution for ease components that I've used, all
get a reliable system and once of operation. I didn't want to of which are easily available
I have the batteries I'll take spend too much time on these from eBay, mostly via 'Bright
another look. at the time as I had plenty of Components':

192 Model Engineer 28 January 2022

 FLYING SCOTSMAN

LEFT: 15. Having marked and drilled the holes in the correct positions, I folded the
return tabs and checked that both mirrored each other correctly. The next job was
to form the triangular supports and rivet them to the back of the steps checking that
they stood up squarely - the support as seen here still needs cutting to length. RIGHT:
16. The first job on the steps themselves was to drill the holes for the 1⁄32 inch rivets.
The rear steps were drawn up in CAD for me by John and then laser cut by Malcolm
High, so they are easy enough. At the time I wasn’t aware of any front steps being
fitted during my chosen era but further research has now shown that 4472 did have
her front steps refitted, although of a different type to the original ladder shape,
so these have been fabricated the traditional way with a little hacking and filing.
This picture shows the upper rear steps (slightly smaller than the lower) held in the
machine vice having had the required 0.8 mm holes drilled using a carbide PCB drill
bit. For this job I have left the steps on their tabs as pairs to make life a little easier.
Each of these particular steps has 80 holes at 3 mm pitch.
LEFT: 17. Moving on a little, here are all eight steps with their rivets fitted. This
involved 472 x 0.8 mm holes drilled, turned over, countersunk and then of course
hammered in place... RIGHT: 18. I then needed to form the steps into shape. This
seems to have varied over the years; today the steps have large raised sections either
end but back in the day they were curved at the front and angled up at the back, or at
least that’s what the photographs suggest. When I did the buffer housings with their
joggled shapes I made up an elaborate jig but for these I had a much simpler idea to
get them all the same. This involved a piece of wood with a curved edge and some flat
steel to squeeze the steps between. Once happy with the position I dolly hammered
the metal to form the curve and the rear angle was just a matter of clamping in the
vice and tapping with the hammer. The picture shows how I got all of the steps to
have the curve in the same place; it was a simple job of lining up each one in the
depressions left from the rivets heads of the first step formed - worked a treat and so
much quicker.

1 Bright Components, heat

shrink H-01-1.6
2 Bright Components, bulb
holder L-B-01-05
3 Bright Components, LED Flat
Warm White 120 degree wide
angle L-U-02-05
4 M10 plastic grub screws
(actually I went another way,
details below)
5 LR41 1.55V batteries

Steps
Next up was the steps, both
front steps and cab. I made a
start on the steps beginning
with the front brackets that
are fitted to the bottom of the
spring housings. I've used
some 1.2 mm steel that was in 19. The next job was to plot the 2.25 mm 20 and 21. These last two pictures show the completed items. They were silver
the off-cuts box; it's not pretty mounting holes for 8BA bolts, four in the soldered together, given a good clean, the corners were rounded off and primed. You
but will be fine once finished lower rears and three in the uppers. The may notice that I have a couple of rivets missing on the front - this was me getting
and given a coat of paint. Each front steps are welded on the prototype tired with the drilling and breaking a couple of bits. I’ve left them as is - kind of fits
bracket has a triangular stay today and I have used that method too - with the gaps that I’ve seen in photographs... well, at least that’s my excuse...
for support which is riveted in well – soldered not welded.
place and I thought that the
two mounting holes would be the two holes down the centre of that, not the wider 1 inch the recess. I will fill these with
a good way of holding the two line of the 1 inch wide steel, that forms the top return tab... silver solder later when I solder
brackets back to back for final totally forgetting that there's Oh well, such is life. Anyway, I on the steps themselves.
shaping. That was the plan a recessed section and the carried on and used the holes
and I duly marked and drilled holes need to be in the middle for 1⁄16th rivets and machined ●To be continued.

www.model-engineer.co.uk 193
 Ian
Couchman
constructs
an elevator to keep his
Ransomes threshing
drum company.

Continued from p.157

M.E. 4682, 14 January 2022

PART 4

A Ransomes Elevator Trough
Next thing to do is the trough
(the bit the straw travels up).
The trough rotates around the
lower chain wheel shaft as it’s
raised and lowered (to ensure
that the upper chainwheels
stay at the same distance). All
the full-size elevators I’ve seen
use a similar arrangement as
shown in photo 45. I spent
a lot of time trying to work
out what was going on with
this arrangement and my
conclusion is as follows. The
outer bearing block is the
bearing for the shaft (this
theory is supported by the
oil around this block only).
The next block has a larger
diameter bearing which takes
the weight of the trough. The
third block is mounted on
the trough and has the male
part of the trough bearing,
with a clearance hole for the
shaft. The Haining drawings
show the shaft supporting the
trough. This would result in
the weight of the trough being
supported by a comparatively
fast rotating shaft - not ideal.
The only thing which puzzles

45 46

Lower chain wheel shaft with suspension for the trough. Set of castings for the trough bearings.

194 Model Engineer 28 January 2022


47
me is why the two outer blocks
weren’t cast as one…
So, here’s the set of castings
in photo 46. The bottom two
are the outer shaft bearings. At
top right are the trough bearing
housings and at top left are the
trough bearings which fit on
the trough. The shaft bearings
49
Castings for the chainwheel bearings and adjusters.
51
Raising gear bracket casting.
53
Support rod bracket.
www.model-engineer.co.uk
48
Finished bearing assembly.
have a spigot which fits into
the trough bearing, to ensure
the holes remain concentric.
Finally, photo 47 shows the
finished bearing assembly.
And now some woodwork,
for a change. Photograph 48
shows the sides of the trough.
The centre sections are ⅜ inch
50
Completed chainwheel bearings and adjusters.
52
Bracket for the upper chain pulley.
54
Lower chain pulley.
softwood, with the runners
and cheek pieces ½ inch
oak. You can see the trough
bearings on the top of the
cheeks at the right-hand end.
To give an idea of scale, these
sides are 6 feet 6 inches long.
At the top end of the trough
are the top chainwheel
ELEVATOR
Sides of the trough.
bearings and chain adjusters.
Starting with another set of
castings (photo 49), we end up
with these (photo 50). About
half way along the trough,
on the underside, are the
brackets to which are attached
the racks for the raising gear
(photo 51).
Almost opposite these, on
the top side, are these brackets
(photo 52). These perform two
functions. They act as anchors
for support rods which run
from here to both front and
back ends, ending in the
brackets shown in photo 53.
They also hold pulleys which
support the upper chain run.
Along the lower edges of the
trough are pulleys to support
the lower chain run (photo 54).
After fitting these and
various cross members, it’s
time for some assembly (photo
55 - at last!). I'll come back
to the chains later. It stands
about 5 feet 4 inches to the top
of the trough.
●To be continued.
55
Nearly finished…
195

Adventures with Injectors
Fig 4
Roger Froud studies the
theory and practice of
making injectors.
Continued from p.153
M.E. 4682, 14 January 2022
Making injectors
Anyone who has looked into
this will soon realise that this
is not a trivial matter. D.A.G
Brown’s excellent book tells
you exactly how to do this
and many have indeed made
them successfully. However,
to my mind, the press fits and
requirements for extreme
precision are only necessary
because the cones are made
separately. With separate
cones, concentricity is vital,
as is the precise matching
of the taper as it goes from
one part to the other. Issues
with this led to the ‘Linden
Secret’, which is no more than
a chamfer or small blend to
accommodate misalignment.
In other words, it’s a fix to a
problem created by the design.
It is well known that the gap
between the delivery cone
and the mixing cone is the
least critical. The angle of the
delivery cone is also not that
crucial, neither is the exact
style and size of the bell mouth
entry. All that’s really important
is that the throat diameter of
the delivery cone matches the
delivery requirements. This
realisation has led to designs
that combine those two
cones into one piece. Those
designs simply use a couple
of cross drilled holes slightly
196
One-piece cone with two overflows.
upstream of the delivery cone
throat instead of a gap. I really
like this idea, but it doesn’t
eliminate the more troublesome
gap and alignment issues
where the condensing and
mixing cones meet.
Blue sky thinking
It occurred to me that life would
be so much simpler if the three
cones could be made as one
piece. Clearly you can’t include
the steam cone because the
taper is divergent and there
would be no way of making it.
I’m sure that one day these will
all be 3D printed in one piece
- probably the body as well - in
one lump. However, that’s for
future generations to ponder.
Furthermore, if you could
make the three cones in one
piece, you could avoid press
fits altogether and just use a
slide fit and O-rings. However,
you can only do that if you use
end regulation. The reason for
this is that annular regulation
requires the wafer thin nose of
the steam cone to accurately
sit inside the taper of the
condensing cone, creating a
concentric gap for the water
to flow through. If you use
end regulation, the flow of
water is controlled by the
end faces of the cones and
the concentricity of one cone
Model Engineer 28 January 2022
PART 2
to the other isn’t as critical.
Steam cones of this type are
easier to make because the
outside is less critical and they
are more robust.
Figure 4 shows such a cone
where the gaps between the
cones are replaced by drilled
holes.
We already know that the
holes on the delivery cone end
will work, but what about the
others? I understand that this
has never been successfully
done, but I wondered if that
was simply because it wasn’t
done well enough, or whether
there was some other reason
why this would never work?
The only way to find out
was to try it and see what
happened.
It’s not advisable to try
more than one major design
feature at once, but I’m doing it
anyway! You can see that I’ve
sealed the separate overflows
to keep them apart. That way I
can experiment with two valves
or one valve by removing the
central seal. I want to discover
whether I can use just one
valve and use drilled holes for
both overflows.
The pattern and position of
the holes shown is just one
of many – 54, to be exact -
arrangements that I ended up
trying.
 INJECTORS

Proof of principle Development cone with separate overflows.

To help with the development, Fig 5
I designed a special body for
the test boiler which could
accommodate one-piece
cones of different lengths, with
or without that middle seal.
I’ve shown two different
versions of overflow valves in
the one model, just to show
some of the ideas I tried.
In the end, neither of these
proved to be satisfactory. The
rather complex steam cone
arrangement in fig 5 was done
to allow the regulation gap to
be adjusted while the injector
was on test. End regulation
requires a more subtle
adjustment than annular
regulation, which is the only
downside I can see for it. I
had tried experimenting with
different shim thicknesses
and it drove me nuts! Trying
to figure out whether the
gap was too small or too big
was time consuming and
frustrating. Being able to Fig 6 Development cone with combined overflows.
quickly find the sweet spot for
any given injector on test is a
game changer.
The whole of the LH end can
be removed with the steam
cone intact so that cones
can be quickly swapped over
without changing the gap. The
RH delivery end is arranged
so that it can accommodate
cones of different lengths.
If fact, it only takes about a
minute from start to finish to
change cones. When you’re
comparing many different
cones, this saves a lot of time.
Figure 6 shows the same

Development injector assembly.
set-up but this time without
using separate overflows.
One of the overflows can be
disabled by replacing the valve
with a ball and spacer to press
it against the seat.
This is how it looks in
practice (photo 1), with the
steam inlet on the right-hand
side so you can see the
overflow valves. The piping
arrangement mimicked the
one for testing the scale
injector so I could easily
swap between them. You
can’t assume that a cone will
work precisely the same in
a different body where the
inlets, outlets and overflows
are sure to have different flow
characteristics.
●To be continued.

