Stephenson's Rocket--Working Model

[ddmckee54]

Your driver looks kind of like the wrestler in the bad-guys support group from the original Wreck-it Ralph. I think his name was Zamfir?

 

[Brian Rupnow]

One thing about my driver---He's "Devilishly handsome". I gave up on actual dolls clothing. Nobody in Barrie answered my add about sewing some clothes for him, so I decided to go with some Testers enamel which I bought at the hobby shop here in town. It looks like he will need a second coat to fully cover up his wrestlers trunks. I didn't want to go with black, because it simply doesn't show up on camera very well. I actually never thought of "devilish" until after I painted him. I bought a bit of black paint to redo his boots, and a bit of white paint to give him a white shirt. There is a fabric shop about 1/2 a mile from my place, and when I get all finished painting I'm going to buy a piece of matching red material and make him a cape.

 

[lathe nut]

Brian are you saying that gravity go you, I still think you need to get dressed up like that and let us be the judges, boy when we were young thought we would never grow old and start to have breakdowns, well it's here and sure is not nice, but we keep moving, can have a great day and plan what will be done the nest morning only to wake and say I have crashed before i got out the door, crap.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

So--We're done like dinner. The Stephenson's Rocket is finished, and the driver (who used to be a wrestler) has a top hat and cape, and a devilishly good paint job. My good wife sewed the cape for me this morning. A "grab bar" has been added to the engine to give my driver a place to hang onto, and you can't see it, but the bottom of his legs are drilled and tapped for #5 socket head capscrews that come up thru the platform----He's not going to fall off. This model will get the "Place of Honour" on one of my shelves.
After I make this post I'm going to (hopefully) make a video of the Rocket driving across my floor, and then I'm outa here!!!

 

[Richard Hed]

So--We're done like dinner. The Stephenson's Rocket is finished, and the driver (who used to be a wrestler) has a top hat and cape, and a devilishly good paint job. My good wife sewed the cape for me this morning. A "grab bar" has been added to the engine to give my driver a place to hang onto, and you can't see it, but the bottom of his legs are drilled and tapped for #5 socket head capscrews that come up thru the platform----He's not going to fall off. This model will get the "Place of Honour" on one of my shelves.
After I make this post I'm going to (hopefully) make a video of the Rocket driving across my floor, and then I'm outa here!!!

I REALLY hate telling other people how nice their stuff is, as it might upstage myself. But in this case it is so obviously a nice build, I can tell you so. What's next?

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Final Video of Stephenson's Rocket--Watch closely--It happens quickly!!!

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Richard--Next will be a general cleanup of my office, new flooring, and more shelves.

 

[stevehuckss396]

That is just awesome! I'm an internal combustion guy at heart but how do you not love this project. Great job Rupnow!!!! Made me smile.

 

[Richard Hed]

Richard--Next will be a general cleanup of my office, new flooring, and more shelves.

I have been making ER holders for the 1-1/2" spindle on my lathe. I recieved ER32s just now in the mail. Am making ER 32, 40, 50 and 11. Already succeeded with the 25--complete and works. I was surpized by the ER50, didn't know they made that but went to look for collets and they were 200+$! finally found one place where they were 12$.

You should come to MY place and help me clean IT up. Ugh. Metal everywhere but I have to get it organized because I intend to get a new (possibly used) lathe and need the room well organized. I have seen three nice lathes for sale on ebay, unfortunately for me, they are on the east coast. Very well priced and too large for my shop.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

I actually got to see something I hadn't experienced before with the Rocket. The crankshaft throws are 90 degrees apart. The engine will self start. The model is quite heavy. So---plug in the air, and start raising the pressure via the regulator until the engine starts. Then very rapidly turn the pressure back down. If you don't, the engine goes totally ape-$hit and starts spinning like crazy and slithering all over the floor. There is a huge difference between enough pressure to self start and the pressure for a rather leisurely speed as seen in the video.

 

[Ghosty]

Brian, you just need some track in a circle and you will be set.

 

[ShopShoe]

Brian,

Thank You for posting that. I enjoyed the build and have been looking forward to the video.

--

From what I have been told and from what I have read, the performance of a locomotive powered by air is just about what you describe. (According to a tour guide in a mining museum, compressed air locomotives only had a brief use because they were hard to control accurately and kept needing to be recharged (2000 psi?). Electric power was then used to pull ore carts as soon as practical. I have seen the little locomotives and I think they are interesting to look at. (I would be interested if anyone has anything else to add about them...)

--ShopShoe

 

[dsage]

Brian:
Make a little test stand with roller bearings to set the engine on. I'm sure you've seen them. Sort of nice to watch it run on the shelf. Would be a simple enough job.
Great job.

 

[Peter Twissell]

The trick with regulating air engines is to place a simple restriction type regulator as close as possible to the cylinders. When the engine is stopped, pressure will build quickly as there is no flow through the restrictor. As soon as the engine starts, the air flow will create a pressure drop across the restrictor, limiting the engine speed.

 

[minh-thanh]

Great project !
Congratulations and thanks for sharing .

 

[retailer]

Excellent work - and done so quickly.