# Stuart Victoria



## Steve_Withnell (Oct 1, 2010)

Finally, my version of the Stuart Victoria is pretty near close to finished. There has been a lot of interest for the HM forum so I thought I'd just drop a link to my blog:

http://tinyurl.com/3xuc6mo

I've literally only two or three trivial components to finish off then a fair bit of tweaking and polishing and it will be good for a trial run in its completed state.

One issue with this steam engine build is continuous attention to the aesthetics of the layout, which is tough for those like me who just want an excuse to run up the machine!  Also is the amount of woodwork and plumbing needed. So next project will be IC.  I'm "manning up" to tackle the Whittle V8. An old timer told me if I can make the crank to spec, then the rest will be no problem... first some woodworking to do


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## don-tucker (Oct 1, 2010)

That's a nice job Steve,I think I have just found my next project.I thought the Victoria was a twin cylinder engine.
Don


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## NickG (Oct 1, 2010)

Very nice engine Steve. :bow:

Don, I believe there is a twin version too.

Nick


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## GWRdriver (Oct 1, 2010)

don-tucker  said:
			
		

> I thought the Victoria was a twin cylinder engine. - Don


Don,
The Victoria engine is sold in both single and double versions.


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## Steve_Withnell (Oct 2, 2010)

Yep there is a "twin Victoria". It's two sets of single Victoria kit castings and the two flywheels are locked together to form a single flywheel.  The sole plate in the single kit is designed to be used in the "twin" version.

The twin was designed by "Tubal Cain" as an example of a pit winding engine IIRC.  I met a guy who built one to wind a clock! 

Regards

Steve


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## Steve_Withnell (Oct 2, 2010)

don-tucker  said:
			
		

> That's a nice job Steve,I think I have just found my next project.I thought the Victoria was a twin cylinder engine.
> Don



Thanks for the kind remarks Don.  I took a short clip of it running on compressed air today:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqflW9fnGhc[/ame]

I uploaded it in HD, but it's much smoother played back at lower resolutions. I haven't made the lever that connects the governor to the shaft that drives the steam cutoff yet.  Other than that, there is a fair amount of tedious making sure all the studs are the right length and nicely finished.

Steve


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## NickG (Oct 2, 2010)

Beautiful engine and running perfectly! :bow:


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## don-tucker (Oct 2, 2010)

Runs a treat Steve,is the double steam chest your mod.I'll have a job deciding on the double or single,Christmas is coming.
Don


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## Steve_Withnell (Oct 3, 2010)

Hi Don - The Victoria is simple slide valve engine, so you need to buy some spares from Stuart to create the additional drive gear. Extras include extra steam chest, eccentric strap and extrusion for the steam flanges. The other mod I made was to use fish bellied rods rather than flat material for the valve pushrods.  The lubricator I made from bar and a couple of steam cocks.


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## bigal2749 (Oct 6, 2010)

Very nice :bow:
Could you please explain the valve system you've used. A treat to watch in action


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## don-tucker (Oct 6, 2010)

I would like to know more about that valve set up to
Don


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## Steve_Withnell (Oct 7, 2010)

The arrangement is that the lower rod drives the primary valve and the upper rod drives a Meyer expansion valve. I've cheated - I haven't made the expansion valve yet.

I have a picture and timing diagram of the arrangement, I'll post at weekend when I'll get chance to pull the notes etc.

In the meantime google "Meyer expansion valve" and it will get you started

Steve


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## don-tucker (Oct 9, 2010)

Don;t blame you for cheating,if it were me I would leave it as it is,a beautiful engine.
Don


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## Steve_Withnell (Oct 16, 2010)

bigal2749  said:
			
		

> Very nice :bow:
> Could you please explain the valve system you've used. A treat to watch in action


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## Steve_Withnell (Oct 16, 2010)

Oops - Hit "send" too soon!

