Is anyone actually going to make a Merlin website?

[TonyW]

This was a. shall we say, "interesting" challenge...

A combination of steel axles running in brass frames with no bearings had caused the axle holes to become oval to such an extent that the flanges were rubbing on the underside of the running plate and the valve timing had been lost. The obvious fix was to take the wheels off and fit bearings for the axles. But no, the wheels have plastic centres so any attempt to remove them would probably have damaged or destroyed them, so they had to stay on.

So what did I use to fix it? A bit of ingenuity!

It'll never be in the owner's Main Fleet again, but I know he does run it occasionally on light loads.

[Joe]

Wow that looks great what materials did you use and was it just the saddle tank you added? I think I will have to do this modification to my Merlin Midas as it looks great

[funandtrains]

Wow that looks great what materials did you use and was it just the saddle tank you added? I think I will have to do this modification to my Merlin Midas as it looks great

It is standard early Monarch body which just sits on a Beck boiler and chassis.

[Joe]

Yeah but i assume it has added saddle tank and maybe other mods, possibly the safety valve?, it looks very similar to my midas except the saddle tank

[Andrew]

Eeeek! I always rather liked the Merlin aesthetic (Was the "Mayfly" the absolutely lovely 0-4-0 with the semi-open cab back?) but I'm afraid I can't agree with your appraisal of that saddle tank's looks Joe!

My finances only ran to a Mamod at the time, but I enjoyed drooling over the Merlin catalogue, I've probably still got it somewhere...

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Joe]

Although i disagree and think it looks good, i have to say a Merlin mayfly/mayflower does look superb, am i right in saying Merlin mayflowers were the type most made so thats one reason why there seems to be quite a few still around?

[funandtrains]

I have to addmit I have 2, one is a wreck the other is modified into a 0-4-2.

[Joe]

I didnt realise merlin made saddle tank versions, its hard to choose which type looks best. Do both of yours work?

[funandtrains]

I didnt realise merlin made saddle tank versions, its hard to choose which type looks best. Do both of yours work?

Only one works although the chassis is good other than a missing screw on the other but needs a new boiler and gas tank.

[Joe]

Oh well at least one works , how much do you reckon it will cost for Boiler and gas tank?

[funandtrains]

Oh well at least one works , how much do you reckon it will cost for Boiler and gas tank?

It really depend on where they come from, since these use standard Beck parts there are always parts or scrapped locos coming available but it would not be that hard to make new copper ones. I'm undecided whether to fix it up or keep for parts. I also have a Beck Anna which is the same other than the body.

[Joe]

Yeah may be a good idea to cannibalize that one to keep the others going especially if the cylinders are ok as that tends to be the part that can wear out the most i think

[funandtrains]

Yeah may be a good idea to cannibalize that one to keep the others going especially if the cylinders are ok as that tends to be the part that can wear out the most i think

Even then it is usually the PTFE pistons nthat have worn out and they can be replaced with brass ones with O rings. The valve gear is not that strong though as these get broken or worn out.

[Joe]

I know its a bit of a stupid question but what actually is the valve gear? is it the rods connected to the piston ?

[funandtrains]

I know its a bit of a stupid question but what actually is the valve gear? is it the rods connected to the piston ?

Valve gear or the rods that connect the wheels to the cylinder valves on top or behind the cylinders. There are various types some are connected to the outside cranks others are on eccentics between the frames. Beck valve gear is a little unusal being slip-eccentrics mounted outisde the wheels rather than hidden between the frames, this however limits the thickness of the eccentrics metal making them more fragile and more prone to wear-out but you do get to see them waggling about.

[Joe]

mind you i would imagine it would be fairly easy to make new rods for the eccentrics

[DVT Dweller]

Anything is 'doable' all depends on how much time work and money someone is willing to spend on it. My Meastro has had a new boiler fitted and is currently waiting for the chassis to be overhauled. It's had a new roundhouse regulator fitted, the old regulator steam dome becoming a water topup. The RC equipment has also been relocated and some bodywork carried out to pretty it up. Some might say this is the wrong thing to do but it's been in the family since it was built and is getting abit tiered but rather than becoming a shelf queen I'd like it to stay as part of the running fleet, even if only for a sunny Sunday drive.

My Merlin hunslet has had several small mods carried ot too, mainly Pearse lamps to replace the basic Merlin ones, that work. At some point it will gain cow catchers and sandboxes, just to keep it in line with the real beast abit more. I'd also like to change the regulator and lubricator for roundhouse type ones too. When I first got it we weren't sure if it had been steamed or not, and several small problems with the build quality soon showed up. Several weeks in the hands of Dave Mees soon sorted those and it's now a reliable loco in my fleet.

[Bill/Rubery]

Andrew, I too had a Mamod at the same time as the Merlin. The solid lumps of fuel were not much good so I foolishly ordered a gas burner off Mr Cooper. When I received it, the gas burner would not light up no matter what I tried. I returned it to Merlin for fixing and Mr Cooper tried to fob me off by saying the 'none working' was MY fault!! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,