Running on steam - boiler choices & are "toy" boilers ok to use ?

[ChooChooMike]

I'd like to eventually run my models on steam just for the heck of it :big:

I bought a used Stuart boiler on eBay a few years ago, but am skeptical of its heritage - needs a good cleaning and obviously a hydro test before anything else.

I also bought a Jensen steam engine setup on eBay - ya know one of those boiler, engine, twirly, eye-candy things. I also grabbed a small Wilesco steam engine toy from my brother after his little boys lost interest after a few minutes.

Have any of you used one of these "toy" boilers to run your engines successfully on steam ? Since I already have those toys, I'm curious how well they could run models like we make ? If so, how did you hook them up ? There's generally a small tube coming out of the boiler going to the existing engine. I'm thinking :

• make a coupler of some sorts to join to that
• use some "green" aquarium-type hose (Marv K's suggestion) that's ok with low-pressure steam and hose clamp that to the existing pipe
• completely replace the existing pipe with one more amenable to your own setup ?

Any ideas/suggestions/pictures appreciated !

TIA !
Mike

 

[IronHorse]

You could probably run a small steam engine (less than 3/4" bore) on the Jensen. I have a model 75 and the boiler is fairly large. It has a 3/16 output pipe. I have seen videos of a small engine running off the exhaust of a Jensen before!

Be carefull with the hose, if it breaks or slides off it will whip steam all over the place, (happened to me :-[)

 

[bigal2749]

Why not just grab the steam from the filler hole. Solder a barb onto the water filler plug and drill a hole threw it.

Also check the whistles since you may be able to remove top of it and slip hose over it.

The safety valves that are on these things usaully are set to 1 1/2 bars ( 20lbs)


I collect steam toys (over 100) with an emphasis on early german and american makes.