The Heybridge Railway, 1889 to 1913

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Richard Gawler

Richard Gawler

Western Thunderer
Too many noun modifiers, and nowhere near enough knowledge of steam boilers :(

Just thinking only about the holes and the steam pipe, and ignoring the nuts and stays and washout plugs for the time being . . .

Screenshot 2023-03-22 08.22.54.jpg

A = top row of tubes
B = I followed the kit instructions but maybe B is really the steam outlet, and I have put the tube plate on upside down . . . perhaps I should fill B and make a new one at the top? Needs to be filled in
C = a place to fit a steam regulator?
D = ?
E = ?
F = maybe, the "Lower water gauge fitting"? (I'm not sure if this would be a lower hole for a water gauge, or a hole for a lower of two water gauges?)
F' = ?
G = firing hole, maybe this should be blanked with a piece of board?

I am hoping, the letters will make it easier to explain things. Afterwards, I can write to Duncan Models and explain what I have altered.

Edit: thank you so much @Phil O for the markup on my photos in post 618 but I am still stuck on understanding most of the the holes on the backhead. I can have a go at the stays at the front after I lose the unwanted tube holes :)
 
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M

mswjr

Western Thunderer
The tube plate is almost certainly upside down, the large hole (B) would have a steam pipe going to that from the dome steam collection, On the backhead the large hole (C) would be the regulator, that too would go to the dome and straight out to the hole in the tube plate, Hole (E) and (F)on the backhead could be a bottom water gauge supply , The hole (D) could be a steam fitting connection for a blower valve , i have seen those on that area. , ill dig out some pictures for you.
 
Richard Gawler

Richard Gawler

Western Thunderer
Richard Gawler said:
This is the sort of kit I might imagine suggesting to a beginner wanting to try their first whitemetal kit, but not this one.
Click to expand...

Maybe, this kit is actually a perfect introduction to kit building; the parts don't line up, the instructions are wrong and the details are wrong too. All possible troubles together in one compact scenic item ;)

Everything I learn about loco boilers here ought to help me make the backhead for the Y14.
 
Phil O

Phil O

Western Thunderer
Yes, I think you're correct, you have fitted the front tube plate upside down. I don't know why they have left a gap down the centre of the tube plate, the only time I have seen that is on multipass marine boilers.

On the backhead D and E are washout plugs. If F was on the corner of the firebox, I would have said mud hole/ inspection holes.

The two items either side of D, would be the bottom of the gauge glass fittings would fit, the top fittings would be approximately 12 inches or so above and I would have expected them to be 4 bolts or two if blanks had been fitted.

Blower and steam injector fittings usually come off the steam manifold, on top of the firebox. Variations are possible on that.

Could you dip the front tube plate in boiling water and remove and then replace it the right way up?
 
Richard Gawler

Richard Gawler

Western Thunderer
Phil O said:
Could you dip the front tube plate in boiling water and remove and then replace it the right way up?
Click to expand...

About an hour ago, I put some Milliput into the unwanted holes in the front tube plate. This usually drills well when set so I can add a hole for the steam pipe with its flange at the top.

I suspect, the alloy will melt before the expoxy glue so I think it will be easiest (if not the most prototypical result) to alter the holes rather than take the tube plate out.
 
Richard Gawler

Richard Gawler

Western Thunderer
Phil O said:
Yes, I think you're correct, you have fitted the front tube plate upside down. I don't know why they have left a gap down the centre of the tube plate, the only time I have seen that is on multipass marine boilers.
Click to expand...
I can try to drill some fresh holes in the middle of the front tube plate, to remove the apparent gap.

Phil O said:
On the backhead D and E are washout plugs. If F was on the corner of the firebox, I would have said mud hole/ inspection holes.
Click to expand...
Okay. I can fill in F and F' and forget they were ever there.

Phil O said:
The two items either side of D, would be the bottom of the gauge glass fittings would fit, the top fittings would be approximately 12 inches or so above and I would have expected them to be 4 bolts or two if blanks had been fitted.
Click to expand...
But not the three bolts represented in the backhead casting! I can file off the bolt detail so there is none.

Phil O said:
Blower and steam injector fittings usually come off the steam manifold, on top of the firebox. Variations are possible on that.
Click to expand...
Okay. I can ignore these as long as I don't try to add a manifold.

I'll make a guess, the designer of this kit knew about as much about steam boilers as I did when I looked at the illustration on the box and made the purchase :))
 
Phil O

Phil O

Western Thunderer
Richard Gawler said:
I can try to drill some fresh holes in the middle of the front tube plate, to remove the apparent gap.


Okay. I can fill in F and F' and forget they were ever there.


But not the three bolts represented in the backhead casting! I can file off the bolt detail so there is none.


Okay. I can ignore these as long as I don't try to add a manifold.

I'll make a guess, the designer of this kit knew about as much about steam boilers as I did when I looked at the illustration on the box and made the purchase :))
Click to expand...
Seems like a plan. I would just add, that knocking up some blanks and plugs to fit in or over any tube holes or pipe fittings. Wooden plugs or bungs are tapered and would stand proud of platework by around an inch. Blanks are thin bits of sheet wood and be held in place by a few nuts and bolts.
 
Richard Gawler

Richard Gawler

Western Thunderer
Phil O said:
Seems like a plan. I would just add, that knocking up some blanks and plugs to fit in or over any tube holes or pipe fittings. Wooden plugs or bungs are tapered and would stand proud of platework by around an inch. Blanks are thin bits of sheet wood and be held in place by a few nuts and bolts.
Click to expand...

I have some wooden cocktail sticks for the bungs but I am jumping ahead of myself, still waiting for the Milliput to cure.
 
Richard Gawler

Richard Gawler

Western Thunderer
spikey faz said:
But apart from that it's all good! :D

Mike
Click to expand...
Not sure. The various boiler sections went together egg-shaped so had to be soldered up really well and then squeezed round. This leaves the two large fittings on the top of the boiler, and so far no-one has passed a judgment on these :)
 
Phil O

Phil O

Western Thunderer
Richard Gawler said:
Not sure. The various boiler sections went together egg-shaped so had to be soldered up really well and then squeezed round. This leaves the two large fittings on the top of the boiler, and so far no-one has passed a judgment on these :)
Click to expand...

The front one is the steam dome and the rear one will be where the safety valves go.
 
Richard Gawler

Richard Gawler

Western Thunderer
Phil O said:
As Brian has suggested, I would remove the next row of tubes, too. You could add the nuts for the longitudinal stays, to match those on the back head, the horizontal row of 4 nuts. You could also add the washout plugs. The steam pipe would go on the centre line at the top, this would be about 6 inches in diameter and the flange would be about 2 or three inches in front of the tube plate to allow fitting the nuts, when the T piece was bolted on.

. . .

View attachment 183085
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DSC_2424.jpeg

My steam pipe is 1/8 inch OD brass tube turned down so I could press two 6BA washers onto it to represent flanges. These washers then soldered on. If the inner flange is non-prototypical, I need it to cover an off-centre and elongated hole in the tube plate.

This task would be perfectly well possible by opening up the washers to fit over the tube but the lathe had more appeal and gave me a shoulder to set the rear washer nice and square.

I am guessing the washout plugs might be short pieces of round bar, about the same diameter as the tube holes (1/16 inch), and protruding from the plate by about half of their diameter?
 
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