Up one level Neidrauer Live Steam Locomotives Photo Albums » Building a Live Steam Locomotive - the Mikado Project » Assembly
Assembly
Although there is no 'Section A' in the prints, I need a place to record the assembling of the locomotive started July 2009

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ValveAssemblyFinishedFirstRunOnAir9Dec09 005 Problem found! The fireman's side valve crosshead guide does not have enough travel in it--the crosshead jams against the cast wall. Not wanting to tear the running gear down and machine the .100 inches of additional travel, we grab a small round rotary bit and remove the offending material. Interestingly, the engineers side needs only the slightest adjustment. ValveAssemblyFinishedFirstRunOnAir9Dec09 003 The Valve spools have been centered in the valve cylinder using the inspection holes in the cylinders. Locking the tumbling shaft down with machinist clamps, we roll the wheels over by hand and see how things feel. ValveAssemblyFinishedFirstRunOnAir9Dec09 002 9-Dec-09 Tonight, the last shop night of the year before I take holiday for three weeks, we begin timing the engine. We block the axle boxes up with 1/4 PistonValvesRodsInstallation5Dec09 005 5-Dec-09 Another five hours of work today and all the valve motion is installed! Bill worked on one of the valve crosshead guides to make sure it moved without a stiff spot. A check of the Expansion link with a couple rods verified that at neutral the tumbling shaft levers were perfectly in link with each other. PistonValvesRodsInstallation5Dec09 004 Chocolate syrup on the hands? No just old fashioned steam oil which has been spread on the piston and valve cylinder walls, also worked into the cast iron rings for installation. The ring gaps have been positioned 180 degrees from each other. Thanks to a generous chamfer on the liners, the pistons and valve spools slip right in. PistonValvesRodsInstallation5Dec09 002 5-Dec-09 It's a Saturday and 20 degrees outside. I decide to work in the shop instead of out at the track today, along with Bill. We have tightened the piston on the rod, and the nut on the piston. Not trusting Loctite to hold in the steamchest temperatures, we stake the threads with a small prick punch to keep the nut from coming off if it loosens up. MainRodFinishingAndInstallation2Dec09 006 2-Dec-09 At the end of the night, all the rods are installed on the engine. Things are starting to move when the chassis is rolled! MainRodFinishingAndInstallation2Dec09 005 Bill uses a bushing to pull the crosshead pin out of the crosshead. There was a slight burr from drilling the roll pin hole which made it hard to pull out. We put the main rod in and proceeded to spend the next hour trying to line the pin up with the drilled roll pin hole. We made marks on the next one to show orientation before pulling the pin, it went much quicker. MainRodFinishingAndInstallation2Dec09 004 The main rod with decorative bolts installed MainRodFinishingAndInstallation2Dec09 003 The rods have been sandblasted, thanks to the use of a benchtop blaster from Tim M. I then used an abrasive finishing wheel (like a gritty sponge) on my Dremel to polish the rods and all the motion structure. They were then cleaned and bolted together, with Loctite on all the nuts. They are installed for what I hope is a long time. MainRodFinishingAndInstallation2Dec09 001 2-Dec-09 Bill drills the decorative bolt holes in the main rod while I cut the bolts to length. ChassisTiming9-Jan-10 005 9-Jan-2010 Timing the engine. Using dual dial indicators on the front and rear of the crosshead guide bar, we are confident we know when front dead center and back dead center events are occurring. This allows us to adjust the eccentric crank to the correct position. We have already centered and set the Valve spool and Pistons at this point. EngineTimingFineTuning24Feb10 24-Feb-10 Fine-tuning the engine chassis. Based on Charlie Docksiders valve motion computer simulator, Bill makes some small adjustments to fine-tune the chassis. IMG_3000 27-Oct-10 The firepan installed on the boiler. IMG_2999 27-Oct-10 I've welded a mounting ring onto the bottom of the boiler with drilled an tapped holes for the 10-32 stainless steel studs which will hold the firepan in place. I've run some high-temperature fiber gasket around to seal it. IMG00192-20101110-2257 December-2010 It's starting to look like an engine! IMG_3859 With the boiler lifted