Steam Chest castings

[GWRdriver]

I need a pair of plain slide-valve type steam chest castings. I can make a pattern and have it cast, and I may end up doing that, or I can buy a slab, but I thought I'd try to find off-the-shelf castings first.

They need to FINISH to an OD size of 3-5/8"(L) x 3"(w) and leave decently thick walls. The depth should be sufficient in any normal casting of this size and a gland boss is OK as long as it isn't cored.

Does anyone have details on castings that might work?

[Bill Shields]

Try Gene Allen..

I made my own out of chunks of steel, in the long run, it easier than castings...drilled a hole, used a torch to burn away 85% of the steam chamber, and machined the rest

[GWRdriver]

The Allen steamchest castings will almost work, except that when the castings are cleaned up (faced 4-sides) they end up being a wee bit too narrow and short for what I need.

[srrl5]

I made the steam chest for my SRRL 5 by cutting four pieces of steel the right length, then welding the four corners, and then brazed on a boss for the valvestem.

David



[This message has been edited by srrl5 (edited 10-29-2005).]

[Bill Shields]

Think WATERJET and hot rolled plate...did you see the article by the guy in Finland built a Chicken (must be a translation problem) out of almost entirely waterjet cut parts? COOL!

I wonder if my pressure-washer, 20# of carbide grit and a REALLY SMALL nozzle could manage a frame (just kidding)....

I would really like his e-mail address so we could trade ideas..



[This message has been edited by Bill Shields (edited 11-05-2005).]

[Unka Jesse]

Bill, I don't think it is a translation problem because the builder of the "Chicken" writes fluent English. I know because I have emailed him in the past. I think that "Chicken" was a pet name given to the locomotive class by the railroaders who operated them. Beautiful workmanship and an excellent article. Did you notice how Jan Eric utilized the covers over the extended piston rods as water pumps? Two birds with one stone that was. http://bbs.livesteam.net//biggrin.gif

Unka Jesse

[Bill Shields]

UJ:

I was being facetious about his command of the English Language. Most of the Scandanavians that I know speak English better than many Americans.

I was just contemplating what sort of railroad enthusiast would call an engine a 'chicken'.....now PIG I can understand, having been there a few times over the years...but chicken? Oh well, it is probably a cultural thing that would be wasted on North Americans.

Yes, I liked his disguised water pumps...

I am not 100% sure about the use of teflon in the piston valve area. I have been there and tried that...it works, but not for as long as I would have liked..eventually went back to tried-true cast-iron rings in steel sleeves...and 25 year later...no maintenance other then oiling. O-Rings for main piston rings work very well as my 25 year old van Brocklin water pump will attest...

[Jan-Eric Nystrom]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">
I was just contemplating what sort of railroad enthusiast would call an engine a 'chicken'</font>

Well, here's the dope, straight from the horse's mouth:

This type was really called "Chicken" by the crews, and even the general public! (Or, the "Hen" - that's just a matter of taste in translation from the Finnish "Kana".)

The reason? It's a switcher, so it was always pecking in its own yard... Also, it was the smallest of all modern Finnish steam engines, so the name stuck.

As I mentioned in the first part of the article (Sept/Oct), other designs were called "Roosters", "Ducks" (this because of the wagging motion), and one was a "Turkey"! (Without the connotation of U.S. use of that word - even though it was of U.S. Vulcan manufacture... http://bbs.livesteam.net//wink.gif )

Most Finnish engines had nicknames, a few after presidents, the post-war Baldwin and ALCO decapods were "Trumans", for obvious reasons...

Re. my live steam "Chicken":
The teflon valves have stood up to two years of use pretty well, only slight wear so far. Just a few days ago I disassembled the entire engine, opened the cylinders and valves, and noted that nothing needs to be done about the valves or O-rings - yet. Maybe after two more years, another 500 miles of running, I will change cylinder O-rings and valve spool teflon parts.

Greetings from the "Chicken-builder", and thanks for the nice words above!

Jan-Eric, from Finland

(PS: I've just ordered some 500 parts to be water-jet and laser cut for my newest project, a 4-6-0...)