www.model-engineer.co.uk 197
 Kevin
Baldwin
discovers
that there is nothing
quite like a steam crane
to raise the spirits.
Small crane and far away crane.
A 7¼
7¼ Inch Gauge
‘Steam’ Crane
I
t’s funny what prompts us
to choose a project. Some
people elect to build the
things with which they have
a personal attachment, such
as a having a local railway
or engineering firm whose
products are of interest. Many
people with an affinity for the
railway of their region such
as the GWR or LMS often
tend to build those engines
and equipment they saw in
their childhood. Those with
an interest in road steam
sometimes build things which
were used in an old family firm
or, again, those engines that
were local to them. In both
examples it is often found
that the builder’s loyalty to a
particular railway or traction
engine manufacturer can
never be swayed! Once you
have become a devotee of
Burrell’s engines or Gresley’s
designs you are stuck with
198
that for life! However, in
many cases simply seeing
something that someone
else has made - whether it is
an engine, wagon, clock or
anything else for that matter -
that appeals to you is enough
to nudge the potential builder
into production.
My decision to build a rail
crane was, I feel, prompted by
fate! A friend of mine had just
got himself a full-size standard
gauge Grafton 10 Ton steam
rail crane. That same week,
it seemed that every time I
picked a book off the shelf, or
turned the TV on, or I was out
and about, there was always
a crane of some description
present; there were cranes
everywhere I looked! Having
gazed at my friend’s crane and
thought, ‘that jib is a pretty
thing. It would be nice to have
a go at making something like
that’, the die was cast!
Model Engineer 28 January 2022
PART 1
With the decision made to
build a crane, I started to have
a closer look at railway cranes
in general. The Internet is an
excellent resource for photos
and videos but I couldn’t find
much in the way of drawings
to guide me. At last I found a
tiny drawing of a Grafton 10
tonner that had a few critical
dimensions on it, namely
the length of the jib and the
wheel centres. Coupled with
scrutinising photos from
the Internet and a handful
of videos of similar cranes
restored and working, I got the
obligatory pencil and paper
out and stared to roughly
sketch out my crane. As the
thing is standard gauge and
I was going to build it for 7¼
inch gauge at roughly 1½ inch
scale, the width and height
could be estimated, with
certain things set in stone
such as the buffer centres

and height from rail level.
Everything else could follow
organically, whilst keeping an
eye on the full-size version.
Marvellous! A plan was
forming nicely!
Thoughts then turned to the
steam department. A steam
crane is a wonderful piece of
kit. A vertical boiler produces
the steam for, more often than
not, one engine. This engine is
the sole power source to make
the hook go up and down, to
make the jib go up and down,
to make the thing slew around
in circles and to make the thing
move itself along the track.
To achieve this the crankshaft
is quite complicated and can
only be described as a work
or art. It is almost the width of
the whole crane, and contains
a multiplicity of gears that can
be slid in and out of mesh with
others to engage the various
motions. Generally, only one
motion can be engaged at a
time. Consequently, a steam
driven crane is the perfect
exercise in gear making as
spur gears, bevel gears and
worms and wheels will all
have to be made. This posed a
problem as I had absolutely no
intention of turning this project
into something that demanded
that level of work.
People often say ‘I wish I
had the skills/money/tools/
space … to build so-and-so’ -
to which I usually reply, ‘you
don’t need any of those. You
just need to get-up-and-go to
do it. The rest will follow!’ As
such, I wanted my crane to
be built in a simple way and
not run the risk of becoming a
protracted build or, worse still,
of it ending up underneath the
bench, abandoned, part-build
and going rusty. It was at this
point I decided to evict the idea
of powering this thing with
steam, opting instead to run it
on electricity. We as a group
are lucky as a small handful
of people have made some
excellent steam driven models
of cranes and we thank them
most heartily for going to the
extraordinary effort of doing
so. However, many of these
wonderful creations turn out to
be awkward things to transport,
rather fiddly in their operation
www.model-engineer.co.uk
and, as such, they seldom see
the light of day. I wanted my
crane to be simple to operate,
without the mucking about
required in keeping steam, fire
and water at sufficient levels
before one could actually start
to play with it!
Therefore, in choosing
to power the crane using
electric motors would mean:
a) it would keep things simple
(little did I know …!); b) it had
a chance of being made in a
reasonably short time frame; c)
I could acquire a lot of the bits
needed without resorting to
building absolutely everything;
d) when the thing was finished
it would only be a matter of
making sure the battery was
charged then flicking a switch
to bring it to life. Using electric
motors would also allow me to
make it radio controlled, which
would be a lot of fun.
A trip to the local car garage
and some time being elbow
deep in the engine bays of
various scrap cars yielded
four 12 Volt windscreen wiper
motors. I decided upon these
power sources as they are
strong motors, very low geared
at the output and driven by
worms and wheels so when
the power is turned off they
stay where they are, thus
obviating the need for brakes
on the motions - and they are
cheap (a box of chocolates
and a four-pack of cider!). Each
motion would have its own
motor, which would be driven
through a radio-controlled
speed controller taking
electricity from a 12 Volt car
battery hidden in the cab of the
crane. Very simple...!
With the power source plan
sorted I started cutting metal.
My preferred modus operandi
is based around the use of
a welder, an assortment of
angle grinders, a drill, a tape
measure and a bit of chalk.
These are not quite the tools
of a model engineer but I
have never considered myself
a model engineer; I leave
that to the clever people! I
consider myself to be a maker
of medium sized metal toys!
These toys have included
many 7¼ inch gauge railway
wagons, a 4 inch scale traction
wagon for my father’s traction
engine, and a 6 inch scale
undertype steam wagon. They
are just toys, and they put the
‘fun’ into ‘functional’!
The drum frame where the
winches for the jib and the
hook live were made of 10mm
steel plate and built around
the motors I’d purloined. I
had also found a couple of
pairs of small gears which
I decided to use on these
winches, thus allowing the
winches to be very low geared
indeed, more powerful and to
take the strain off the motors
themselves. Ball race bearings,
also found in the Box of
Useful Bits that we’ve all got
clogging-up the underneath
of our benches, were used on
the drums themselves. The
frame was built, the drums put
on and the motors applied,
and together with the radio
control components I rushed
out and bought, the whole lot
was roughly wired up to see
what would happen. Having
never dabbled in the world of
radio controlled ‘electrickery’
I was in uncharted waters.
What happened was that
when I pushed the stick on
the controller to actuate one
motor, both motors moved at
the same time. Ah… What is
going on here? Then one of the
controllers blew up with quite
a loud pop and a few fireworks,
and the workshop filled up
with the smoke and smell of
burning electronics! Oh dear,
what have I done? I consulted
a few members of my club
Crane in action.
STEAM CRANE
(always a good idea to join a
club; it’s an endless resource
of information) as to how this
blunder had occurred. Being
more at home with ‘pounds
per square inch’ and not really
having a clue about Amps,
Ohms and Volts, I struggled to
understand what was going
on. It was at this point the
project was running the risk of
being given a one-way ticket
to the back of the workshop to
rust away quietly, never to be
seen again.
Time passed, then my
enthusiasm was somehow
piqued and I resolved to get
this issue sorted out. The
Internet came to the rescue! A
search on YouTube resulted in
a few videos outlining how to
use windscreen wiper motors
for other applications. One
very useful video began with
‘ ... before you even begin to
use this motor, you need to
do some work to the wiring.’
I can’t pretend I understand
what this chap then went on
to show, but it resulted in me
doing some invasive surgery
on the motors so the electricity
went where I put it and didn’t
continue to come out of the
motor through the casing. I
hope I’m not boring those of
you with a more advanced
understanding of these things,
but I had to focus on the whole
project, not just these blessed
motors! The long and the short
of it is I now had motors that
could be used, so I carried on.
●To be continued.
199
A Double Acting
Engine for Ellie PART 1

W
hen the author saw
Andrew Allison’s book 1
Tony Bird ‘Ellie’ The Steam Tram
decides to he thought the model looked
very interesting and different
upgrade with its transverse boiler
steam tram Ellie’s engine. (photo 1).
The author had already made
several steam locomotives to
run on his garden railway and,
as he liked tram engines, he
thought he would have a go at
making Ellie.
It was decided to use
Andrew’s design as a basis for
the model, modifying it to use
materials that were to hand,
although the overall original
dimensions were mostly
adhered to. After checking for
suitable material some 25mm x
2mm B&Q steel strip was found
that would do for the frames
along with four 30mm steel
wheels; these parts were to
be the basis of the model and
so a simple drawing of a side
elevation was made (fig 1).

200 The steam tram book.

12

Fig 1
Basic dimensions.
25
7

70

180
Modified flame guard.

200 Model Engineer 28 January 2022


As he often does the author
started with the boiler and,
like the original, it would be a
pot boiler but would be heated
with a ceramic gas burner and
not methylated spirits as in the
original. The boiler is the same
size as the original but has
3 4
Wooden buffer beams fitted.
5 6
Chassis with boiler.
7 8
Improved prototype engine.
9 10
Engine dismantled for modification.
www.model-engineer.co.uk
heat exchangers in the form
of what are often referred to
as ‘hedgehog pins’ but in this
case in the shape of staples.
Some years ago, two identical
pot boilers were made to see
if fitting heat exchange pins
made much difference to their
Ceramic burner fitted.
Original engine.
Prototype rebuilt.
performance, one boiler being
fitted with pins and the other
not. Although it was not easy
to quantify the results, the pins
made a significant difference
to the steam production of
the boiler, the safety valve
lifting much more frequently
ELLIE
than for the boiler with none.
The same burner and chassis
combination were used in both
tests.
Many boilers were made
using straight pins but when
soldering them in place it was
difficult to stop them moving.
Consequently, staple shaped
pins were used instead;
whether they perform any
better or worse than straight
ones isn’t known. The boiler
flame guard was modified
a bit so that it covered the
whole boiler not just its sides
(photo 2).
With the boiler partially
completed a start was made
on the chassis, the jack-shaft
version having been decided
on. Wooden buffer beams were
fitted which would make the
model a little cooler to pick up
(photo 3).
A fairly conventional ceramic
burner which protruded though
the foot plate was fitted to the
chassis (photo 4). And this is
how the model stayed for the
next 18 months (photo 5).
At the beginning of 2021 it
was decided to make a start on
an engine for Ellie. The engine
would be single cylinder,
double acting and be capable
of being reversed. Also,
plastic gears, that had been
successfully used in a gear
box for a steam driven model
of a paddle steamer, would be
tried. The reversing disc valve
would share the same tension
spring as the cylinder; this had
been done before on several
models and worked well but
the valve did tend to oscillate
with the cylinder so a locking
reversing lever needed to be
used (photo 6).
Some ideas to stop the
reversing valve from oscillating
were tried on a prototype
engine constructed using parts
from a Mamod locomotive:
cylinder, port block, reversing
block with valve and a wheel
(photos 7 and 8). This engine
proved to solve the oscillating
problem so work was started
on a scratch-built engine.
For the prototype engine the
Mamod cylinder port block
and the reversing block were
modified and sandwiched the
engine stand to create the >>
201
 ports and steam passageways
11 12 to mount the cylinder and
reversing valve on (photos 9
and 10).
For the engine for Ellie these
three components were made
in one piece by soldering two
pieces of 5mm sheet brass
together and then machining
them to size, two being made
(photo 11). I found that 6mm
sheet would have been better
as it would have given greater
clearances for the ports and
passageways that had to be
drilled.
New cylinders were made
but to the same dimensions
as used by Mamod, with a
¾ inch stroke and a ⅜ inch
Making a start on the new engine. The engine frame. bore. The cylinder port centres
were to be 1 inch but because
the ports would be larger the
13 14 port face would need to be
wider. The centre distance
between the axle and cylinder
trunnion was set to be 1⅞
inches, the same as Mamod
use. Not many drawings were
done during construction, just
dimensioned sketches; one
of the few made was of the
steam ports and passageways
in the engine stand (fig 2).
All the steam passageways
were drilled 2.3mm as this
Checking the depth of the passageways. Preparing to drill the long holes. was about the same diameter
as the internal diameter of
the ⅛ inch copper steam and
15 16 exhaust pipes that would
be used and it is also the
tapping size of the 6BA plugs
needed. If M3 were used the
passageways would have
been 2.5mm, its tapping size,
and it would be sensible to
increase the thickness of the
frame from 5mm to 6mm or
even ¼ inch.
The engine frame was
Using a jig to drill the ports. marked out for drilling.
The first holes drilled were
the steam and exhaust for
17 18 the reversing valve. These
holes can be on the same
side of the frame as in the
photograph or one either side
if it is more convenient for the
pipe work (photo 12).
The next two holes were
for the steam passageways
from the reversing valve to the
cylinder ports, the drill going a
little over three quarters of the
way through the engine frame
Steam and exhaust to the reversing valve. Passageway plugs fitted. (photo 13).

202 Model Engineer 28 January 2022

 ELLIE

Next were the two very

11
long holes of the steam
passageways and care must
be taken to get the engine
frame square in two planes for
drilling (photo 14).
The cylinder port block

16
holes are drilled undersize

12
using a jig. The author has
found that it is quicker,

32
reasonably accurate and a
lot easier in his opinion than
marking out (photos 15 and
16). These holes are drilled a 12
little over a quarter of the way
through the engine stand. The
holes that connect the ports
to the passageways were then
drilled.
The centre distance
between the ports was
47

Hole plugged
measured and this dimension

72
halved, the result being the
largest for the same size holes
in the cylinder and its port
block, in this case 2.4mm. The
photograph (photo 17) also
shows that the steam and
exhaust holes to the reversing
valve have been made larger r9
for steam and exhaust pipes
to be fitted.
The six 6BA plugs are made
and fitted, being sealed either
with soft solder or, as in this
case, with some thread lock
(photo 18). Before doing Fig 2 18 5
this a syringe was used to
pump water through the Key dimensions of the new engine.
passageways to remove any
debris and again, after the
plugs were fitted, it was done
to check that no blockage had 19 20
occurred.
A Mamod cylinder was used
to check that none of the
steam ports were exposed
when the cylinder was at its
maximum deflections. As can
be seen in the photographs
(photos 19 and 20) this
cylinder was pretty close to
doing this, so the cylinder for
the engine was made wider
than the Mamod cylinder.
The last job of this part of
the construction was to mill a 21
bit of relief between the ports
on the frame (photo 21).

●To be continued.