off, the chassis rises 3/8 IMG_3858 17-Aug-2011 Smokebox mounted to the boiler, on last hook to pull the boiler, install the firepan, check over the chassis for missing pins, nuts, etc., drill the water check valve holes in the side, paint and remount for the last time! IMG_3857 Just a shot of the frame height with the boiler on the chassis. IMG_3909 19-Sept-2011 The smokebox & boiler are bolted to the cylinders for what I hope is the final time! After tightening the model hex bolts down all around we realized drilling the steampipe shroud holes is going to be a problem.... IMG_3908 Tightening the smokebox / cylinder mounting nuts. There is copper anti-sieze on the threads, it may help one day (long time from now!) when the shell needs to come off. IMG_3906 19-Sept-2011 Exhaust pipe is put in place and tightened for installation. IMG_4249 More plumbing work - designing the axle driven water pump bypass valve handle extension with borrowed tender attached to engine. IMG_4246 Plumbing connections using a borrowed tender, engineer's side. IMG_4245 Plumbing connections using a borrowed tender, fireman's side. IMG_4244 A busy look at the plumbing from the borrowed tender tank to the engine. IMG_4241 May 2012 - a borrowed tender will substitute for now. IMG_4348 21-May-2012 -- Ready for first fire up! IMG_4526 10-Sept-2012 Boiler tag placard welded on backhead. The tag reads: Line 1: MAWP: 125 (Max allowed working pressure) Line 2: TSTWP: 300 (tested pressure) Line 3: BLT: JUNE 2002 (built) Line 4: T O C S (Top Of Crown Sheet) Line 5: a heavy line extending from left to right Line 6: BLDR: GODSHALL’S Line 7: CUSTOM MACHINING IMG_5107 August 2013 I weld a plate into the sand dome to help hold the lead I am going to pour into it. The blueing on the rim is from fitting it to the jacketing. IMG_5096 August 2013 The jacketing is trimmed to fit, the sand dome fitted, boiler bands tightened. We test handrail placement. The 0.101 thick jacketing sheet metal is stout! IMG_5511 19-Apr-2014 After modifying the front and rear tender bumpers to make the drawbar and coupler heights correct, another trial fitting and plumbing check is performed. IMG_5510 19-Apr-2014 After modifying the front and rear tender bumpers to make the drawbar and coupler heights correct, another trial fitting and plumbing check is performed. IMG_5427 15-Feb-2014 Trial fitting of tender tank on the frame on the assembled trucks, rear view. We discover the frame is 1.5 IMG_5426 15-Feb-2014 Trial fitting of tender tank on the frame on the assembled trucks IMG_5216 30-Sept-2013 We need to install the air tanks on the top of the engine to complete the Frisco look, but ran out of shop time before we had to bring it out of the basement for a test fire-up. We end up working inside the trailer two days before taking it out for the scheduled SLLS public run. We need to blind drill and tap eight holes through the jacketing to the boiler pads underneath to mount the air tank brackets. Without accurate locations, we miss the pads and end up with a couple holes in the jacketing. A frustrating development, we really wanted the 'big reveal' to include the distinctive Frisco air tanks, but we decide to stop before making more holes. We will install the air tanks over the winter in the shop. IMG_5155 16-Sept-2013 Front view of the engine sporting the bell, handrails, builders plates, jacketing and domes. At last she is starting to look like a complete Frisco 41xx locomotive. IMG_5153 16-Sept-2013 The jacketing is installed! We thread the handrail down the length of the engine from the cab to the front, and put the two bends in it like the Frisco 41xx series had. IMG_5152 16-Sept-2013 In the process of using a nylon ratchet strap to snug down the jacketing on the boiler (my boiler bands are too short to do this when the jacketing is not compressed), I manage to bend over one of the handrail stanchions. Arrgh! I have to take that piece of jacketing back off, unbolt the handrail, straighten it out and reinstall. Two hours of shop time lost. IMG_5143 September 2013 The Cab piping, backhead and cab floor got a coat of paint. After reassembling the brakestand the floor was reinstalled. The steam valves were painted red, the oil valve yellow. IMG_5142 September 2013 The pilot deck, pilot braces, bell, handrails, builders plate and steam supply shrouds had been painted and installed.
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