Section 12 - Smokebox

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Neidrauer Live Steam Locomotives Photo Albums » Building a Live Steam Locomotive - the Mikado Project » Section 12 - Smokebox

The 'face' of a locomotive. Smokebox front, smokestack, headlight bracket, hinges, bell. February - June 2009.

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IMG_3267 With the cross-compound set over 90 degrees square to the lathe axis, he is able to take accurate amounts off the end of the part for the final thickness.

IMG_3266 A quick check with the dial calipers for the current thickness. We'd use a micrometer if we could get on between the part and the chuck.

IMG_3265 After drilling, the part is turned around and chucked against parallels temporarily put in the chuck. This allows us to measure the thickness of the part without having to unchuck it.

IMG_3263 31-May-2011 Drilling the upper half of the blast nozzle.

IMG_3259 Without a taper attachment, all the taper boring is done with the cross compound set over.

IMG_3258 Turning an inside taper for the blast nozzle. We picket 8 degrees taper for the one inch of length.

IMG_3256 This is a two part assembly, the lower one is being turned now. The upper one will have the blower ring on it.

IMG_3255 24-May-2011 Turning the 303 stainless steel blast nozzle

IMG_3227 12-May-2011 After the pilot braces were installed, the rest of tonights shop work was devising a blast nozzle/blower combination. There is no doubt the pipe cap blast nozzle and crimped copper tube blower will work as the blueprints specify. My friend Tim built a powerful Mikado from the same drawings. I just see myself 'tinkering' with the front-end setup and want a simpler way to swap things out. So we are working on a body that is attached to the exhaust pipe and has the blower line connected to it. This part with the piping would always stay together. Our thought is a collar which integrates the blower holes and the blast nozzle would slide onto the body. It will have to be a neat fit as to not leak steam. The collar can be removed with the loosening of a couple set screws, no need to touch the plumbing. Proposed material is 303 stainless.

IMG_3226 12-May-2011 Ten holes drilled & tapped later, all four pilot braces are installed. This is not their final installation, I need to take them down and finish paint them.

IMG_3196 2-May-2011 Tapping the smokebox for the two custom Frisco pilot support braces. Doing this by hand is a real pain! You are holding the drill at a awkward angle, we had to use a battery drill since it had the smaller body to get into the space right next to the cylinders and we have to free-hand tap all six holes with a long tap wrench since the handles interfere with the cylinders on the regular wrench. Ugh. A recipe for disaster.

IMG_3195 2-May-2011 The main steam line to the throttle is plumbed!!!

IMG_3194 2-May-2011 Tapping bolt holes for the custom Frisco pilot support braces.

IMG_3193 2-May-2011 Tapping the frame for the custom Frisco pilot support braces.

IMG_3188 26-April-2011 The throttle bracket is installed in the smokebox and the throttle linkage arms fabricated out of stainless steel. We left a couple different holes in the handle and the linkage arms so we can see what feels best.

IMG_3187 Drilling additional throttle linkage points in the valve handle.

IMG_3181 20-Apr-11 This could be a real 'Whatizit?' shot. Using a small rod inserted into the inside of the 1/2

IMG_3176 19-Apr-11 A SMAW (Mig) welder sure is nice! A couple of tack welds on each side and the bottom of the tabs, and the petticoat is done!

IMG_3174 19-Apr-2011 I fussed with the little tabs which get welded on the petticoat while bill was making the throttle rod bushing. The stack is bolted down to the smokebox and the petticoat held tight with a smell block and a machinist jack underneath it. The tabs are bolted in place and readied for welding. Tip from Bill: put a small washer between the tab and shell when bolting up for welding. After the tabs are welded, remove the washer. The space left by the washer will pull the petticoat assembly up against the stack that much tighter!

IMG_3173 19-Apr-11 bill turned a piece of bronze to make a bushing for the throttle rod. We are using a commercial 3/8 to 3/8 compression tube fitting because the staypipe in our boiler is 3/8 O.D. copper. This bushing fits inside the bored out fitting and provides a nice guide for the throttle rod. We also made a tapered washer for the nut so we can put some packing inbetween and keep the soot and dirt out of the rod/bushing connection.

IMG_3171 19-Apr-2011 Yer basic tail pipe petticoat, 2.5

IMG_3167 11-Apr-11 Drilling the throttle bracket mounting holes in the shell. The holes will be 10-32 tapped into the boiler shell, so we are drilling with a tap-size drill. Because the welding clamps do not have much pressure to hold bracket in place (I added a shop-made 'Kant-Twist' clamp to help), we temporarily put a 6-32 bolt&nut in each hole to help keep things from moving.

IMG_3166 We mark the ends of the bracket and hole locations.

IMG_3164 2-Apr-11 The throttle bracket temporarily held in position for drilling with long reach welding clamps. Note the 'Single-use' petticoat - made of cardboard. I didn't have one made yet, but needed to check clearances and interferences, so a quick one was mocked up. Not very aparent is the fact we moved the valve bracket over to the left to better center the valve handle with the throttle rod. I used the angle grinder with a thin cut off wheel to break the welds, ground the bracket flat and repositioned the mounting ring. It was tricky to move since the mounting ring had to stay plumb straight, but not in line to the boiler centerline.