Trial fit of the cylinder. Relief milled between the ports.

www.model-engineer.co.uk 203

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204
NRM Workshop
Dear Martin,
Whilst I am pleased that
someone in the Science
Museum group still
reads Model Engineer Sir
Peter Hendy’s reply to my
Smoke Rings comment
raises more questions
than it answers.
For example, Sir Peter
says that the wheel drop
and crane in the former
workshop at the National
Railway Museum will be
retained. Unfortunately, neither
can operate with Wonderlab
in the former workshop space
and the equipment will have a
purely token presence. It may
be cynical to suggest that both
were retained because they
were too expensive to remove.
I knew there would be a
workshop but my curatorial
contact at the museum
wasn’t sure where it will be,
suggesting it isn’t the highest
priority. It won’t have the range
of equipment previously in the
museum workshop and the
range of work possible will be
limited.
Sir Peter says that the
workshop had much redundant
equipment. Forgive me, but
doesn’t redundant equipment
make up most Railway
Museum content? That
the workshop equipment
was allegedly unused says
something about the way
the museum has treated the
workshop including making
experienced workshop staff
redundant.
Whilst nothing completely
recreates the activity of a
historic railway works the
workshop went a long way
towards it. Visitors could
see real railway heritage
engineering and enjoyed the
authenticity of the workshop.
It is a tragedy that museum
staff creativity did not extend
or was not allowed to make
the existing workshop more
accessible (in the wider sense)
better to demonstrate and
explain railway engineering.
A friend volunteers on
the Friends of the NRM
information desk. He tells
me that one of the most
frequently asked questions
(apart from "where are the
toilets?”) is “what’s happened
to the workshop?” as the
previous workshop was a
popular attraction at the
museum. He adds that seeing
the restoration of Sir Nigel
Gresley in the workshop was
particularly popular with
visitors. I can only speculate
that this feedback was ignored
by museum management bent
on their antiseptic vision of
the museum that aims at a
lowest common denominator
and avoids the rather grubbier
image of heritage engineering.
The workshop acquired
historic but useful equipment
from the York Carriage
Works. By disposing of this
equipment, the NRM has also
stripped York City of part of
its own engineering heritage.
I fear that as in other large
national museums with
engineering collections there is
diminishing understanding of
this heritage.
Not for the first time in
museums something real is
supplanted by an artificial
creation. However, I can safely
predict that this will be the
most hyped new development.
Yours sincerely, Roger
Backhouse (York)
Dear Martin,
Roger Backhouse recently
wrote to this journal
concerning the removal of the
restoration workshop of the
National Railway Museum
(Smoke Rings, issue 4679, 3rd
December 2021). I am replying
to Sir Peter Hendy’s response
to this letter.
The workshop was one
of the most compulsively
fascinating features of the
NRM. In justifying its removal
Sir Peter states that:
‘… For the last few years [the
workshop] has mainly been
used by external organisations,
not the museum, with much
of the equipment sitting
redundant… ‘.
This is disingenuous. From
the time that the museum
opened on the present site,
the workshop has been run by
a succession of well qualified
engineers beginning with John
Bellwood, a Doncaster trained
Model Engineer 28 January 2022
apprentice who had spent
his life in main-line railway
locomotive maintenance. Most
recently, the equally competent
Richard Gibbon occupied
the post. Since he retired, to
the best of my knowledge,
the workshop has lacked
a professionally qualified
engineering staff.
The import of Sir Peter’s
letter is that he sees interactive
displays as a more effective
means of stimulating
interest in engineering and
technology. This avenue has
been pursued for nearly half a
century, ever since Professor
Richard Gregory opened the
Exploratory at Bristol in 1981,
subsequently closed. Other
variations on the theme
suffered the same fate, notably
Transperience in Bradford
which collapsed after two
years having cost £11.5 million
and leaving debt of £1 million.
Magna and Catalyst followed
similar trajectories. It requires
no great effort to prolong this
litany of failure.
The effectiveness of
these Visitor Experiences in
achieving the objective of
developing a new generation of
technologists has, to the best
of my knowledge, never been
objectively measured. Eureka,
probably the most ambitious
and lavishly funded has been in
operation for 30 years so that
such ventures have had plenty
of time to justify themselves.
Yet this country continues to
perform dismally badly in terms
of education in technology.
It is my impression that the
most enthusiastic supporters
of these Visitor Experiences
are mainly to be found in
the state-owned museums
of technology. This owes
much to the trend in these
institutions over the past thirty
years towards replacing staff
with engineering or sciences
backgrounds by graduates
from the humanities or arts
whose attitude to technology
often ranges from indifference
to hostility. What proportion
of the National Railway
Museum’s current staff are
qualified in the engineering
professions, the history of
technology or have academic
 POSTBAG

destruction a huge legacy engineers attempt to achieve

of historically important in addition to a basic design,
technology which ought e.g. reliability, safety, longevity
to be accorded equal and the like.
significance alongside the An indication of how these
more conventional cultural situations come about is
arts. Instead knowledge and available. The directors of the
enthusiasm have become an Canadian aviation museum,
embarrassment with financial agriculture museum, and
implications. The response has science and technology
been to eliminate the politically museum, along with the
perceived malady by replacing director general over them,
specialists and elevating do not claim any experience,
Harris Engine ignorance of the subject to the education, training, or
Dear Martin, status of a qualification. As a background in the disciplines
I note with interest the article in the latest Model Engineer result, major collections have with which their museums deal.
(issue 4679, 3rd December 2021) about the K.N. Harris been broken up, dispersed Best regards, John Bauer
oscillating engine. I attach a photograph of another Harris or otherwise squandered to
design which I made 40 years ago and have recently be replaced by meretricious Dear Martin,
refurbished. It is the twin oscillating paddle engine but I never interactive displays. The I read the reply to Roger
made the gearboxes that go with it. It runs beautifully on trivialisation of knowledge Backhouse from Sir Peter
steam and air. I originally made it to power a model of Brunel’s is now as great a threat to Hendy with incredulity. Apart
Great Eastern steamship but it was never fitted. Events Britain’s historical industrial from the management speak
overtook me and the model is now on display in the Museum heritage as economic change that creeps into his letter I
of London Docklands. was when these museums have heard nothing to suggest
Yours sincerely, Keith Hickman (Bristol) started. that detailed plans for another
Dr. Ron Fitzgerald workshop are ready.
If the museum is serious
or published credibility? How State-owned museums have Dear Martin, about a wanting a workshop
many possess any craft skills increasingly retreated from In the Postbag for issue 4679 wouldn’t it be sensible to have
in wood or metal? How many exploiting their magnificent (3rd December 2021) I read one ready before closing the
are members of the Newcomen collections in a constructively with dismay that the workshop other one? I strongly suspect
Society, the internationally stimulating way. The collection of the National Railway it will never be built and if it is
recognised society for the should be the focus of the Museum has been dismantled then it cannot possibly have
history of technology including museum’s entire attention and to be replaced by a ‘Wonderlab’ anything other than a token
railway technology? I believe the conservation workshop which is to be a ‘dynamic, range of equipment incapable
that the current director of the capable of undertaking dramatic, and multisensory of doing the work possible
NRM, Ms. Judith McNichol, reasonably comprehensive gallery (coal smoke, steam, previously. The old workshop
has a degree in Countryside engineering is the bedrock piercing whistles, flying was a fascinating place to visit.
Management and that on her upon which good interpretive connecting rods?) to help As a resident of York, I find it
appointment emphasised display should be built. visitors think and act like sad that the museum reflects
that she was ‘… not a train From this point of view state- engineers’. little of York’s own rich railway
spotter… and… does not have a owned museums compare I can assure readers that heritage. Looking round the
passion for trains …’. This lack badly when set against the in Canada at the National museum you would be hard
of empathy for the institution’s best amateur museums. Museum of Science and pressed to discover that the
raison d’être is widespread The workshops at Crich, the Technology this progressive city once had a major carriage
across museums of Anson Engine Museum and measure was taken many works. Some machine tools
technology and yet to suggest the Vintage Carriage Trust years ago. It has now been from the works went to the
that appointments at the Tate, workshops on the Keighley and followed by the even more museum workshop. They
the V & A, the Courtauld or a Worth Valley Railway are three progressive measure of dated back to the 1950’s.
major city art gallery should amongst other best-practice allowing the museum spur You would think that such
show a similar contempt for exemplars. Perhaps every to be damaged severely by important artefacts would be
specialist expertise would so-called museum professional uncaring lineside land users. treasured. Not so, they have
quickly summon forth howls of should spend some time The shallow irrationality gone to other railways and are
outrage. seconded to one of these of helping ‘visitors think and utterly lost to York.
My career experience of establishments. act like engineers’ leaves I fear that museum
museums of technology is not The National Railway me certain that I am being management are so obsessed
as exalted as Sir Peter’s but Museum on its present ‘hornswoggled’. (Thank you, with creating a ‘visitor
it is probably more extensive site was one of a number Yosemite Sam.) Being an experience’ that they have
and was for a considerable of museums of technology engineer I can imagine myself lost all sight of preserving real
period spent on the coalface. I established in the thirty years demonstrating at least a part railway heritage. Of all people,
suggest he is missing the point. after 1960 by enthusiasts who of what engineers do and Sir Peter Hendy should know
The best way to stimulate almost invariably possessed how they go about it. As far better than to put his name to
engineering interest (in both a profound knowledge of the as the mindset of engineers such a disgraceful letter.
younger and older visitors) is subject. Their commitment is concerned I should stick Yours faithfully,
through the full-size object. and dedication saved from merely to covering what Colin S. Moore (York)

www.model-engineer.co.uk 205
An Astronomical
Bracket Clock PART 21

T
he top and bottom
of the main body are
Adrian rectangular and if you
Garner have enough wood of the
makes a same type as the main body no
special comment is needed. In
bracket clock showing my case I did not have enough
both mean and sidereal mahogany so I cut these parts
time. from some American white oak
I had available and then routed
a lip about ⅛ to 3⁄16 inch deep
Continued from p.134 by ¾ inch wide on the front
M.E. 4682, 14 January 2022 of both the top and bottom
sections and glued on an
oversize strip of mahogany as
a veneer. Once dry, I trimmed
the ends with a fine-toothed
Japanese saw, which has the
teeth shaped so that they cut
when pulling towards you.
This allowed a very precise cut
to length. The long edge was
hand planed and the whole
then run through the surface
planer to take just the finest
cut off the main surface and
bring the veneer to the same
thickness as the board.
After cutting the circular
hole in the top for the Tellurian
it is time to form the dovetails
in the sides, top and bottom
which make for the strong

95
structure. Those skilled at
woodwork will cut these by
hand. I used my router with a
Leigh dovetail jig. A word of
warning. The use of a dovetail
router cutter across the grain
of the wood causes chipping
and worse still splitting and
the instructions by Leigh
correctly warn against
taking such action. If, like
me, you have cut the upper
and lower rails for the sides
along the grain the solution
is as follows. Apply double
Precautions for avoiding ‘breakout’ while cutting along the grain. sided tape across the area
of the dovetails and use this
to affix strips of waste wood
to both sides. This supports
the wood during routing and
greatly, but not completely,
eliminates breakout. This
would not be an issue if the
grain had been in line with the
uprights but then routing the
grooves for the glass would
have been correspondingly
difficult. As the dovetails will
be completely hidden from
view by the veneer this seemed
to me to be the better option
(photo 95).

206 Model Engineer 28 January 2022


96
97
Forming the dovetail joints.
There is one other
consideration. Across grain
dovetails are not as strong
as those along the grain. The
dovetails on the uprights of the
sides, however, are along the
grain. My experience is that a
sufficiently strong structure
has been formed as the clock
is always lifted by its base.
Three other comments about
the dovetails:
www.model-engineer.co.uk
1. Avoid having a dovetail
where the uprights meet the
cross rails.
2. There is little point cutting
the dovetails so that they
have to be planed flat after
gluing. This may make for
nice looking dovetails but
none of these will be seen.
Cut them so that the pins
etc. are just short of the
surface.
11
Top & bottom, 16 " thick
11
False top 16 " less veneer thickness
14.0000
7.0000
4.1563
Dovetails not shown
4.000 dia. hole in top,
3.000 dia. hole in false top
Front rails 21" thick
Rear rails 58" thick
12.7500
Length approximate, measure from clock carcase
3. Stick labels on each end of
each piece of wood so that
you know what matches
with what. In my view this is
essential with asymmetric
dovetails especially as the
Leigh device requires boards
to be mounted facing/not
facing and mounted on
either the left or right of the
jig for the various cuts.
Before gluing up sand the
outside of the sides taking
particular care where the
uprights meet the cross rails
as these will need to be flat to
take the veneer. Check that the
clock case body assembles
dry. Unless you are particularly
good at cutting dovetails, it is
likely that there will be a small
lip where the sides meet the
top and bottom at the rear. It is
easier to bring them level with a
plane at this stage – only a few
shavings should be needed.
Once satisfied, apply glue to
all the dovetail surfaces - too
much is better than too little.
Assemble and apply light
clamping pressure. Check
that all is square. Leave to dry
(photos 96 and 97).
The two beams on which
the clock rests are next. If
you have opted to make the
carcass out of oak I suggest
you use another wood for
ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK
Fig 41
8.3125
1.3125
these two items as oak can
encourage marking/corrosion.
Cut these beams overlength
so that they can be trimmed to
fit and act as a stop to prevent
the rear door closing inwards.
One is held in position by two
1¼ inch No. 6 wood screws
– do not glue and leave the
other loose at this stage. To be
traditional, use slotted rather
than cross head screws. If
you first assemble with steel
screws these can be replaced
with brass screws which look
better if anyone examines the
bottom of your case!
We can now return to the
doors. The uprights should be
brought to length allowing for
the veneer which will be glued
to the tops and bottoms, the
latter being just sawn slices of
the chosen timber. The upper
and rear door rails need to be
similarly treated so that their
width allows for the veneer
thickness. (Do not cut the
veneers yet.) Before gluing
together return to the milling
machine and mill the recesses
in the uprights for the hinges
which can be marked up from
the recesses already milled in
the main body. The recess for
the front door lock can also be
milled at this stage but leave
the rear door hinge until later
so that it mates with the catch >>
207
 Fig 42 Case cross section
Veneer
3.0000 0.6875 1.5000
0.6875
0.2500
4.0000

