waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay of topic but there still freakin awesome...

Cz10 wrote:I don't know about that particular model, but I have payed a bit with stationary steam engines. Pretty simple.

Here is one of my favorite small steam vehicles... One is in my future


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KvMqRUOmME&feature=youtube_gdata_player

i love the Accucraft rubies, they look great, the price is what got me, i figure that it would be better for me to buy the cheaper model at the antique store, rather than buy the ruby at $550, that way if i don't like live steam as much as i thought i would, i would not have as much invested in to them, and if i do like the one I'm going to buy tomorrow, maybe ill move onto more expensive and more complex engines

Cz10 wrote:I don't know about that particular model, but I have payed a bit with stationary steam engines. Pretty simple.

Here is one of my favorite small steam vehicles... One is in my future


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KvMqRUOmME&feature=youtube_gdata_player

p.s thanks for the link, it is a great help

mitchg95 wrote:hey, have you ever seen model locomotives using live steam? i have the opportunity to buy this one tomorrow for $130 usd's, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdQ0QwwlvpA , i have never had a live steam model before and know almost nothing about them, except they need water, oxygin, and fuel, is there someone here on the forum, even though this is not even remotely related to cox engines that can tell me what i need to get/ and do to get this model running properly? thanks in advance for any replies. sorry for being sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo very off topic on this one

That will never get airborne

Mitch,

When I was a kid my next door neighbor had a steam powered engine. Unfortunately I have no idea what he used to fuel it besides the water tank. There must be some kind of tinder box that you put some sort of heat source in. Maybe a charcoal briquette or something similar. Surely there is a nerdy forum out there for these things.

Good find BTW and they sure are cool little models.

John Goddard wrote:

mitchg95 wrote:hey, have you ever seen model locomotives using live steam? i have the opportunity to buy this one tomorrow for $130 usd's, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdQ0QwwlvpA , i have never had a live steam model before and know almost nothing about them, except they need water, oxygin, and fuel, is there someone here on the forum, even though this is not even remotely related to cox engines that can tell me what i need to get/ and do to get this model running properly? thanks in advance for any replies. sorry for being sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo very off topic on this one

That will never get airborne

I don't know John. I have been told by quite a few folks here that you can get a brick to fly if you spend enough time and money on it. Besides, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was able to take to the skies remember?

Cribbs is regressing to his childhood (again)! Mary Poppins will be next!



I'm right in theirwith you bro'. Ain't it fun?

Just a precautionary note about steam power:

BAD things can happen if you aren't careful. NEVER overlook the destructive possiblities.

SuperDave wrote:Just a precautionary note about steam power:

BAD things can happen if you aren't careful. NEVER overlook the destructive possiblities.

True Dave.

Mitch it should have a high pressure pop off valve if things get too hot. Might not be a bad idea to ensure it's clean and functional before you fire it up! Wear safety glasses!

Skin and bones heal but eyes cannot be replaced!

John Goddard wrote:

mitchg95 wrote:hey, have you ever seen model locomotives using live steam? i have the opportunity to buy this one tomorrow for $130 usd's, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdQ0QwwlvpA , i have never had a live steam model before and know almost nothing about them, except they need water, oxygin, and fuel, is there someone here on the forum, even though this is not even remotely related to cox engines that can tell me what i need to get/ and do to get this model running properly? thanks in advance for any replies. sorry for being sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo very off topic on this one

That will never get airborne

Ah, there you could be wrong! have you ever seen a boiler explode!!

Seriously though, back in, I think, the 60's, there was a very successful steam powered model aircraft flown with R/C, if I can find the old Aeromodeller in which it was reported I'll scan it up here.

If you want to see the ultimate in steam power, search YouTube for "Flash Steam" a flash steam plant works by injecting water into an already near-red-hot tube so that it flashes instantly into superheated steam, those things are actually more powerful than an i.c engine.

Not so Wilf.

There are lots of examples of boiler explosions during the "Age of Steam" here in the US if not the rest of the world. And very destructive they were.

