Elmers Mine Engine

[1Kenny]

John,

I think your engine looks grand. I was over at a friends house last Saturday, he has a kit engine with a reverseing slot and I got to see how it works. Yours looks much nicer but now I understand how it works. It helped getting to read about it first.

Kenny

 

[Bogstandard]

Kenny,
Thanks for the compliment, and really glad the info supplied helped you to understand things a bit better.

John

 

[wareagle]

John, your "production" engines look very nice. Ingenious way to fund the hobby, too!

I am about to gear up and build some small hand trucks. I did several last year, and have had numerous requests again for them this year. It does help out to have some paying projects every now and then.

A full sized version is in the background. The kids love them!

 

[Bogstandard]

Lovely looking sack trucks there Wareagle, I can see why the kids love 'em, the only prob is that they will move everything that isn't bolted down, and even try with some things that are.
I just wish I had kept all my gas welding gear from years ago, but no place for storage any more. I used to make sledges out of electrical conduit for the kids.
My next batch of engines, cheap @ $400 each, will help pay for my new lathe, hopefully early in the new year. My workshop has to be self funding, otherwise SWMBO stops feeding me.

John

 

[Bogstandard]

I have been looking around at what the manufacturers are up to and came across this one from Stuart
http://www.stuartmodels.com/inprod_det.cfm/section/machined/mod_id/38
Does it remind you of anything?
And at over $2000 it is a good reason for us to make our own.

John

 

[Tin Falcon]

That looks likes a 2 up version of the elmers mine engine but certainly can be done.
Tin

 

[Bogstandard]

In fact Tin, I don't think it looks as nice as Elmers version

John

 

[Mr.Myford]

Here's a better image:

And with boiler:

 

[Bogstandard]

From that picture Thomas, I was right, it looks downright ugly, the top end proportions look much too heavy compared to Elmers version, but they most probably designed it in keeping with the original.
As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Thanks for showing us.

John

 

[Bogstandard]

Here is the finished 'bowling trophy' as Mel called it.
Sorry about the quality of the pics but we are now into wintertime and the light is slightly different, you will notice more on the vid.

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/76FAAv-PB78" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed>

And just for Mel, here is a direct link

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76FAAv-PB78[/ame]

Engine now finished, but not finished with.


Grinning John

 

[m_kilde]

Hi John

Most impressive, thank you for sharing both the pictures and the wonderful video.

 

[lugnut]

John, that engine is great. I hope I didn't offend you by calling it a bowling trophy. But it does sparkle! And thanks for the video link. I think what amazed as much as anything else is; It’s a lot smaller than I had envisioned. Thanks (from across the big pond) for sharing it with us. Great work.
Mel

 

[Bogstandard]

Thanks for your praise, much appreciated.

Mel, if your little bit of humour had upset me I would have let you know. I live for humour and criticism, it is the only thing that keeps me going.
The problem is that I can't remember what I had for breakfast, but a little gem of a comment like yours will stay with me for years.

And I will get my own back :twisted:

Terminator John

 

[1Kenny]

John,

That baby is nice. I just love engines with classic bling. Thank for showing the build process too.

Kenny

 

[rake60]

I never get tired of seeing your versions of these engines John.
Beautiful engine!

Could you give a little more detail of your throttling valve?
I like that idea.

Rick

 

[mklotz]

I would never be so crass as to compare John's artwork to a bowling trophy.

Nevertheless, it does evoke images of Bernini's altar in St. Peter's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter's_baldachin

Devout Catholic miners might like the idea of worshipping before a steam-animated altar.

Seriously, John, that's a beautiful job you've done and I admire immensely your ability to make an engine into a display item beyond its functional utility. You really should think about writing a treatise on making engines display worthy. I know that several folks in our club have requested such information. I'm no help to them since I prefer the workshop patina look so everyone will know that it was handmade.

 

[Bogstandard]

Bowling trophy first, then an ornate altar, whatever next, the pearly gates.
I would just like to say thank you for all the positive comments I have had about this engine. I don't do them all like this, just special ones that with a slight 'lift' above the norm could be made to look totally different, this engine fitted the bill perfectly, same engine, just different shaped bits.

Marv,
I must have seen that alter in a previous life and it came flooding back to me as I was building.
Steve is the one for writing up about 'blinging' an engine, I'm only a part timer compared to his results.

Rick,
All I can tell you about the speed control is that they are fitted to either end of air cylinders to control operational speed. If you look on the first few pictures I posted it shows the original. All I did was strip it down because it contained rubber seals, cleaned up the outer faces, modified the inlet and outlet to suit my needs and silver soldered a little operating lever onto it. Unless you are there when I do it, it is almost impossible to tell you how, because I do it on the run and it is finished when it works, even I can't remember every process that I carried out on it. As I have said before, I can't even remember what I had for breakfast. Sorry.

Very Happy John, just planning his next venture.