0.6250

7.6875

14.0000

2.1250 0.6250
5.8750
7.2500

2.0625 2.5000
0.7813 0.6875
Veneer
0.2500 0.2500 1.2500 0.7500

2.5000 0.2500 0.3750

Clearance drill holes for 1 1/4" x No.6 screws 3.1250

98 99

Making the door for the clock. Adding the door veneer.

plate slot already milled in the
main body. Do not hurry over
laying out the positions for this
furniture - removing wood is
easy on the milling machine but
it cannot be put back. Measure
two or three times to check.
Once satisfied, the four
parts of the doors can be
glued together using biscuits
at the joints. Standard No.10
Trend biscuits are too big so
cut them to fit with a junior
hacksaw. No great precision
is needed. After a dry run to
check all fits squarely apply
glue to the slots, biscuits and
mating surfaces and clamp
checking all is square. Glue
will inevitably seep out of the
joints. I laid the doors joints on
pieces of grease proof which
prevented them sticking to the
surface of the bench. Wipe
away excess glue and leave to
set (photo 98).
When dry sand the inner and
outer surfaces. The hinges
for the front door can now
be mounted. (The rear door
hinges should be fitted after
veneering to allow for the
veneer thickness.) I used a
sharp pointed bradawl to mark
the position of the ⅜ inch No.
2 brass screws through the
hinge holes and drilled the
holes just under 1⁄16 inch to
make it easier for the screws.
Use steel screws first to open
up the hole. If not available,
the first brass screw to enter
the hole will inevitably end up
with a damaged head and need
replacing on final assembly or,
at worst, break.
The top and bottom door
veneers can now be cut to a
thickness so that they leave the
needed gap of about 1⁄32 – 1⁄16
inch to allow free movement of
the doors. Cut over length and
width and glue in position. Trim
to size with the Japanese saw
and plane when set (photo 99).
lTo be continued.

208 Model Engineer 28 January 2022

Puma A Four Cylinder, Twin PART 3
Camshaft, 30cc I/C Engine
Part 29P – Crankshaft
The crankshaft is the item that
Pete initiated the creation of Puma.
As I have mentioned when I
Targett
built Bobcat it was obvious that
builds his another pair of cylinders could
own version of Malcolm be accommodated.
Stride’s twin cam internal Malcolm’s approach to the
combustion engine. crankshaft was to machine it
out of solid and for many of you
this will be the obvious way to
Continued from p147 go. However, my attempts to
M.E. 4682, 14 January 2022 do this when making Bobcat
failed miserably. I was a
beginner and knew little about
stress in materials. The piece
of expensive key steel I had
purchased for the crankshaft
soon became an expensive
steel banana. I was not going
to try again so opted for a
fabricated solution. I had never
intended an engine that was
going to do any real work. My
engines are for high days and
holidays and demonstrations
only. I have stuck with the
16
Puma crank shaft prior to assembly.
17
Flywheel and cut down prop for air cooling.
www.model-engineer.co.uk
same approach here, hence
parts 29a-g. That does not stop
anybody, though, who may
want to make it in one piece.
Photograph 16 shows the crank
prior to final assembly.
Unlike the Bobcat crankshaft,
which had two journals and
was single throw with counter
balance weights, the Puma
has two journals but is double
throw so does not require any
counterbalance weights.
Each part is relatively simple
machining job. Make the webs
first and ream the holes. The
webs can then be used as
gauges to ensure that mating
parts of shafts and journals
are the correct size - the closer
the fit, the easier it will be
to assemble the crankshaft
correctly. I used silver steel for
the shaft ends and journals.
For assembly, I used high
strength high temperature
Loctite 620. Before starting,
make sure that all the parts are
clean. I use wax and grease
remover from the paint section
in my local store and then
Loctite primer. First assemble
the nose and tail with their
respective webs and make
sure the webs are perfectly
square to the shafts. Then
add the centre web and crank
journals. I could show you how
I did this but to be honest I do
not remember the details of
what I did to make sure that
everything was flat and square.
Once it was cured, I put
the nose of the completed
crankshaft in a collet in the
lathe and rotated it slowly
under power. It will be pretty
obvious if you have got it
wrong. If so, applying some
gentle heat with the gas torch
will allow the whole thing
to be disassembled and the
assembly re-done. It goes
without saying it pays to get
this right.
Once you are happy with
it, and it is completely cured,
drill the holes for the pins and
insert, again with the high
strength Loctite, and then
lightly pein over the ends. The
observant amongst you may
notice that in the photograph
I have drilled my pins from the
ends. This was a moment of
laziness and not thinking on
my part. I found out the hard
way when running and one of
the pins shot out and stalled
the engine. Please put the
pins in from the side.
The crankshaft spacers
replace the shoulders on
the original as there is little
point in starting with 14mm
or 16mm silver steel and
turning all but 1mm down
to the required sizes. So,
the crankshaft nose and tail
are made from 12mm and
10mm respectively and these
spacers used to replace the
shoulders. It would also be
sensible to make them from
bronze.
The thing that builders need
to consider is whether the
front/nose of the shaft is to
have a flywheel or a propeller.
I went for both. As my Bobcat
was the water-cooled version,
I decided to make Puma air
cooled but I did not want a
massive prop flying around so
opted for the flywheel and a
cut down prop to provide the
air cooling (photo 17).
Part 39P – Camshaft
and Part 40 - Camshaft
long spacer
The only differences between
the parts for the Bobcat
camshaft shaft and that for
Puma is that two camshafts
are required. Each shaft is
110mm rather than 96mm and
the long spacer is 12mm rather
than 5mm.
Camshaft assembly
The eight cams required for
Puma are made exactly as
described by Malcolm. He >>
209
 Fig 3

Firing order options - 1,3,4,2 was chosen.

offered two methods, for those

with or without DRO’s fitted 18 19
to their mill. It probably goes
without saying that the time
spent getting this right has an
impact on how well the engine
will run.
Malcolm suggests cutting
the profiles using the Z axis of
the mill. I did that for Bobcat
and Lynx but as you are Machining cams on the mill. Eight finished cams.
required to crank the weight
of the whole mill head up and
down, at times only 0.01mm, I 20 21
found it less than satisfactory.
This time, I used the Y axis and
had far better control. However,
it does require the rotary table
and fixed centre to be set up
accurately along the X and Y
axis. However, whichever axis
you choose, the camshaft blank
still needs to be accurately set
up in all three axes (photo 18). Revised cam jig makes all the difference for
Photograph 19 shows eight Malcolm’s original cam alignment jig. an accurately assembled camshaft.
finished cams.
As we now have four 3) and the long spacer 5mm suggested a simple ‘V’ but you started again using a jig shaped
cylinders and two camshafts from the end of the right-hand can see from this picture (photo to the cam lobe. It made all the
a decision had to be made on camshaft (cylinders 2 and 4). 20), from his original article, difference (photo 21).
the firing order of the cylinders Again, I used Loctite 620. As that it does not ensure angular With the rotary table set to
(fig 3). The choices were this does take some time to accuracy when setting the zero, the camshaft installed,
1,2,4,3 or 1,3,4,2 - either way cure you have a bit of wiggle cams. For the first assembly of and the first cam having been
adjacent cylinders would fire room while you are assembling my camshaft, I used a jig like positioned in the jig, rotate the
one after the other. Following the camshaft. Malcolm’s. When it came to table clockwise to the next
a discussion on one of the Once the spacers have set setting up the valves were not setting in the table in fig 4.
forums the decision was made on the shaft, fix the first cam to opening at the point they were Using the jig, fix the cam to
to go with 1,3,4,2 butt up against the spacer and expected to and the engine butt up to the first cam. Allow
I followed Malcolm’s method let that cure. You now have a did not run that well. It did not time to cure and then move on
of assembling the camshaft starting point for setting up the have enough compression as to cam #3, located 16mm from
(fig 4). Viewed from the rear of camshaft on the rotary table the valves were not fully closed cam #2, and then cam #4. Then
the engine, fix one short spacer and plenty of time to make the when they needed to be. In the assemble the second camshaft
5mm from the end of the left- alignment jig. Please do take end I applied some heat and using the setting in the second
hand camshaft (cylinders 1 and some time with this. Malcolm took my camshaft apart and table. lTo be continued.

210 Model Engineer 28 January 2022

 211
PUMA

6 5 4 3 2 1
Camshaft assembly.
D D
Left Hand Right Hand
C C
16,00 23,00
5,00
Defined from rear of engine
Camshafts rotate clockwise
Cylinder 1 leads 3 by 90 deg
Cylinder 4 leads 2 by 90 deg
Cylinder 1 leads 4 by 180 deg (by timing belt)
Camshaft Left 106,00
Short Spacer 16,00 Left Hand
• 0 EX-1 5,00
B • 102.5 IN-1 B
• 192.5 IN-3
• 90 EX-3
Long Spacer
Camshaft Right Right Hand
Long Spacer
• 0 EX-2

www.model-engineer.co.uk
• 102.5 IN-2
• 12.5 IN-4
• 270 EX-4 Date Name
Short Spacer Drawn 12/06/2019 Pete
A Checked
Puma 4 Cylinder 30cc A
Standard
Fig 4 6A3
6 5 4 3 2 1
Teeny-Tiny
Engines PART 2
I
will diverge a bit now and
say that the boiler has not
Gerald been formally tested and
Martyn our sensible boiler inspector
did not show a great deal of
finds that interest (and anyway these
small is beautiful. engines are not really for
public demonstration). There’s
plenty of spare strength and
Continued from p.142 the amount of heat available
M.E. 4682, 14 January 2022 from the methylated spirit
burner is not likely to raise the
pressure to anything like a
failure value.
In Model Engineer issue 4652
(6th November 2020) Joseph-
Jean Pâques showed how
silver-soldered round boilers
with simple end plates when
under pressure test will bulge
alarmingly without the end
plates blowing out. My little
boiler has an additional stay,
though this is mostly to ease
assembly for soldering and
provide attachment for cover
plates, so will be stronger.
Calculations would also
show the shell is the weak
point so here I’ll just stay
with the simply calculated
stress that matters most,
the circumferential, or hoop,
stress. For my boiler at
working pressure this is 486
psi. A reasonable and rational
allowable stress for annealed
copper would be 9000 psi, this
being the 0.2% proof stress,
which is to say that my 1 inch
boiler would permanently grow
by 0.002 inch at this stress.
Normally I would use this value
to compare to the stress at
test pressure, which is twice
working pressure. The reserve
on strength is therefore 9000/
(486 x 2) = 9.25. In my working
days in the stress office an
item this over-strength would
be referred back to design to
save some weight. For a factor
of 1.0 the internal pressure
212
4
⁄64 inch piston slide valve engine parts.
9
would be 740 psi and to
achieve this the temperature
would need to be around 510
degrees F (265 degrees C)
which is asking a lot of my
little spirit burners. All this is
against an allowable strength
deliberately set low to avoid
any significant deflection.
In absolute safety terms the
ultimate tensile strength of
30,000 psi could have been
used (though probably then
with a safety factor) at which
stress the boiler will grow to
perhaps 1.5 inches diameter
and in the course of doing so
give enough visual indication
for something to be done (or
to just leave the room!). All
these calculations use room
temperature values and it is
worth noting that the 0.2%
proof stress, at any rate,
does not decline much at the
temperatures we normally
operate at.
Next off the blocks was a
smaller version of the slide
valve engine and it occupied
me through most of the main
2020 ‘lockdown’. This was
planned to be given a ⅛ inch
bore x 3⁄16 inch stroke but there
proved to be space for a 9⁄64
inch bore. The crosshead
is trunk-guided and 7⁄64 inch
(0.109 inch) diameter with
appropriate flats, slot and
hole. This engine reached
something like the limits of
the possible whilst trying to
get a ‘full size’ type layout
when 14BA fasteners are the
smallest to hand - and it also
taxed my eyesight! Ideally, I
would have liked to use 14BA
threads on the piston rod but
failed to find a supplier for a
Model Engineer 28 January 2022
working 14BA die. Eventually,
and rather frustrated, I opted
for 1mm threads and used
a tap and die set from a
clockmaker’s supplier. While
using this supplier I also
purchased clockmaker’s
tweezers, long-nosed pliers
and teeny screwdrivers, all of
which proved very useful.
Why carry on with those
outdated BA threads, perhaps
I hear you ask? Well in spite
of their demise being long
predicted they are still more
widely available than metric
equivalents, for a start, and
after many years I have a near
complete set of taps and dies.
Perhaps the fact that they
give a rational size range and
were designed to do a job
well rather than to fit some
arbitrary foreign standard
gives them the edge and, of
course, if the nut fits the bolt
then what does it matter if
it’s metric or not as long as
it’s cheap and available? It’s
best not to get too hung-up on
these things; when I needed to
replace a bezel on our German-
made cooker hob I found the
thread was a nice Imperial 5⁄16 x
40 TPI, so there!
Back to the job. The general
arrangement drawing is shown
in fig 4, and the finished parts
and sub-assemblies are shown
laid out in photo 4. The main
frame is a rather fiddly silver-
soldered fabrication. The steam
ports are drilled holes 1⁄32 inch
diameter and spaced at 3⁄64 inch
centres. For full port opening
and zero lap this requires a
valve travel of 1⁄16 inch and
a valve length of ⅛ inch. I
expected some slackness at