IMG_3163 12-Apr-2011 Bill lays out where the throttle mounting bracket will be inside the smokebox, in preparation to drill mounting holes.

IMG_3157 5-Apr-2011 with the flats milled in, the clevis has a nice rounded end from the corner rounding bit.

IMG_3156 5-Apr-2010 Milling flats on the clevis.

IMG_3155 The set up of the corner rounding bit in the tool holder. Getting the center height correct is important!

IMG_3154 5-Apr-2011 We decided to make our own throttle clevis, using 7/16

IMG_3152 5-Apr-2011 Milling a flat on the handle for the throttle rod clevis connection point.

IMG_3151 After some hand dressing of the rudely broached handle, we have a nice, no slop fit. The throttle stem and handle that came with the valve were slop and would have introduced more play in the throttle linkage that we wanted.

IMG_3150 5-April-2011 Putting 1/4-20 threads and trimming the throttle handle to length.

IMG_3149 29-Mar-2011 with the throttle brack completed, we are able to determine how long our replacement valve stem should be. We set the length and machine the four flats for the handle. Using the stop rod and square collet holder, this is very simple: machine one side, unclamp, turn, machine next side.

IMG_3148 29-Mar-2011 with the throttle brack completed, we are able to determine how long our replacement valve stem should be. We set the length and machine the four flats for the handle. Using the stop rod and square collet holder, this is very simple: machine one side, unclamp, turn, machine next side.

IMG_3147 29-Mar-2011 We have bent a piece of flat stock to match the inside curve of the smokebox. this assembly will be bolted to top of the smokebox.

IMG_3146 29-Mar-2011 The throttle bracket assembly welded up.

IMG_3144 29-Mar-2011 the machined collar with two 8-32 holes drilled an tapped for set screws. I've welded a standoff on the collar, we're about to machine the welds flat.

IMG_3138 26-Mar-2011 Back to work on the throttle. We have been thinking about how to mount and install this quarter turn gate valve for some time. We decide to build a brack to hold the throttle using the hex flats. First step is to put a good machined surface on the flats.

IMG_3043 Milling a small pocket in the top of the foot for the pilot brace rod to set into. This should help stabilize the rod and keep it in position while I tack weld it.

IMG_3042 5-Jan-2011 Doing our best to match the angle of the brace rod coming down from the smokebox with the machinists protractor.

IMG_3040 5-Jan-2011 Using the edge finder to pick up the edge of the foot so we can drill the two mounting holes. The stop rod is set since we have a second identical part to do.

IMG_3038 Cutting stock down to size for the pilot brace foot. (2)

IMG_3027 Efficient operations here: Drill, unclamp, turn part, push against stop rod, clamp, drill & repeat! 8 holes in a jiffy!

IMG_3024 8-Dec-2010 The upper brace flanges are square and symmetrical. Bill puts a stop rod in the vise and starts drilling.

IMG_3023 8-Dec-2010 When you don't have a drawing, you have to make one. Or something that you can follow!

IMG_3022 8-Dec-2010 The assembled pilot braces, silver soldered at one end, welded at the other, all blended with a small file and sanding belt!

IMG_3021 8-Dec-2010 I don't know how anyone could weld or solder this assembly up on the workbench. I ended up bolting the foot to the pilot deck and Bill held the rod in position on the smokebox, then I tack welded it with the Mig welder.

IMG_3019 8-Dec-2010 The silver soldered brace.

IMG_3014 The flange and rod are bolted together with a 5-40 brass bolt before silver soldering.

IMG_3013 Bill uses a magnifying glass to get close-up on the end of the wiggler.

IMG_3012 Using the wiggler to pick up the edge of the end of the pilot stay rod for drilling

IMG_3011 We use the bolt circle program in the DRO, which makes the layout easy.

IMG_3010 1-Dec-2010 Laying out and drilling the pilot brace smokebox flange.

IMG_0273 28-Nov-2010 Shot of the boiler check and running board details on the full size Frisco 1522

IMG_0272 Smokebox stays on the full size Frisco 1522. A nice clear shot of the 5-bolt round flange and 4-bolt square flange. We're guessing the pilot stay rod was forged to the flange.

IMG_0271 Frame to Pilot connection on the full size Frisco 1522 showing how the vertical stay is attached to the frame. This is important since the USRA prints only have two pilot stays and we are going off print to match the FRISCO design.

IMG_0270 Front-end vertical and angled pilot stay details on the full size Frisco 1522.

IMG_0269 Bill went to the National Museum of Transportation in Saint Louis, MO and took a few pictures of the full sized Frisco 1522 and the pilot stays used. There is a square and round smokebox mount, and ladder and handrail details.

IMG_3009 Machining the end of the brace flat. We used a machinist protractor to match the angle best we could.

IMG_3008 22-Nov-2010 Starting on the Pilot Brace.

IMG_2981 13-Oct-2010 Using a piece of wire and scriber to lay out the petticoat radiuses.

IMG_2454 14-July-10 The parts of the 1/4-turn fast -opening gate valve on the bench. There was waaay too much slop in the valve stem - gate connection (center part), so we will make a new stem to replace it.

IMG_2453 Turning a piece of brass with a specially ground tool to make the new valve stem. The special tool is needed to put an inside cup face on a shoulder, which holds the rubber washer in place.

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