Roundhouse 0-6-0 vs DCC/Sound

[doctorwayne]

Rethinking about it, I'm quite thrilled to tackle the CNR 0-6-0 project at this point.

Question: It may sounds funny, but most of my steam locomotive projects are stalled for stanchions (handrail posts) shortage. I've been looking for them for months but most online shops are out of stock for short ones. It's getting really annoying to think models aren't completed because of such a trifle. I've scavenged everything I could from defunct steamers. I'm remember a guy who told me he waited years to finish specfic locomotives because he waited for parts.

Any idea were I could get them? And in good quantity?

Other questions:



1) What is this structure on the tender? Doesn't look like a water hatch to me.

2) Lots of piping under the cab. What is it. Also, what is the use of the pipes running under the cab and runningboard (not the coil for the air pump)?

3) The steam generator seems to be connected to some valve with an handle. If you look on the cab front, you'll see some pipes and things near the window...

4) What's this valve? It's name, it's use...

5) I guess they are pop valves. However, one seems to be muffled (the right one), the left one is different, Is it also a pop valve?

6) Check valve! OK, I answered myself...

7) This bell seems to be fixed and activated by some duct. Having a hard time finding a suitable brass casting. Maybe I should bash it myself.

8) Funny piping going through the lagging... Any idea?

9) My guess is that they are air lines going from back to front. I was able to retrace them up to the ash pan/firebox. Am I right?



I retraced the "air pipe" were it could be seen.

What is the pipe entering the smokebox? I suspect a steam exhaust line from some apparatus. What the name of the small thing/valve entering the smokebox?

Finally, I couldn't locate the air strainer for the air pumps. A class O-12-f picture of an active locomotive seems to locate it under the running board, right to the first air pump. Crazy connection of two pumps too...

Matt

Precision Scale has handrail stanchions in various styles and sizes - I counted eleven different ones in my catalogue. I believe that they have a minimum order of $20.00, though. While you're very adept at making detail parts from found items, Matt, it may be worth your while to order their "HO and HOn3 Steam Locomotive Super-Detailing Parts" catalogue. That, along with a few packages of handrail stanchions, will easily put you over the minimum.

To answer some of your questions...

1. Hard to tell if that's a piece of metal to prevent spilled coal from rolling down the sloped deck of the cistern or if it's a box for water-treatment chemicals (to be added to the cistern water to prevent foaming in the boiler - some areas of western Canada in particular were noted for poor-quality boiler water.

2.Much of that under-cab piping is to do with the air system - some connects to the cooling coils, at least one goes forward to the tender deck and the front air hose (#9 on your photo), and some goes up through the cab floor to the brake control stand. The item right under the cab floor to the rear appears to be the distributing valve for the twin single-phase airpumps. The diagonal pipe running from the tender's water supply pipe is the injector's suction pipe to carry water to the top-mounted check valve (#6), while most of the other piping is for the steam which operates the injector, along with a line for the exhaust steam and an overflow (for excess water when the injector is shut-off).

3. It's difficult to make out the details in the photo, but the generator is run by live steam from the turret (a manifold used to distribute steam to the various appliances on the loco - it's located atop the boiler, either in the cab, as on this loco, or immediately ahead of it). The exhaust steam is usually vented to the air - that may be the tip of the exhaust pipe protruding above the rear sand dome. The other pipe from the generator will be conduit for the electrical output wires, which appears to enter a junction box on the handrail. From there, a conduit runs along the cab eaves, while wires for the headlight, class lights and front number board are likely routed through the handrail.

4. This is only a guess, but that valve may be a pressure-reducing valve to take steam from the boiler for some auxiliary purpose, such as cleaning the running gear - a suitable hose would be used along with a means to control the output.

5. You're correct: pop valves could be muffled or unmuffled and there were always at least two, set at different pressures so that if one failed, the other would avert a catastrophe.

6. You've got it: a top-feed check valve. The water line on the fireman's side also connects to this same valve.

7. That's an air-activated bell, and is, as you note, fixed in place. The clapper is moved by air pressure which is activated from the cab and regulated by a self-closing/opening mechanism. The Precision Scale catalogue shows two dozen bells, several of them air operated, although none are exactly like that one. The easiest way to simulate it is to use a standard non-swinging bell (one-piece casting) and add an airline to the bell bracket.

8. Not sure about this one. It could simply be an exhaust steam line from appliance, or may have something to do with valve lubrication.

9. You're correct on this one, too, Matt.

On the fireman's side of the loco, that pipe entering the smokebox is indeed an exhaust steam line, but I have no idea of what that fitting is called.

That does look to be the air pipe running to the pilot deck, but the usual practice was to run the piping to the opposite side of the loco, through cooling coils, then back to the cooling coils on the fireman's side of the loco, then to the air tanks. To sufficiently cool the compressed air (in order to avoid false pressure readings), a minimum of 75' of pipe was required between the compressor and the air reservoir.

As for those air compressors, the single phase pumps generally weren't fitted with air strainers like those used on the cross-compound type. The inlet for the air is visible on lower section of the rear pump - it's located right near the top of the lower section, facing forward - a stub of a pipe with an open end (the end would be covered by a metal mesh to keep the bigger lumps out of the system).

I didn't notice until I had gone through your questions, but the loco shown is out-of-service, with its main rods atop the running boards (the bearing end is within the yellow circle on the fireman's-side view). Also note the cover over the stack to keep the birds out.

Wayne