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Steam Engine Techniques

Steam Engine Techniques. August 2003. Steam Engine Techniques - Preview. One Person’s Perspective: Goals of a Steam Engine Design A Saga of (Semi) Functional Linkages Furnaces and Fireboxes Cowcatchers “Greebling” 0-4-0 Yard Goat Case Study. One Person’s Take: Goals for Steam Engines.

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Steam Engine Techniques

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  1. Steam Engine Techniques August 2003

  2. Steam Engine Techniques - Preview • One Person’s Perspective: Goals of a Steam Engine Design • A Saga of (Semi) Functional Linkages • Furnaces and Fireboxes • Cowcatchers • “Greebling” • 0-4-0 Yard Goat Case Study

  3. One Person’s Take: Goals for Steam Engines • Goals (Your Mileage May Vary - every person has different priorities!) • “Tie” the cylinder pistons and the wheel linkages to each other • Incoporate “real-life” design techniques; specifically, have the piston cylinder co-linear with the drive wheel axles • Model an actual design as accurately as possible • Add as many catchy and/or moving features as possible • Try to emulate real-world scale • In many cases, 10 and 12 wide! • And the ultimate goal: RUN on a layout!

  4. Steam Engine Linkages: BR52 (2-10-0) • 5 Drive Axles, though the linkages are only tied to the middle 3 • The outer (leading and trailing) drive axles are allowed to turn with the track • Note the hideous modification of the drive wheels • Motors located in tender • Result: • An engine that can run on a layout quite well! • Lessons Learned: • Allowing drive wheels to turn with track is quite problematic • High-friction pistons with lateral freedom causes binding

  5. Steam Engine Linkages: BR18 (4-6-2) • 3 Drive Axles, though the linkages are only tied to the front 2 • The rear drive axle is allowed to turn with the track • Note the hideous modification of the [unbelievably expensive] drive wheels • Motors located in tender • Result: • It looks pretty • It runs like a train wreck • Lessons Learned: • Allowing drive wheels to turn with track is quite problematic • Tight pistons cause binding • Clearly I learned nothing from the BR52

  6. Steam Engine Linkages: Hudson 4-6-4 • 3 Drive Axles, linkages tied to all 3 • None of the drive axles turn with the track; the drive wheels run on top of the rails • No modifications! • Motors located in tender • 2 working pistons … drive piston (below) and valve piston (above) • Result: • It looks pretty • It runs well on straightaways, struggles through curves, and bogs down on S-curves • Lessons Learned: • An engine *can* be too heavy! Who knew?

  7. Steam Engine Linkages: Generic 4-4-4 • 2 Drive Axles, linkages tied to both • None of the drive axles turn with the track; the drive wheels run on top of the rails • No modifications! • Motors located in tender • 1 working piston utilizing a technic axle! • Not based on an actual design • Result: • Not based on a specific design • It runs great! • Piston runs slightly higher than drive wheel axles (*sob*) • Lessons Learned: • Technic axles make for smoother, lower-friction pistons!

  8. Steam Engine Linkages: 0-4-0 Yard Goat • No linkages at all • None of the wheels turn • No modifications • Motor located in engine • Result: • look at this silly little thing! I didn’t stick to any of my usual goals, other than modeling an actual real-life design • Runs best of all the designs so far • Lessons Learned: • Sometimes, you just have to make the *&%#% thing work well, at the expense of everything else

  9. Steam Engine Linkages: 4-8-4 Northern • 4 Drive Axles, linkages tied to all of them • None of the drive axles turn with the track; the drive wheels run on top of the rails • No modifications! • 1 motor located on leading truck(!), second motor in tender • 2 working pistons, both utilizing technic axles! … drive piston (below) and valve piston (above) • Result: • Runs beautifully (so far) on all tracks, including S-curves • Linkages produce very little friction • Lessons Learned: • TBD

  10. Steam Engine Linkages: Summary • All drive wheels should remain fixed in position in relation to the cylinder!!!! • Drive wheels running on top of track obviates need for turning, and allows wheels to remain fixed with respect to the cylinder • Reduce friction in linkages as much as possible: • Use technic axles for pistons? • Gear all drive wheels together so that they remain in phase without binding against the linkages • The further forward a motor can be situated, the better! • Weight matters! • More weight produces better friction, but can also bog the engine down

  11. Steam Engine Details - Firebox • The Furnace! • For scalding flames: • Use trans-red, -orange, and -yellow pieces • Mount old-style lights behind them for a flickering effect • Alternatively: • “Life on Mars” flame tile works great

  12. Steam Engine Details - Cowcatcher • Robot arms make for nice cowcatcher designs

  13. Steam Engine Details - Greebling • Detailing (a.k.a. “Greebling”) • Adding little details that make the engine look “busy” • Case Study: 0-4-0 Yard Goat

  14. Steam Engine Details - Greebling • Detailing (a.k.a. “Greebling”) • Trim Walkways • 1x2 panels and 1x1 corner panels • Mounted on 1x4 with side-studs

  15. Steam Engine Details - Greebling • Detailing (a.k.a. “Greebling”) • Hoses and Pipes • Rubber Bands • Stretcher Pieces • Hose • String • Rods, antennae, lightsaber blades • Flex tubing, flex tubing, flex tubing!

  16. Steam Engine Details - Greebling • Detailing (a.k.a. “Greebling”) • Tender Railings (minifig hands, flex tubing)

  17. Steam Engine Details - Greebling • Steam Engine Greebling MVPs (Most Valuable Pieces) • Flex Tubing • Robot Arms • Minifig Hands • 1x1 plates and tiles with clips, clasps, grips, and grasps • slopes (Even more so than curved pieces!)

  18. The End

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