Here is the link to the Science Museum site -

http://www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/results.asp?image=10420552

Other good stuff there too-


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## don-tucker (Oct 16, 2010)

Are you going to make this valve for your engine Steve,the left hand taps and die will be hard to find,I would suspect.
Don


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## Steve_Withnell (Oct 17, 2010)

I have the taps and dies, (Tracy tools in the UK are great for sourcing taps and dies, not sure there is anything they don't have!) but don't intend making the valve just yet.  There is an article in an old Model Engineer describing the build of the Meyer type valve, I've mislaid it, but I have it somewhere.

Steve


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## don-tucker (Oct 17, 2010)

Do you know the date or issue No of the Model engineer you need I have quite a few old issues.
Don


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## Steve_Withnell (Oct 18, 2010)

Thanks Don, I found it. It's Issue 1 of Volume 15, Engineering in Miniature.  It was pure accident, because I picked up Volume 15 for the build of Eric Whittle's Cirrus IC engine and there was the article .

Having a look at issue 1, the article is under the non-descript heading of Odd Castings to a Finished Engine by Don Unwin.  Mr. Unwin is clearly a master craftsman.  From his box of odd castings, he describes the build of a horizontal engine, complete with a working Meyer Expansion Valve.  This includes the manual adjustment of the valve. You would not discover his description of the expansion valve except by fluke.

He describes in the article that the cut-off is variable between 75% right down to 15% and he also confirms the timing arrangements.  The expansion valve eccentric he fixes at 180 degrees opposite the crankpin, then the primary valve +/- 115 degrees depending on the direction of rotation required.

Mr Unwin also includes reference to a number of design references of the period:

Elements of Machine Design, by WC Unwin (no relation!) pub. 1883

Baileys Useful Inventions for Engineers pub. 1900

The article is not a cut by cut build, but does provide a lot a detail around the Meyer arrangement.

Steve


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## Dan Rowe (Oct 18, 2010)

Steve,
In later editions of Elements of Machine Design by W.C. Unwin the Meyer gear coverage is in Volume II. I just checked my 1902 edition and he uses a modifyed Zeuner diagram to explain the valve.

Coverage of Meyer gear is also found in Slide Valve Gears by F. A. Halsey. This text uses a Bilgram diagram to to explain the design concepts. If you have no experience with a Bilgram diagram the same book covers how to use one.

Dan


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## Steve_Withnell (Oct 22, 2010)

Thanks Dan. I have a copy of the Unwin books (thanks to abe.co.uk) but the various diagrams is beyond me at the minute.  I need to free up some head space before I have ago at understanding the steam theory.

Steve


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## Steve_Withnell (May 22, 2011)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6rgZ-7Y3t8[/ame]

Everything up and running, complete with knocking on cranshaft bearing!

Steve


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## nfk (May 22, 2011)

Congratulations!
It looks neat and sounds amazing!
Beautiful work!

Norberto


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## Steve_Withnell (May 22, 2011)

Thanks

It will sound a bit better when I've sorted the crankshaft bearing and there is a hiss of steam ;D

Steve


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## cfellows (Jun 19, 2011)

Very nice, Steve, I've always loved the Victoria. Do they all have two valve rods and two eccentics? Is that for reverse?

Chuck


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## don-tucker (Jun 20, 2011)

I second that Steve, a lovely job
Don


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## Steve_Withnell (Sep 1, 2011)

Hi Chuck,

The Victoria uses a standard slide valve, I've developed that to include a Meyer expansion valve. The "shapely lady" lubricator is my design copied from an engine my Great Grandfather built, sometime earlier than 1912. I have both engines on my shelf now 

I'm started on the Whittle V8 now, but distracted by the build of a Stuart water pump so I can power up a boiler!.

The Victoria build is blogged here - http://stevewithnell.wordpress.com/

My Whittle attempt (a bit like an attempt on Everest!) is blogged here:

http://whittlev8.wordpress.com/

Steve


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## Ken I (Sep 2, 2011)

Beautiful build Steve, I want to do something like that in the future as my modeling improves (hopefully).

Ken


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## rake60 (Sep 2, 2011)

Very Nice Steve!  :bow:

Rick


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