the eccentric and valve buckle
and this will compensate in
part for the slight overtravel of
the exhaust cavity. We’re at a
size where a thou or two slack
can make a difference.
The valve itself is round, like
the ports, and has a 1⁄16 inch
diameter cavity, because it’s
so much easier to make than a
rectangular form. A rectangular
outer shape may be easy
but just imagine milling an
accurate rectangular 1⁄16 inch
wide cavity. The simple round
ports and valve seem to work
fine and, like the oscillator, if
I can get the flywheel to spin
then that’s fine - maximum
efficiency is for another day.
Steam and exhaust piping is
again 2mm copper and there is
a displacement lubricator and
a condensate and oil separator
in the exhaust system.
An essential feature is the
trunk guide for the crosshead.
I reviewed alternative layouts
but the overwhelming
advantage of the trunk guide
is that it’s easy to get the
guide tube concentric with the
cylinder bore and the piston-
rod concentric to the guide.
It’s what lathes are for. If the
guide is made as one part then
you can’t, of course, guarantee
concentricity between a deep
drilled hole and the short,
turned, spigot which locates
the trunk guide in the cylinder.
To circumvent the problem
a separate spigot insert is
used. In this case the guide
is turned from ¼ inch square
brass and carefully drilled
right through. I don’t have a 7⁄64
inch reamer but have found it
possible to get good results
by drilling a close undersize
then opening out with the
final size drill on a slow speed;
5 6
⁄64 inch piston slide valve steam plant.
9
www.model-engineer.co.uk
rather like a reamer. A short
and stepped insert is made to
locate the guide tube to the
cylinder bore; turning the guide
diameter, cylinder diameter
and drilling for the piston rod
before parting-off ensures
concentricity. The insert
can then be soft soldered or
Loctited into the guide tube.
The crosshead, of course,
is a simple turned part with
flats, pin hole and slot put-in
afterwards.
The finished steam
plant is shown in photo 5.
Cylinder lagging is bonded-
on mahogany veneer, just to
look nice really. The chimney
unit on the left is the oil and
condensate catcher; nothing
special, just a round tank with
a deflector. To the right is a
tiny displacement lubricator.
The boiler is a longer version
of the one described for the
oscillator, is fired using a larger
methylated spirit tank with two
slightly smaller burner heads,
and uses the same safety
valve (that’s four engines now
using it!). The metal base plate
has to grow a bit for this one
and is 3¾ inches wide by 3¼
inches deep.
This time there were a few
teething problems. There
was a definite tight spot and
no amount of running on air
would remove it. Eventually,
having observed that it
occurred at maximum valve
travel, the penny dropped
and further investigation
proved that the valve was
just bumping the end of the
steam chest. The valve timing
was not too good, either.
Somehow, it seems, I had put
an extra full turn onto the valve
spindle thread, which is to say
0.25mm, or 0.010 inch. When
⁄64 inch piston slide valve engine running.
9
Fig 4
25/32
Ø3
/4
15/32
Slide valve engine
general arrangement.
corrected all was well and the
engine runs freely once the
condensate has cleared the
pipework. Photograph 6 shows
it in motion (which you can see
by the blurred flywheel spokes,
connecting rod and valve
spindle).
Now what? I still couldn’t
decide on a major project and
deferred the decision to see
if Father Christmas had any
suitable ideas. To tide me
over I decided to simply try
something smaller.
With the 3⁄32 inch diameter
piston oscillating engine
working then the next obvious
size to try would be a 1⁄16 inch
piston. This was the next
smallest available Imperial size
TINY ENGINES
Steam In
Exhaust
1 15/32
for brass ‘bar’. So, in traction
engine terminology, it would
be an 8 inch scale version of
the previous, or a 6 inch scale
version of LBSC’s. Here’s where
CAD came in handy; I simply
shrank the drawing model by
a factor of 0.6667 and then
rationalised the dimensions a
bit where appropriate. So, for
example, the main pivot shaft
went from 1⁄16 inch diameter
to 0.0417 inch diameter and
was rationalised to 3⁄64 inch,
a size that I could easily drill
the pivot hole at. The general
arrangement drawing is shown
in fig 5. The steam ports
become 0.025 inch diameter
(No. 72) spaced 0.054 inch
apart. This gives a bit of ‘dead
space’ and doesn’t sound
quite right but I anticipated
that the drill may cut slightly
oversize and it seemed more
important to prevent steam
getting directly from inlet
to exhaust without passing
through the engine. I’m
fortunate to have purchased,
from an auto-jumble many
years ago, a Microball height
gauge. If you’ve not seen
one of these then it’s based
on a stack of super-accurate >>
213
 5/16
Fig 5
Ø1
3
/3
2
balls in a vertical tube with a
micrometer thimble for fine
adjustment. These are really
accurate, easy and quick to
set, and to my mind the dog’s
do-da’s for marking out. The
only drawback (if it is one) is
that the measurement units
are determined by the ball size
and mine has half-inch balls
so the units are inches. This is
one good reason I seldom use
metric dimensions. Anyway,
the essential point is that
funny dimensions like 0.054
inch are no problem with one
of these.
The only threaded fasteners
are the 14BA (double) nuts on
the main shaft to adjust the
port-face loading spring and
a 14BA screw to retain the
flywheel. Everything else on the
engine, including the 1⁄16 inch
steam pipes is held together
with soft solder or Loctite.
The shrinkage factor
produced a tiny boiler and
I boosted this up to a more
reasonable ⅞ inch diameter.
Bushes are threaded 5⁄32 inch
and a new regulator valve and
safety valve were designed.
The regulator spindle is 5⁄64 inch
diameter and threaded 9BA,
my first use of this rare size,
which I have in a second-hand
set acquired years ago, and the
connection for the pipework
nut and nipple is 5BA. The
214
1
⁄ inch piston
16
oscillating engine.
1/4
whole affair is just like the
previous ones, complete with
insulated boiler ends, but
smaller. The casing, boiler and
burner assembly is shown
in fig 6 and I’ve included the
safety valve this time because
it’s new for this design (and
uses a 1⁄16 inch diameter ball).
The finished steam plant is
shown in photo 7. The metal
base plate is now down to 2½
inches square, so a rattling-
good fit on a beer mat. The
workman in the picture has full
H&S gear on, of course. Does it
go? Yes, but steam comes out
where it shouldn’t, as with the
Fig 6 Steam valve
not shown in this view
Ø7
/8
15/16
1 1/8
7
⁄16 inch oscillator steam plant.
1
larger one. Once I had cleaned
the Loctite out of the pipes (!)
the main problems were with
the boiler and burner. The flame
is rather small and close to
the boiler, so can be difficult to
establish properly, and initially
the tank and burner were too
small so a bigger unit had to be
made. It helps to position the
burner head to one side whilst
the boiler warms a bit otherwise
the proximity of cold copper
extinguishes the flame, and
everything is so close together
that when the safety valve first
lifts then the resulting shower
drains onto the burner and puts
it out (again). However, with
the flame established and with
fairly dry steam from the safety
valve then steam production
is adequate and the engine
buzzes away quite nicely.
For this last one my etch
1 7/16
Bushes
5/32 x 40 threads
1 15/16
Model Engineer 28 January 2022
primer had ‘gone off’ so I
painted enamel straight on to
the brass. Previously I’d not
really thought much about
etch primer - I just used it as
is recommended - but this
little engine shows its worth
as the paint is coming off
after a very few runs whereas
on the others it’s staying-put.
The builder’s plate, by the way,
was a late addition and made
using spray-on photo sensitive
lacquer, and etched in sodium
persulphate solution which
seems to be very good for fine
work. Fairly conventional stuff
made easier now we all have
our own computers to do the
art work on.
Next? Further shrink the
slide valve engine? Nah! Next
time I’ll try something I can
actually see…
ME
5BA thread for
pipe nipple
⅞ inch
boiler casing
and boiler
assembly.
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 PART 1

Measuring Threads
Jacques
Maurel
looks
at variations of the
‘three wire method’ for
measuring threads.
W
hen cutting threads
we often need to Fig 1 Three wires method.
measure them to
ensure that the depth of
the thread is correct. In this
article I propose to look at a
few methods for doing this.
I’ll focus on the diameter
only, assuming the angles are
correct, and try to find simply
solutions satisfactory for
the model engineer - neither
too complex nor too time
consuming nor too expensive.

External threads
The usual way to measure
these is to use the ‘three wires
method’ (see fig 1). Here,
the diameter De is measured
using a sliding caliper or a
micrometer. Figure 1 shows
how this is done using a set of
three wires.
The correct measurement
for an ISO thread (60° angle) is
given by:
Fig 2
Clip for three wire method.
1 2
De = D + (3d – 1.515p) (1)
where
De = diameter over the wires
D = external thread diameter;
d = wire diameter
p = pitch of the thread.
The set of wires is usually
provided with a chart giving
the right wire diameter (about
0.6p) and the (3d - 1.515p)
dimension for each of the
usual pitches.
The big problem here is how
to hold the three wires and the
measuring device with only
two hands! Many solutions
have been proposed such as
planting the wires in a piece
of foam or plasticine or a
cork. There is also the use of
adhesive tape. None of these
is satisfactory, particularly
when used in the workshop
while machining.
Some clips do exist to make
this easier (see fig 2 and
photos 1 and 2) but these can
only be used with a micrometer
as they are designed to suit
the micrometer (cylindrical)
jaws but they are not so easy
to use while machining. The
clip plate 1 (fig 2) is drilled for
the micrometer jaw to pass
through, two spring loaded
clamps 2 are used for retaining
a single wire on the first clip
and a pair of wires on the
second clip.

Alternative solutions
One possible alternative is
the ‘one wire’ method but the
measurement will involve
knowing the cylinder diameter
Clips for three wire method. Clips in use. and the burr (on the thread

216 Model Engineer 28 January 2022

 THREADS

crest) must be filed off before

measuring. 3 4
Ordinary iron wire, or piano
wire, bent in a ‘U’ shape to fit
the thread can be used. This
is a ‘two wire method’ and is
convenient, but for comparison
only (see photos 3 and 4).
Photograph 3 shows an M40
x 1.5mm pitch thread with
a 1mm diameter wire and in
photo 4 the thread external
diameter is 12.3mm, the pitch
0.75mm and the wire diameter
is 0.5mm. You must keep the Two wire method, using a micrometer.
contact plane of the calipers
jaws parallel with the part usually smaller than the Fig 3
axis. This method is sufficient micrometer’s.
for comparing the machined * Set the first clip on one
thread to a reference thread but caliper’s jaw and lock the
not to get the exact calculated screw 8.
measurement. Moreover, * Set the second clip on Clip for two wire method.
ordinary iron wire has not a true the other caliper’s jaw,
circular section and is soft. close the caliper to bring
the cylindrical anvils into
Caliper clip contact (cross the clips to
In order to use the three wire clear the wire clamps 2).
method with a Vernier caliper * Lock the second screw 8 and
rather than a micrometer we ‘zero’ the caliper (or note the
need a clip adapted for use actual measure).
with the caliper. Figures 5 and * Set the single wire on the
6 show such a clip in use and dedicated clip (a ’V’ notch is
a schematic for such a clip is machined on the clamps for
show in fig 3. centering).
* Set the two other wires on
Principle the other clip (a shallow
These clips are like the ones groove is machined on the
used with micrometers, so clamps to prevent the wires
one anvil 7 is clamped onto moving out from the anvil).
each of the caliper’s jaws to
produce a cylindrical jaw, as
with the micrometer. A groove 5 6
is machined on the cylindrical
part to fit a retaining plate 9, so
the clip is linked to the jaw, but
with sufficient freedom for the
measure to be taken.

Use
* Clamp the caliper on a
mike support (see photo
7) using some packing, as
the caliper’s thickness is Three wire method, using clips.