Want examples? (They're actual not model but representative of the damage that can be done))

Hey Mitch, here is a snap of my my little Mamod Minor 2 after I finished restoring it. Added a dynamo street light kit and mounted it all onto a piece of stained birch craft plywood with trim. For fuel I use the jelled alcohol stuff commonly reffered to as Sterno, available at Wal-mart or usually any outdoor activity store. It is awesome as a static runner, spins the dynamo fast enought to light the street lamp. My niece and nephew love it.

I have been eyeballing the Jensel steam turbine power plant kit.

if you have any questions, let them fly.

Footnote: Butane is also used to fuel model steam engines but it too can be dangerous.

I would recommend using only distilled water(not spring water or tap water). That will help keep mineral deposits from accumulating in critical areas and ruining the works, including the safety valve. Canned Sterno, used for heating serving dishes at parties, makes a good hot long burning fuel. It's fairly poisonous and looks enough like jelly to be a danger to small children, so beware of that.

EDIT: Ah, I see PV beat me to the Sterno.

Butane is available in sealed cannisters such as you'd use in a camping stove.

This whole thing is based on Sir Issac Newton's Law: "Engergy may may be neither created nor destroyed but changed to a different form."

SuperDave wrote:Footnote: Butane is also used to fuel model steam engines but it too can be dangerous.

One point, which fuel you will use will depend on how the loco is set up, jellied fuels and gasses like butane ARE NOT INTERCHANGABLE! I thought I'd make that point very clear, since a few of the responses posted could be a wee bit confusing!

I am a HUGE fan of air powered engines. Stirling, CO2, steam, etc. And I own none of them.

What kind of condition is it in? Is testing it possible?

Never modify the pressure valve. Most of them run on little dry fuel tablets called "esbit" tablets.

Looks like he is using the Esbit fuel tablets in the vid. I switched over mine to Sterno beause it doesent soot the boiler at all,,as the tablets do. I have about a dozen boxes of the fuel tablet, so if you need a few, let me know.

I joined a model steam forum for the help in the rebuild. Had very nice folks sending me bits and pieces for free as well as all the help. One of the first things replaced was the Safety valve as the critical o-rings in my valve were melted. As that was on it's way, one of the members mailed me a envelope with extra O-rings, as well as the trick to replacing those. so I have a few spares.

I bought the proper heavyweight steamer oil to keep the parts lubed up as it ran.

SuperDave wrote:Not so Wilf.

There are lots of examples of boiler explosions during the "Age of Steam" here in the US if not the rest of the world. And very destructive they were.

Want examples? (They're actual not model but representative of the damage that can be done))

I worked for a while for a company who manufactured and installed large industrial heating boilers, these were fired by a system which used a spark plug, which fired a gas jet, which in turn lit vapourised heavy oil.
While working on a emergency call out to a non-working boiler we were not informed that the gas jet was faulty, and had filled the boiler with gas, the chief engineer pressed the start button, spark plug sparked.............one of the loudest explosions I've ever heard!
Fortunately, since we were standing at the front of the boiler, the back cover blew off, stripping 36 1" diameter bolts which were holding it. The door, which weighed I suppose, several hundred pounds, hit the rear wall of the boiler house and demolished it. Apart from deafness neither of us was hurt, and that is as close to an exploding boiler as I EVER want to be!

Model boilers are fitted with numerous safety features, apart from the obvious safety valve they have what are called "Fusible plugs" these melt if the temperature exceeds safely limits and dump the boiler water onto the heat source. Full size boilers have this too, as did the old steam locomotives.

Don't be scared off by the "Dangers", let's face it anything that combines heat and pressure has to be treated with common sense, but model boilers aren't high pressure, only operating at a few PSI, so you are not going to have to worry about superheated steam!

Just check everything before you try to run it, it should come with a boiler test certificate, if not, get it tested BEFORE you fire it up!

DAMN! I might have quit the job on the spot. Or maybe not, I was more fearless in my yute.

Denatured Alcohol is also good, I think it burns clean. You can get it at your hardware store.

Yeah uh, not cool. Glad you made it through Wilf!

Just in case you ever need the information, perhaps in a trivia quiz?

While Cox etc. engines are INternal Combustion engines, a steam engine is an EXternal Combustion Engine, fact!