Building a Live Steam Locomotive

Neidrauer Adventures Photo Album and Blog » Building a Live Steam Locomotive - the Mikado Project

September 2012 First fire-up! The engine has made it out of the basement, a fire light and steam was raised! See new folder "Operations" for details. Construction photos of a 1.6" scale, 7.5" gage live steam USRA Heavy Mikado locomotive, wheel arrangement 2-8-2. Under construction in my basement under the expert tutelage of Bill W., retired master machinist. I have chosen the home road for this locomotive, it is a Frisco 4100-series engine, number 4166 (a 'ghost' engine, the 4100 series stopped after 4164). Note: Most of the pictures in this album are in reverse order, with the newest developments first. Winter 2013 - we are working on the tender and tender trucks. Progress is slow.

Operations - After years of effort, we run the engine! | Total images: 23

First fire-up of Frisco 4166 September 2012. First throttle pull at the St. Louis Live Steamers track. A three-day break-in run at the Big Creek & Southern and last run for the season. All using a borrowed tender from a friend (I still need to build one).

Assembly | Total images: 73

In Progress! Although there is no 'Section A' in the prints, I need a place to record the assembling of the locomotive. Recent activity: Boiler Fit, Remove, Fit Remove, Ashpan installation, firedoor, front-end work. Winter 2011. Chassis Timing - December 2009. Started July 2009

Painting | Total images: 24

Another non-print section, but another milestone event. Parts have been Prepared, Primered and Painted. Now that this big batch is completed, most parts are now painted as they are completed, so you'll find them in their respective sections.

Section 1 - Frame | Total images: 29

Completed! Frame construction pictures Oct 2004 - Aug 2007

Section 2 - Spring Rigging | Total images: 6

Completed! Very few pictures of the spring rigging

Section 3 - Drive Wheels | Total images: 74

Completed! Pictures, video and the Saga of the main drive wheels. Started July 2005, finished December 2007 with a break in the middle to find, move and restore a bigger lathe.

Section 4 - Cylinders | Total images: 16

Completed! The cylinder saddle as machined by master machinist Bill W. Summer 2003

Section 5 - Cylinder group 2 | Total images: 87

Completed! The cylinder parts - covers, piping, jacketing. July 2006-Jan 2007, June 2009-August 2009, finished September 2009

Section 6 - Pilot and Pilot Deck | Total images: 96

Nearly Complete! The Pilot (front of engine) and Front Truck. Sheetmetal work for the pilot deck started Jan 2012.

Section 7 - Trailing Truck | Total images: 43

Completed! The Delta Trailing Truck. May 2005 - Aug 2007

Section 8 - Motion Structure | Total images: 63

Completed! Guide Yoke, Link Support, Connecting Rods,Water pump. August 2007-Jan 2008

Section 9 - Locomotive Brakes | Total images: 56

Completed! Locomotive Brakes. Brake cylinder, brake hangers, brake shoes, connecting links and beams. Jan - Feb 2008 The Brake gear was welded in August. I have received three replacement brake hangers and we completed them June 2009.

Section 10 - Drive Rods | Total images: 55

Completed! Drive Rods. Main, Side and Intermediate rods. Jan-June 2008

Section 11 - Valve Gear | Total images: 134

Completed! Valve Gear. Lots of little levers: Link Trunion, tumbling shaft lever, eccentric crank, eccentric rod, radius rod, combination lever, union link, lifing link. July 2008-January 2009

Section 12 - Smokebox | Total images: 171

Finished enough to Run! The 'face' of a locomotive. Front-end work in progress - Throttle, petticoat, blast pipe. Custom smokebox support stays completed (Frisco used 4 stays, not the 2 like the USRA models), throttle modification and installation, a custom flaring tool - Winter 2011. Smokebox front, smokestack, headlight bracket, hinges, bell. February - June 2009. Plumbing May 2011 - finished Nov 2011.

Section 13 - Boiler | Total images: 36

Completed. The boiler was fabricated by a machine shop in the hobby in 2003 and was part of the castings and prints when I purchased them from an individual.

Section 14 - Boiler Accessories | Total images: 102

In Progress. Boiler Accessories. July 2012 - boiler Jacketing. April 2011 - Fire door completed, installed. Maybe the fire pan is really finished this time! Fire pan modified, completed, for a square burner and damper assembly Feb 2011. Fire pan modified, completed, for a larger atomizer opening in fall 2010. The fire pan was started Jan 2010, completed May 2010. Plumbing the burner in Jan-2012.

Section 15 - Cab | Total images: 37

The Cab. August 2012 - Fitting and modifying the stock USRA cab to be more like a FRISCO. August 2011 - Right now we are focusing on the minumum needed to get the locomotive running, cab finishing and details will come later. May 2011 - Cab Floor Started. June 2008-Check out the beautiful laser cut parts my friend Tim M. hooked me up with!

Section 16 - Cab Accessories | Total images: 111

In progress! Cab Accessories. Should be called the plumbing section! May 2012 - Minimum required plumbing completed for first fire-up. The manifold, main steam valves, accessories and controls all need to be plumbed in this section. The reverse stand is nearly finished (Aug 2011), Johnson bar. Plumbing completed for: Manifold; Blower; Main Steam Gage; Water Glass, Aux Air Manifold. Injectors are next.

Section 17 - Tender Trucks | Total images: 36

Tender Trucks. Construction Started December 2012! I picked up a set of 3-axle commonwealth trucks in November 2008 which I will use instead of the supplied USRA bettendorfs. One problem: the homemade castings do not have an engineering print with them. We have to make the prints and figure out how to machine them.

Section 18 - Tender | Total images: 17

Tender. In Progress! I have already learned one lesson: Cut the tender frame to length AFTER the tank is made. Maybe you will do better than I did, but my tank is a about 1" shorter than planned-making accurate bends in the sheet sides is hard! After using a borrowed tender for the first fire-up of the locomotive, all attention is turned to fabricating one this winter. November 2012 - raw stock for Tender Frame cut. Steel side sheets for tender tank laser cut. Fiberglass Tender received 2003. June 2009 - I am thinking of making a tender instead of using the fiberglass one since the 3 axle trucks I have will not fit under the frame.

Section 19 - Misc | Total images: 14

Misc. Stuff that doesn't have a particular home. Like the Lubricator. And hand rails. And a Bell, and whistle, and lettering, and couplers, and....and...and all that other stuff.