Homemade "Dacre"

Here is an early picture of Erik-Jan's rolling chassis. Note the vertical levers which will transmit eccentric motion to the valve rods as opposed to the horizontal (Roundhouse) ones in the original "Dacre". 

As a finishing touch to shaping the cylinder blanks which are machined from solid bronze (or brass in the case of my engine) the rounding on the underside of the cylinders is created using the lathe as a sort of hand shaper.

The blank (which will result in two cylinders when sawn through) is mounted on a close fitting mandrel in the lathe. The lathe tool, mounted on its side, is then repeatedly traversed, by hand, along surface of the metal turning the job a small amount each time. The tool is then fed in a bit and the process repeated. Eventually you finish up with the nice convex surface shown in the photo. 

Showing cylinder blanks temporarily in place and the rocking arm assembly which will drive the valves.

The wheels have a fairly large bush on the inside (à la Roundhouse), this has a set screw in it and the wheels can be set to 32 or 45mm gauge.

The eccentric rods are cranked as shown to allow space for a meths burner and are made from bicycle spokes.

Erik-Jan's chassis and the "Lady Anne" (to remind us of all the bits we've still got to make!) are on the 32mm track.

My chassis with, as yet, only axles and wheels stands on the 45mm in the foreground. I had a Roundhouse smokebox and chimney lying around and soldered these up. Not necessary yet but it gives you a bit more to look at.

They are by (l. to r.) Dick Summerfield, Erik-Jan Stroetinga and Arie Verbeek. Even on this photo it can be seen that the loco's are not identical showing each builder's individual interpretation of the drawings.

As will been seen Erik-Jan's loco is far further than the other two and already runs on air.

Erik-Jan's chassis running on air. Here the horizontal rods can be seen which transfer the motion of the rocking levers to the valve rods.

No suitable size of bolt was at hand for the steam chests hence provisional use of long bolts with nuts!

Dick's chassis at the time of testing on compressed air.

As an aid to setting the valves correctly, temporary steam chest covers of perspex were made.These allow valve events to be set visually and tested on air without the need for intermediate (dis)assembly.

Note also circular interior of steamchests sealed by O-ring copied unashamedly from my "Millie".

In the meantime another design of eccentric rod has been fitted to provide more room for the burner wick tubes.

Dick's boiler shown here during the hydraulic test.

Water, in the white tub, is pumped into the boiler with a simple homemade hand pump.

Since all air had been expelled first the pressure gauge - salvaged from a broken compressor - indicates the pressure of the water in the boiler.

I'm told that this is safe and if something should burst you could get slightly wet at worst. 

The three loco's under construction met up again at the Spring Steam-Up organized every year by StoomGroep Zuid in Raamsdonksveer.

The constructors are (from front to back) Arie Verbeek, Erik-Jan Stroetinga, Dick Summerfield.

Note the flame tubes in the front two loco's which will be gas-fired. Dick, being stubborn and prey to misplaced nostalgia, is going for a meths fired pot-boiler!

The bodywork on Erik-Jan's loco begins to take shape. It is made of sheet steel, rivetted and soft soldered together.

The photo was taken by one of Erik-Jan's students during an open-day at the technical college in Eindhoven.

Erik-Jan is already much further than this. About the only thing left for him to do is the gastank and burner (and paint it of course!).

Dick's chassis makes use of this "Pooter" firebox around the boiler to keep the heat from the external meth's burner where it's needed.