7 8

Zeroing the clips. Winding the spring. >>

www.model-engineer.co.uk 217
 Fig 4 Clip main plate. Fig 6

Stud.

* Your caliper is ready now for

thread measuring. Fig 5 Clip holding plates.

Machining the clip

Main plate 1 (fig 4)
This is made of 2.5 mm
thick dural plate and the
thickness must be less than
the micrometer anvil height.
The centre hole must fit the
micrometer spindle - 6.5
mm is chosen for the sliding
caliper’s clips. The side notch
is to allow measurement near
a shoulder.

Holding plates 2 (fig 5)

These are made of 2 mm thick
brass plate. The centre notch
is made with a triangular
file on two of the plates - a
shallow one on one plate and a Spring 5 (photo 8) Table 1. Parts list for one clip
bigger one on the other so it’s This is made from 10 coils of
Part Qty. Name Material Remark
possible to hold a range of wire 0.2 mm piano wire wrapped on
No.
diameters. A centre groove is a 2 mm steel rod on a 1.5 mm
milled on the other two. pitch. The outside diameter 1 1 Main plate 2017
of the free spring is 3 mm -
2 2 Holding plate Brass 2mm thick
Studs 3 (fig 6) slightly too big but wrapping
These are made from 2 mm around a 1.6 mm rod produced 3 4 Studs Brass
brass rod (brazing rod). a spring a little too small- it
4 4 M2 nuts Brass

Anvil. 5 4 Spring Piano wire See text

Fig 7
6 (3) Measuring wire
7 1 Anvil Silver steel
8 1 Screw CHc M3-5 8-8
9 1 Retaining plate Brass 1mm thick
10 1 Screw F/90 M2-8 Brass
11 1 M2 nut Brass

would be worth trying a 1.8 careful not to leave a pip in the

mm diameter rod (bicycle centre.
spoke?). The other parts are
straightforward.
Anvil 7 (fig 7) Table 1 shows the parts list
This is made from 8 mm for one clip.
diameter silver steel. Be lTo be continued.

218 Model Engineer 28 January 2022

Showcase
Harlandic
T his 7¼ inch gauge battery
electric locomotive was
started as a project during the
first covid lockdown with a
laser cut frame, scratch built
to drawing, which I fabricated
and adapted to suit standard
stock material rather than
buying in cast iron axle boxes.
It has hand-made axles,
press fit wheels and laser
cut connecting rods and is
powered by a ¾ hp motor, with
a 24V 4QD controller. It is all
steel, with no brass bodywork.
It may be seen running
at Burton on Trent Model
Engineering Society.
Harlandic was described
Murdock Engine
by Ray McMahon in Model
Engineer, beginning in issue
4445 (14th December 2012).
T his is a single cylinder oscillating engine made from castings
supplied by the Myers Engine Works in Waterville, Ohio, USA.
The engine was described in Model Engineer beginning in issue
4640 (5th June 2020).
Paul Durden Brad Smith

www.model-engineer.co.uk 219
Ballaarat PART 8

A 5 Inch Gauge 0-4-0 Aussie Locomotive

The valve spindle assembly
The valve spindle assembly 56
Luker (photo 56 and fig 13) on this
describes locomotive will be a thing of
interest for the kiddies on a
a simple public steam day. The end of
but authentic small the spindle extends out the
locomotive. valve chest and is visible from
the front of the locomotive,
moving and chuffing with it.
Continued from p.89 With a little oil and steam
M.E. 4681, 31 December 2021 bubbling from the glands it will
be a spectacle, to be sure!
Making all the components
for this assembly is hardly Valve spindles protruding through glands.
worth describing in detail but
I will share a few tricks that locomotives go around. The specific valve chest. Mark
will make life a little easier, catch can be finished by filing the side of the catch with a
starting with the valve catch. and this is how I did mine. A little permanent marker and
The fit with the valve needs broad finishing file is clamped assemble the catch into its
to allow free movement but in the vice and the part filed valve and place this on a flat
no rattle. That’s the goal but to size by scraping it along surface with a 0.1mm shim
to be honest if you overshoot the length. If you don’t have a (from an automotive feeler
and the catch rattles a little finishing file some water paper gauge) under the valve in the
don’t stress; that tolerance can wrapped around a square bar valve chest. A 4mm bar with a
be taken up when setting the will work just as well. sharp point will make a mark
valves. Those that disagree The spindle hole is marked on the side of the catch for
vehemently can normally be on the valve chest assembly drilling the hole for the spindle.
found standing on the side of (photo 57) and marries When the valve chest is
the track watching completed that valve and catch to the assembled to the cylinder the

220 Model Engineer 28 January 2022

 >>

221
BALLAARAT

Fig 13
2

115,6
M4
SS GRUB 6 11 M4
SKREW
9

8 AF
4

4
0.1-0.15MM
VALVE LIFT O1,5 9
8
O 6
4 3
26,5

6
VALVE SPINDLE ASS PUMP SIDE CROSSHEAD NUT
SPINDLE STAINLESS BMS
VALVE CATCH BRASS
4,5 END OF STROKE
39 2
STAINLESS
30 8
7 BRASS POLISH
2
4

3/16-40 ME M4 5
O1,6

PRESS FIT
5
2

O 16
R 3,5

26
30

16
12
10
6
10,4

1,6
8,8

8
6,5

4 R2
M2 7 O

1,6
5 FOR FORWARD
14,6 PIPE - OPTIONAL
CROSSHEAD SPINDLE 12
1,5
9 3,5
O
4 SMALL SHAFT SILVER STEEL CROSSHEAD
O M2
BRAZED PLATE BMS BEARING BRONZE

2
8°

2,5 AF

2,4

O2
0,6

,4
3,3

2
DRAIN COCK
3,6
14 GRAPHITE 14
4 PACKING
TOP SLIDER

6
4

ONLY M6 M6
O 16

www.model-engineer.co.uk
11
7,5
4
8

3,2
,5 55 PRESS FIT
O2

6
O1
M3 POLISH
8 3,2 24
8 124 ROD LENGTH
3,5
130 125,5
SLIDE BAR PISTON ASSEMBLY
BMS Valve spindle assembly.
 57
Match marking the valve catch.
valve needs to lift a little; this
helps with seating and if you
get water in the cylinder due
to priming the valve can lift,
allowing the water to escape
without locking everything up.
The valve spindle coupling
can be machined using a
four-jaw chuck, but the setup
takes time and the hole for
the spindle does not have
to be that accurate. I have a
set of ‘collets’ that hold my
standard square bar stock
(under 10mm) by clamping
the corners without needing to
change to a four-jaw chuck (fig
14). Much quicker! While you’re
at it, the back of the coupling
should also be machined to
blend with the spindle which
makes the assembly look a
little neater. The component is
finished by milling or filing the


Square bar collet.
222
58
Valve chest assembled with ports cracking open nice and parallel.
slot and drilling the pin hole.
My favourite technique, radius 59
guide filing, will make quick
work of the front end of the
coupling.
The assembly of the valve
chest to the cylinder is where
the real test is. The valves
should move freely from end to
end, be able to lift off the valve
seat and the ports should crack
open parallel to the sides of the
valves (photos 58 and 59).
The drain cocks
Some people battle to make Assembled cylinders.
taper cocks, claiming that
sealing is an issue, but there collet in the lathe. You need the reamer for the brass body
are a few tricks to make this to cut at a high speed to needs to be machined (from
little valve an easy job. The make sure you get a good silver steel), leaving roughly
first item that needs to be quality finish, which is easy a 1mm flat at the end. The
made is the taper spindle. This with stainless if your tools reamer is then filed to half-
is a taper cutting operation are ground properly. Without way, quenched and tempered
using the taper slide and a changing the taper setting, the normal way and, using an
 Fig 14




Model Engineer 28 January 2022

oil stone, the cutting surface
is dressed to a keen cutting
edge. Sandpaper on a piece of
steel works just as well and I
generally go that route. Back
to the lathe (using the same
setup), machine a 16 or 20mm
BMS bar to the same taper
with a sharp dimple at the end;
this will be used with a DTI to
set the taper for any future
taper spindles. There’s a few
on this locomotive!
The body of the cock is
made using a forming tool
and the threaded part using a
knife tool and thread cutting
operations, but don’t part off.
The bar is then moved to the
milling machine and a pilot
hole drilled through the ball
of the body and the reamer
is incrementally plunged into
the hole until the taper spindle
fits correctly. A stop collar can
then be fitted to the reamer
for the following bodies. The
spindle is fitted in the hole and
tightened with the square in
the desired position, returned
to the lathe and the through
hole drilled. These two parts
are now married and shouldn’t
be parted for too long; well, the
body parted from the bar, but
you know what I mean!
Finally, the spindle is
removed and, using 600grit
sandpaper, any burr is dressed
and the cocks reassembled
with a little light grease (photo
60). Don’t turn the cocks
before removing the burr; they
will leak if you do.
The small washer at the end
of the spindle is to prevent the
nuts from rubbing against the
body. These are drilled and
parted from brass bar stock
and the oval hole in the centre
made using a home-made
press tool with a lead-in the
same size as the pilot hole.
61
Crosshead prior to soldering.
www.model-engineer.co.uk
60
Drain cocks.
This is probably not necessary
with the locking nuts but
technically more correct and
makes the movement of the
spindle smoother.
All the steam valves are
made using a similar setup
so it will be a good idea to
machine all the taper spindle
blanks while you’re at it.
The crossheads
The crossheads of any
locomotive are one of the eye-
catchers and they stick out
horribly if they deviate from
the prototype. They also need
to be accurately machined
to prevent the piston getting
stuck end stroke because the
crosshead is wedging in the
sliders or forcing the piston
rod off-centre. The crossheads
for my locomotive were made
using my special bearing
bronze mix poured the usual
way into a square bar. All faces
were skimmed to size in the
four-jaw chuck and the slots
for the sliders machined using
a 6mm end mill - but there’s a
trick here.
If you want the slider
slots spot on centre relative
to the sides and perfectly
symmetrical then you need to
use the same philosophy used
for any symmetric machining
or drilling operation. Machine
62
Crosshead assembly.
Fig 15
FLIP UPSIDE –
DOWN
Crosshead
machining sketch.
the slot using the 6mm end
mill but only traverse in
one direction, then flip the
component and redo the
cut (fig 15). The slot is now
perfectly centre and parallel
relative to the fixed jaw of the
vice. If the part is placed with
the cut slot upside down and
given the same treatment
the depth of the slot will be
perfectly centre to the centre
line of the cross head. Now
getting the two slots to size is
just a matter of repeating that
process; always cutting on
the fixed jaw side, traversing
in the same direction until
the component is on size.
Remember, all cuts need to
be half the required depth
because you’re removing
material from both sides. Of
course, the vice needs to be
set up properly for this to work
by running a DTI along the
fixed jaw.
63
Slide bars.
BALLAARAT
FLIP ROUND
Back to the lathe and
the four-jaw chuck. The
connecting rod cut-out can
be machined to a light press
fit for the connecting rod
pin. Remember to place a
little scrap brass in the slots
to protect the edges. The
connecting rod pin is best
made as a brazed assembly
of standard mild steel for
the larger press fit cylinder
and the pin itself silver steel
(photos 61 and 62) - unless,
of course, you’re a sucker for
punishment and want to make
it from one piece.
The cut-outs at the front and
back are simple end milling
operations and can be done in
a similar fashion to the slotting
of the cylinder ports. The
threaded stub silver soldered
to the main body is a simple
turning operation but I would
leave the boss at the end
oversize. After the lot has been
>>
223
 Fig 16 s 6
18 O3,9
7/16-32 ME 8

10

3
40
56 SNIFTING

16
VALVE 7,94

10
16

59,25
O6,35 1/2-32 ME

45
7/32-40 ME 20
20
2

1/2-32 ME
3

12

112,81
8
FIT FLANGES
BEFORE SOLDERING STEAM INLET
O

6,35 3
O
2,5 3
10

8
12

O 86
O

10

34
FIT FLANGES
O2 BEFORE SOLDERING

2
12 14,5 3
EXHAUST PIPES
INLET PIPE FLANGE EXHAUST PIPE FLANGE
Smokebox piping.

soldered the centre hole for the

piston rod can be machined by 64
truing up the part in the four-
jaw chuck using the touch and
en-gauge centring method (see
part 2, issue 4671, 13th August
2021) and completing the boss
to drawing. In that way, if the
boss moved during soldering
this final machining operation
will fix any indiscretion. For
this assembly it is critical the
press fit for the connecting
pin is good to distribute the
dynamic loading from the
connecting rod.

