# How Slow Can You Go?



## rake60 (Aug 24, 2007)

This is a personal challenge to our experienced builders.

Flywheel inertia will make any model run with the help of a piston in a 
cylinder adding a bit of a nudge, but have you ever built an engine that
runs on the pressure in the cylinder alone?

My best effort at that came from my version of Elmer's Mine Engine.
<embed src="http://www.rake60.com/photogallery/Slow_Slow_Mine.mpeg" autoplay="false" hidden="false" loop="false" type="application/mediaplayer" wmode="transparent" width="350" heigth="425"></embed> 
or http://www.rake60.com/photogallery/Slow_Slow_Mine.mpeg

So how slow can you go?


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## Bogstandard (Sep 26, 2007)

Hi Rick,
Before I go too far on the build of my mine engine (I took your advice and started on this one), I need to know whether it will run in either direction or is it just one.
By the way the valve timing works I hope it runs in the direction you send the flywheel.

John


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## compound driver (Sep 26, 2007)

Hi
Il try to get a video of the traction engine ticking over at 50RPM next time i steam it. Looks good and lets the boiler pressure come up well.

Cheers Kevin


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## rake60 (Sep 26, 2007)

Mine will only run in one direction.
In fact if it doesn't self start, gently rotating the flywheel in the opposite 
direction will cause it to reverse and start in the direction the that valve
is timed for.   I haven't tried it, but I would think that by changing the 
valve timing the engine would run in the opposite direction only.

Rick


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## Bogstandard (Sep 26, 2007)

Many thanks Rick,
I will have to give it a good dose of looking at then.
My plans for the engine to do some work depend on it going both ways.

John


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