The slidebars
The slidebars (photo 63) are
a simple milling and drilling
exercise and, at a push, the top
of the slidebars can be hand
filed. The bearing surfaces
should be polished with at least
600 grit water paper. Recall
from earlier in the series - for
all sliding surfaces the harder
material is always polished and
the softer bearing material can
be left as machined.
Fitting the cylinders
and slidebars
This is where the individual
components were either
machined accurately and
Fitting the slide rods to the cylinder end caps.
things fall into place or they
weren’t and things fall apart
but no worries - anything can
be fixed!
The slide bars can be fitted
to the cylinder end caps with
1mm shims on each side of
the piston rod and the top and
bottom sliders clamped parallel
(photo 64). The stud holes for
the sliders can be spotted, then
drilled and tapped, but make
sure you don’t drill into the
gland cavity. The cylinders are
held to the frames by clamping
and the holes spotted through
the frames then drilled and
tapped. With the crossheads
and sliders fitted and some
wax paper between the sliders
and crosshead the whole lot is
clamped on the frame and the
holes for the motion plate are
marked out and drilled both on
the frame and the holes for the
sliders on the motion plate. The
top of the motion plate should
align with the top of the frame
but you’ll be lucky if this works
out perfectly. If the motion
plate extends past the frame
then you’ll need to file the top
off slightly for the running
boards to fit properly. If this
is necessary you would likely
need to open the slots for the
connecting and coupling rods
for adequate running clearance.
Some smoke box plumbing
needed for testing
We’re a hop, skip and a
jump away from testing
the mechanism on air, with
only some minor smokebox

224 Model Engineer 28 January 2022

 BALLAARAT

plumbing needed to fit an

airline. Before I get to the 65
smoke box plumbing, just a
short word on the absence of
super heaters in this design.
I am a fan of superheaters in
model live-steam locomotives
with my previous three
designs all sporting properly
calculated, designed and
fitted radiant stainless steel
superheaters, and the results
are very satisfactory. For this
locomotive I decided against
fitting superheaters for a
number of reasons; firstly, I
really wanted a locomotive
that actually exhausts a little
steam from the chimney. Fitting the smokebox piping.
None of my locomotives with
superheaters have any steam neatening up the piping scaled printed drawing. The batch so I just drilled the holes
visible from the chimney. considerably. Oh, and did I bending radii again can be and used radius guides to file
Secondly, when I did the mention the locomotive will larger depending on the former to size.
heat transfer calculations I have steam coming from the available and if the pipe kinks With all the components
found the benefit would be chimney; rather excited about a little put it back in its place made and the bottom ferrules
marginal and the added piping that! with the vice and some soft soldered to the pipes the lot
in the tiny little smokebox The piping layout for the material between the jaws. The can be trial assembled with
would make assembly and inlet and exhaust (fig 16) is machined components for the two small M2 screws holding
tube sweeping a nightmare. really not that critical, you assembly are really simple to everything in place for the
Leaving out the superheaters just need to clear the bottom make and require a little lathe final assembly soldering of the
also allows us to move smokebox plates. The easiest work and careful drilling. The respective ‘T’-pieces (photo 65).
the snifting valve from the way to fit it all up is to bend flanges can be laser cut but
wet header to the inlet ‘T’, the pipes and fit them to a I forgot to add them to the ●To be continued.

NEXT ISSUE
We Visit Somerset
John Arrowsmith heads down to the West Country to visit
the first of several Somerset clubs – the East Somerset
Society of Model Engineers near Shepton Mallet.

Queen Street Mill

Roger Backhouse continues his day out by looking
at a few looms that tackle specialist tasks.

Flying Scotsman
Peter Seymour-Howell turns his attention to the
smokebox and adds the smokebox door, with its
furniture, the chimney and the petticoat pipe.

Puma
Pete Targett continues the build of his version of
Malcolm Stride’s Bobcat and Jaguar internal combustion
engines with the manufacture of the cylinder and valves.

Injectors
Roger Froud continues his study of injector design
with a look at the role the cones play.
Content may be subject to change.

ON SALE 11 FEBRUARY 2022

www.model-engineer.co.uk 225
An Engineer’s Day Out
King Cotton PART 1

Weaving at Queen Street Mill

Queen Street Mill’s engine 1
Roger featured in Model Engineer
Backhouse No. 4541 (5th August 2016)
when it faced closure by
visits Lancashire County Council
an authentic, and still due to a massive cut in
operating, weaving mill in Government grants.
Burnley. Thankfully the Mill
reopened for summer
operation and will open
again on 30th March 2022.
As the last mill where steam
still operates power looms
this is a most evocative place
and a ‘must see’ for anyone
interested in engineering Mill engine, Peace – providing power for over 300 looms. William Roberts
or textile history. Also in and Co. of Nelson built this 500 hp tandem compound in 1894. It has
the area, Helmshore Textile recently been repaired and the mill chimney rebuilt.
Museum (Model Engineer
4535) is another fascinating
place demonstrating mule 2
spinning for cottons.

All photographs reproduced by
permission of Queen Street Mill.
M
echanical engineering
when applied to
spinning and weaving
gave Britain two of its
greatest industries: woollen
textiles once dominated
Yorkshire’s West Riding while
‘King Cotton’ dominated
Lancashire and North East
Cheshire from the early 19th
Century to the 1950’s.
Besides creating an Over 300 looms in Queen Street Mill weaving shed,
industry, mechanisation also all powered from overhead line shafting.
helped hygiene. Cottons were
easily washed and became the original steam engine built application for mechanical
far cheaper to the point where by William Roberts of Nelson, engineering (photo 2).
most working people could Lancashire, and named Peace An array of specialist
afford several changes of (photo 1). manufacturers produced
clothes. Following on from previous looms and other machinery.
Little remains of the cotton articles, this one describes
industry other than its mill the weaving processes in The weaving process
buildings but Queen Street Mill more detail, proving to be far At its simplest, weaving
in Burnley, Lancashire still has more complex than generally intersects longitudinal threads,
an authentic weaving mill with realised, but an important or warp, with transverse

226 Model Engineer 28 January 2022

 WEAVING

John Horrocks developed

3 4 Cartwright’s ideas but it was
the Roberts loom of 1830
which really moved power
weaving forward. In 1841
Kenworthy and Bullough
produced the first semi-
automatic Lancashire loom.
It lifted the healds alternately,
sent the shuttle to and fro,
battened the weave and wound
finished cloth on to a take up
Hand loom demonstration. Note the heald frames lifted Hand loom detail with shuttle and pirns. roller. Most looms at Queen
alternately to make the shed. Street Mill are later versions of
the Lancashire loom. Hundreds
of thousands were made
5 6 (photos 5 and 6).

Beaming
Weaving is only the end of
a long process and much
preparation is needed before
a loom starts work. Yarn from
spinning mills was wound on
to large bobbins, each holding
about one pound (0.5kg) of
thread, using a winding frame.
Pemberton and Co. of Burnley made this Lancashire Lancashire type loom in the mill. Note the wooden picking Yarns were then threaded on
type loom, supplied when the mill opened in 1894. stick to shoot the shuttle across, healds behind and unguarded to a warp beam in a process
machinery. known as beam-warping
(photo 7). This process took
threads, or weft. Early weaving complex patterns are created the shuttle passes through the about a day using anything up
was slow with weft thread as they are in Jacquard looms. shed, alternate healds lift for to 2500 fine threads. Beaming
passed through individual Mechanical weaving certainly the shuttle to return. The weft was one of the better paid
warp threads by hand. (Older adopted these devices but at is then battened or beat-up jobs for women who were
readers may recall darning Queen Street Mill weaving is with a reed (looking rather like responsible for tying any
socks like this!) mostly of plain cloth. a comb) to compact the cloth. broken threads together.
In a hand loom, the main A wooden shuttle, pointed As the cloth is thus produced it
components are the warp at each end, contains a pirn wraps on to a take-up roller. Sizing
beam behind, holding the warp (or spool) holding thread. It Though less used nowadays, Whilst cotton mills were
threads; these stretch along unravels when passing through shuttle looms could weave kept humid (hence their
the loom, threaded through the shed to form the weft up to 300 picks a minute. The proliferation in the damp
eyeholes in healds (or heddles) (photo 4). Each shuttle flight more picks per inch, the finer North West) threads were
held in harness frames that are across is called a pick and the weave. sized before weaving to
raised and lowered to create is driven by the picking stick make them less likely to
the shed where the shuttle is making a loud clicking noise. Loom development break. Sizing machines took
passed through (photo 3). By Shedding reverses the John Kay’s invention of the threads from the spinners
using additional healds more direction of the shuttle. After flying shuttle carrying a pirn of and passed them through a
thread with the use of a picking solution of near boiling size.
stick enabled hand weavers to The machine then dried them
7 weave broader widths of cloth on two steam heated cylinders
faster. Clergyman, Edward using steam from mill boilers,
Cartwright built the first power cooled by wooden bladed fans.
loom in 1785 but hand weaving Each tape sizer had his own
of cottons lasted until the carefully guarded formula for
1870s. (Harris Tweed is still making size. Treated thread
made from local wool on hand was wound onto a weaver’s
looms in the Outer Hebrides. beam (photos 8 and 9).
Many silks are woven on
hand looms. There are hand Setting up a loom
operated Jacquard looms Each loom was set up in a
at Paradise Mill, part of the drawing in process using a
Silk Museum at Macclesfield, tackling frame where each
another fascinating place. See of hundreds of warp threads
Model Engineer No. 4601.) were passed through holes
Warping beam - thread is drawn off bobbins on to the warp beam Other inventors such as in the healds and then the >>
with large flanges at bottom left. This could take a day to set up.

www.model-engineer.co.uk 227
appropriate slot in the reed.
Originally this was done by a 8 9
drawer-in or loomer with a lad
assisting. The loomer used
a slim hook to draw threads
through. This took up to three
hours (photo 10).
Later, an electric reaching-in
machine was used to present
thread ends in sequence
to be hooked through; thus
making the lad surplus to
requirements. A tape sizing machine passed thread though a solution of size Sized thread is wound on to the weaver’s beam.
The beam, threaded healds to be dried by steam from the mill’s boilers.
and reeds were taken together
and placed in the loom, a friction devices use a natural
process known as gaiting. All or synthetic fur strip which 10
had to be done before cotton is positioned so that the fur
weaving started. abuts the thread on the loom
bobbin. As the loom thread is
Warp tying unwound from the bobbin, it
If a warp beam ran low on is forced between bobbin and
thread a Barber-Colman fur, and this action serves as
machine could tie on further a friction brake preventing the
warp threads to extend the thread from unwinding faster
run. It was a complex machine than necessary. Some shuttles
and reputedly difficult to set are lined with possum fur
up but it saved the work of (photo 13). (See US Patents US
setting up a new weaver’s 1676438 and US 3882904 A.)
beam (photos 11 and 12). Pirns for shuttles had to be
loaded with thread (photo 14).
Shuttles and pirns After use remaining threads Drawing in frame to set up the warp beam, healds and batten prior to
Specialist firms such as Kirk were stripped before reuse start of weaving. This could take up to three hours for a man and boy.
and Co. of Blackburn made
wooden shuttles and pirns,
quality wood machining in its 11 12
own right. Smooth operation
was essential. As thread pays
out from a loom shuttle, the
thread is left unrestrained
and would come off the
loom bobbin non-uniformly,
becoming disarranged,
entangled or broken so
conventional loom shuttles
are provided with friction
devices to prevent shuttle Barber-Colman warp tying machine - when a warp beam had Detail of Barber-Colman warp tying machine.
yarn from unwinding too been woven out this would tie new threads to the ends. This
rapidly. Conventionally, such saved the work of drawing in.

13 14

Shuttles. These are lined with possum fur. The pirn winding machine loaded pirns with warp thread to go in shuttles.

228 Model Engineer 28 January 2022


15
Pirn stripping machine - this removed left over threads from pirns for reuse.
(photos 15 and 16). Machines
were developed to do both
these jobs.
Healds and reeds
Healds were held in harness
frames and could be knitted
or soldered. There was an
eye through which each
warp thread passed. Making
healds was an art in itself but
machines were developed to
knit the healds (photos 17 and
18). Healds were varnished
before insertion in the loom.
Some weaving sheds used
wire healds only but this mill
used knitted healds without
a metal eye, ensuring their
survival where others would
have rusted.
Reeds beat up the woven
cloth to make it more compact
but also kept warp threads
in their proper position and
provided a back guide for the
shuttle. Spacing depends on
applications (photos 19 and
20). Originally reeds were made
of split cane but later soldered
reeds of flattened wire were
introduced, also bought in from
specialist makers.
20
Wire reed maker.
www.model-engineer.co.uk
WEAVING
16
Detail of a pirn stripping machine.
17 18
Heald knitting machine. Healds were made by outside firms. Detail of heald knitting machine.
Wire healds were also used - see the hand loom picture.
Tacklers
Tacklers maintained looms. 19
They were usually promoted
weavers and acted as time
keepers. Weavers’ piece work
wages depended on looms
being maintained in good order
so they relied on the tackler
who had a cabin near the
weaving floor. A good tackler
was reputed to spend his time
asleep, confident that he’d
already ensured his looms
were running well (photo 21)! Reed - originally made of cane, later of flattened wire like this.
Reeds ‘beat up’ woven fabric to make it more compact.
●To be continued. 21
Tackler’s cabin - a tackler was responsible for loom maintenance. It was
said that if a tackler had done a good job he’d be found asleep here!
229
 I
n issue 4678 I referred to the
1 practical aspect of laying
out a church graveyard to
take funerary urns and made
a comment in a footnote.
However, the gremlins lurking
in every aspect of publishing
gained the upper hand, briefly,
and my faithful reader never
benefited from my coruscating
wit. The comment was based
on the science of Metrology
to use the space to maximum
effect. A sort of ‘ology in a
country churchyard…’
I took my locomotive,
Deborah for a trial run. The
chain was skipping teeth on
the motor sprocket under load.
There appears to be ample
power so it’s either chain
Geoff tension or the base flexing.
Theasby The latter occurred to me
reports previously, so I will beef up
on the latest news the base and try again. Astute
from the Clubs. readers will note that the
layshaft support appears to
be a transformer. It is indeed
such a device. It began life in a
microwave oven but when that
expired suddenly and loudly,
Deborah, Firth Park Shed No. 6. it was swiftly retired. Not
wishing to trust its electrical
properties further, I used it in
2 a supporting role, as you see
here (photo 1).
I ordered an equipment
manual some weeks back,
from the US of A. I followed its
progress through USPS using
the tracking number, until it
finally arrived at the Royal
Mail sorting office just up
the road, at 6am on a Friday.
They then sat on it for five
days (three working) before
delivering it. I have abandoned
hoping for M.E. to arrive before
publication date, as suggested
in the process of subscribing
for the mag, indeed, it currently
does not arrive until two or
three days AFTER that. It is
disgraceful.
In this issue: a monsoon, a
vice-ridden vice, a lost boiler,
e-coal, a tenner, a reverse
image search and “model
engineering is dying out.”
Northern Districts Model
Engineering Society (Perth),
Steam Lines Nov-Dec reports
from Dwellingup, for the
Hotham Valley Railway
celebrations. Jim Clark says
Caradoc at NDMES. (Photo courtesy of Steve Reeves.) Harry Roser steamed his 3

230 Model Engineer 28 January 2022


inch scale Caradoc tractor
and traction engines were
shown by four other members
(photo 2) together with the
NDMES stand displaying
further fine models. Keith De
Graauw has completed his
Phantom, taking five years to
build. (He was aiming at two.)
It will be known as Chester,
after his daughter’s dog. The
design is John Haining’s
and was published in this
magazine in the 1980s. In
appearance it resembles a
modern I/C engined farm
tractor with a vertical boiler in
the cab. Compared with Steve
Reeves’ 4 inch scale traction
engine, Caradoc at 3 inch
scale has twice the power. It
does require a rather different
firing technique, though.
Railfest, at Bassendine
Transport Museum was also
a great day. Paul James’
Bushfly tender kept derailing
on the demonstration track,
but only with a specific driver.
Investigation showed that the
two drivers sharing the duty
had different ideas about how
to sit on the tender, resulting
in a change to the weight
distribution. The Society’s
September public running
day was beset by a rainstorm
of monsoon proportions.
A picture shows it to be so
solid that one could hardly
see across the station. A few
hardy souls kept going and
as one driver said to me years
ago; ‘You’re not a proper
driver if you haven’t driven
in the rain.’
W. www.ndmes.org.au
Leeds Lines, November,
from Leeds Society of Model
& Experimental Engineers
has Malcolm High writing on
paint, transfers and cut-out
vinyl. A Cautionary Tale from
Ian Macdonald concerns an
old vice he tried to resurrect
and mount on a Black &
Decker Workmate. Change
four bolts and Robert’s your
aged relative, no? No! It began
to resemble an anecdote by
Gerard Hoffnung, of ever-more
disastrous findings so that
he devoutly wished he had
consigned it to the tip at the
start. ‘In the beginning was the
word and the word was ‘Brekl’.
www.model-engineer.co.uk
Another phrase comes to
mind; ‘you couldn’t make it up’ –
and he didn’t.
W. www.leedsmodel
engineers.org.uk
The Prospectus, November,
from Reading Society of
Model Engineers is mostly
taken up by editor John
Billard’s update on building a
Claud (Hamilton). In this issue
he covers silver soldering the
fire tubes into the firebox.
W. www.rsme.org
At the Sheffield auction, the
reoffered Wenford went for
£380 and a 2½ inch gauge
chassis, £18. See M.E. 4678.
Maritzburg Matters,
November, from
Pietermaritzburg Model
Engineering Society carries
an item entitled ‘The longest
continuously published
journal in the world’, referring
of course, to Model Engineer.
(See the Private Eye item
below.) The first, long-serving
editor, Percival Marshall,
A few hardy souls kept going and as one driver
said to me years ago; 'You're not a proper
driver if you haven't driven in the rain'.
finding that there was no
publication catering to his
miniature engineering skills
and interests, decided to start
one, which he did in 1898. He
was advised not to, as ‘model
engineering is dying out’.
Sound familiar? (Hint: What
Decca told The Beatles.) In
keeping with the period tone
of this paragraph, an article on
Long Cecil appeared in 1904,
which was a 4.1 inch, rifled,
breech loader gun used at the
siege of Kimberley. Not so
remarkable, I hear… However,
this piece of ordnance was
made on the spot, with
materials to hand, designed
and built by the Chief Engineer
to De Beers, who was killed
shortly after its completion.
To commemorate the saving
of Kimberley, a model of Long
Cecil was made and can now
be seen at the RMA Sandhurst.
The following URL gives a brief
explanation of the situation in
SA at the time and the decision
to make a better gun than the
small, old ones already held.
It then details the research
carried out on how to prepare
and machine the device, the
makers not previously having
tried to make a model.
W. www.samilitaryhistory.org
W. www.pmes.co.za
The Blower, November, from
Grimsby & Cleethorpes Model
Engineering Society, has an
interesting item on the use
of hydrogen as a motor fuel,
compared with petrol or diesel
W. www.gcmes.com
West Riding Small
Locomotive Society’s autumn
Newsletter opens with Robert
Richardson, in Chairman’s
Jottings, suggesting that
more people want or can
afford to buy a ready-made
steam engine, than can build
one and that interest in doing
so appears to be waning.
Having been a licenced radio
amateur for over 50 years, I
see the same outlook. Newly
licenced people buy brand new
equipment, costing £2000+
and maybe can’t get the best
from it as they have little
practical experience. It took
me about 15 years to be able
to buy ANYTHING brand new
and if I wanted other facilities,
I built them.
Centre Punch, November,
from Andover & District
Model Engineering Society
begins with change at the
top, followed by a caption
competition. A gentleman in
a miniature railway carriage,
embracing a skeleton. Not
being eligible, I venture to
suggest, ‘what a magnificent
specimen, look at that bone
structure’ (Don’t give up the
day job… Ed.) As related in M.E.
4682, eCoal is being tried at
CLUB NEWS
Plymouth Miniature Steam,
now followed by ADMES, with
generally favourable results.
Less ash, no clinkering, but
acrid fumes in the smoke.
Bromsgrove model engineers
held a Rob Roy rally, says
Rex Hanman, who took his
own model but had blower
problems, couldn’t run and in
the photo-shoot afterwards,
is on the ‘naughty line’. Guess
who isn’t looking happy…?
Local member, Rob, had
bought his model on eBay
and, claiming to be a novice,
was soon ‘running like a
good un’. He has a brother,
Roy… ‘s true! An interesting
comment here from the Bulleid
builder group, that when a
deceased member’s assets
were disposed of, instead of
selling to the highest bidder,
prospective buyers were
interviewed on their plans for
the locomotive. Well done that
relict! Editor, Jon Godfrey, has
a Dolgoch in 5 inch gauge and
the need arose for new piston
rings. Rather than replace the
¼ inch square graphite yarn
like for like, he tried PTFE.
Useful dimensions were hard
to find, but one suggestion
online relating them to the
bore size worked very well.
The Open Day in September
was the biggest yet, with a
varied and colourful assembly
of motive power. Stan Scott,
making a tram engine, wanted
vacuum brakes, but the brake
lever alone cost over £200. An
answer to please the Scrooges
amongst us was to use a
motorcycle fuel tap. Three-way,
leakproof and only a tenner. Go
Compare!
W. www.admes.org.uk
Blast Pipe, November, from
Hutt Valley & Maidstone Model
Engineering Societies has
an appeal from Ed Thomas
for the location of his quite
rare vertical boiler dating
from the 1920s. He left it with
a Wellington company for
restoration but they have since
closed. A photo shows it to be
a Meccano model. (Checking
with eBay, in late November
there are several on offer
priced at about £500.) This
fine, atmospheric night shot
of NSWR, J1211 at Nelson >>
231
(photo 3) and a gas-fired 7½
inch gauge 4-8-8-4 Garratt, by 3
Trevor Heath (photo 4).
W. www.hdmes.com
Chief Soup Dragon, Roger
Backhouse wrote to me in
late November, asking me
to identify a photograph
which was on the cover
of a forthcoming Private
Eye. (One of the few other
fortnightly publications in
the UK.) Fortunately, I could,
using a ‘reverse image
search’ available online. So
look out for P.E. issue 1561,
maintaining the tradition of
witty comments on topics
of the day. The Newsletter,
November, from York Model Ian Welch’s evocative picture of J1211. (Photo courtesy of Mr. Drummond.)
Engineers starts with a picture
of a 36 foot waterwheel in still to paint. Still more Ellie, of materials’ - look for modelengineeringwebsite.
Pateley Bridge, Nidderdale, inspired by the book, but not Mr. Crispin. com. At the AGM, the question
as it was last February. This to the plans, Mike Keeton W. www.yorkmodel was put that ‘experimental
is a prelude to an article details his Ellie build progress. engineers.co.uk engineering’ could be
about water turbines etc. In ‘Something completely PEEMS Newsletter, November, ‘specialist’ and ‘deter people’.
still extant and reachable different’, Mike Keenleyside from Pickering Experimental Yes, it is specialist but not
from York. Hosham Mill, near has decorated his son’s room Engineering & Model Society ‘elitist’, in that we may give a
Malton boasts a Gothic-style in the style of a BR First Class says that in October they distorted impression with the
watermill, by John Carr of York. compartment. Member, Roger visited John Jennison’s superb models displayed at
Following this, a bevy of tram Shackleton makes models Douglas motor cycle exhibitions. (I firmly believe
engines, 32/45mm gauge, from uPVC Foamex sheet. It collection, seeing models from that every DIY-er should have a
based on Ellie and the book/ can be obtained from www. the early 1900s to the 1950s. small lathe; it has uses I never
plans by Andrew Allison. Then, simplyplastics.com and This is followed by a potted dreamed of before I bought
two 3 foot gauge tram engines, Stephen Atkinson videos on history of the company (thanks one – Geoff)
at Hull and Portstewart YouTube tell us ‘how’. The Wikipedia) and also see W. www.bisarchtest.
museums, and after that, an ‘Clangers’ award has a new YouTube under the eponymous wordpress.com
article on a jackshaft drive candidate; Roger himself, name. Also search for the And finally, our planet is
Ellie, by Alex Ellin. ‘Made in a who was drilling bronze when ‘Lincoln Elk’. New member 70% water, none of which
couple of months,’ says Alex. In the drill stuck irretrievably Iain Hale from Scarborough, is is carbonated. Technically,
‘Not the Model of the Month’, and broke. (I’ve got one of also chairman of that town’s therefore, the Earth is flat.
Editor, Roger Backhouse made those! – Geoff.) Crispin Scarborough Mates, a Men in
a ‘quick-build’ Ellie but wasn’t Cousins has made several Sheds branch. Neville Foster,
satisfied and resolved to build model engineering videos for PEEMS award-winning editor,
the real thing, properly. Andrew YouTube and one, produced has, on the strength of that CONTACT
says it could be built in a week. with the aid of member, achievement, been invited geofftheasby@gmail.com
Hmmm, so far, 251 hours and Richard Gibbon, is on ‘choice to contribute to the http://

Trevor Heath’s 7½ inch gauge Garratt. (Photo courtesy of Trevor Heath.)

232 Model Engineer 28 January 2022

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 Model Engineer Classified
www.model-engineer.co.uk
THINKING OF SELLING YOUR
LATHE, MILL OR COMPLETE
WORKSHOP?
and want it handled in a quick
professional no fuss manner?
Contact Dave Anchell,
Quillstar (Nottingham)
Tel: 0115 9206123
Mob: 07779432060
Email: david@quillstar.co.uk
To advertise on these pages contact Angela Price at angela.price@mytimemedia.com

To advertise here
please email
Angela Price at
angela.price@
mytimemedia.com

THINKING OF SELLING YOUR

LATHE, MILL OR COMPLETE
WORKSHOP?
and want it handled in a quick
professional no fuss manner?
Contact Dave Anchell,
Quillstar (Nottingham)
Tel: 0115 9206123
Mob: 07779432060
Email: david@quillstar.co.uk

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236 Model Engineer 28 January 2022

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Bringing British industrial history to life
Master Boiler Maker -
Alan ‘Rivet Lad’ McEwen

When Master Boiler Maker and

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Alan McEwen’s Boiler Making
adventures and also ‘potted histories’
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