My Live Steam Loco's No.3 - IP Jane

[Chris Cairns]

Here is my Live Steam Loco No.3, a IP Jane.



This was won on ebay about 4 years ago. On receipt I found the bodywork had been mis-fitted at the rear of the smokebox. After oiling up, etc the first steaming failed to get the wheels to move. After removing the cylinders, refitting and more oiling around I finally got the wheels to turn. Several runs later on my rolling road, and this loco now runs with excellent regulator control.





In making the video of this loco in action recently I found that those uprated cylinders do not like sitting idle for some time, and take a bit of time to get lubricated properly again.

The only part of this loco that is the same as the Mamod loco is the smokebox casting, the rest is all very much better. These were sold both by IP Eng and PPS Steam Models. The boilers were made by Cheddar Models, the reverser/regulator on the front of the smokebox by PPS, and a Roundhouse type displacement lubricator fitted. It is fitted with centre buffer couplings which are not quite compatible with my mainly Mamod Rolling Stock, and as my video has proven I need to change these for Multi-height couplings instead.

No longer in production, PPS Steam Models have taken this model and re-engineered the chassis, added some weights in the sidetanks, increased the number of take-offs on the boiler to 4, and it is now sold as the PPS Janet.

Being a silver soldered boiler this is much more suited to gas firing than the old Mamod loco, so I'll be fitting a PPS Gas burner to this loco and using the meths burner for my other Mamod locos.

I like these locos so much that you've already seen my next one - the IPS Janet ( http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/about81.html )

Thanks for looking.

Chris Cairns.

[ACLR]

Chris thanks for the posting I agree with you on the uprated piston sets need to be kept running regularly. I have them on my SL1K (The Glenlyon) so I run it on blocks first before running it on the track. Ive ordered the upgrade kits from IP to fit to MSS Loco (Marvin). They dont sell spare O Rings for the pistons tho

any way thanks for the postings mate

[Chris Cairns]

What should be the best 'O' rings to use with these kits. There is white silicone which are supposed to be excellent high pressure seals, black that is supposed to be resistant to heat up to 250 C and excellent oil resistance at those high temperatures, plus these green and red ones. Are those cheap black ones good enough (I've got a whole box of these black ones in handy sizes from a £1 store, and use them for the steam pipes in the steam dome nut and reverser/regulator on my Mamod repairs without any problems so far). I see that the IP Eng ones are red in colour.

I've got most of one of these 'O' ring upgrade kits, an earlier version than the IP Eng one as it has no piston gland nuts just new faces, but it is missing a 'O' ring (the one that broke was a light green colour) to complete. Was intending on fitting them to my SL1K when I get it running better (all this posting and scanning is stopping my proceeding with these repairs!).

PPS Steam Models do Red Silicone 'O' rings but they are 70p each. There is another trader ( www.maccmodels.com ) who do a variety of 'O' rings but they do not come up on their online shop.

I will be placing orders later this month including with PPS, so I can find out what size 'O' rings are required for the uprated pistons and get you some spares if you wish. Although I'm sure you can get these locally in Australia at a good hardware store, etc.

[ACLR]

thanks for the offer mate but I think I can get them localy. the ones supplied in the kits are the red ones but they seem a bit fragile
will get the size of them when my kit turns up and look around here for them

[steamyjim]

Nice loco Chris!

Must get round to sorting out my upgraded pistons

[Chris Cairns]

An update on this loco.

As I previously stated, I was going to fit a PPS Ceramic Gas Burner (which was fitted to an SL1K I obtained and had caused damage to the Mamod boiler) to this loco, and I had hoped to have that finished prior to my first visit to the West of Scotland group of the 16mm NGM. However I ended up with some problems, and ended up taking Diesel No.1 instead.

To fit the gas burner, unlike on a Mamod where there is space to slide the burner in between the chassis, this loco has an extended rear face on the combustion chamber, so requires the chassis removing to fit the burner. OK so that was no problem, but once the burner was fitted you could not see the ceramic portion of the burner to get the jet setting right, as it is surrounded by the combustion chamber. So remove the burner again, set up and mark the jet, then re-install.

The chassis spacer used for the meths burner was much smaller than the spacer on the ceramic burner. This has led to some binding problems with the rear axle, and only by converting the loco to a 0-2-2 did I get it to run again today. So I'll need to remove the chassis again and clean up the rear axle and mounts.

The gas tank fills up the cab area so the regulator gets fouled. No problem I thought as I have an extended regulator on the PPS boiler for the IPS Janet project. However it is a different thread to the IP boiler so will not fit. So I had to make an extension using some tubing and a scrap piece of rod. That was finished today to allow the steam test.

I have replaced the centre buffer couplings with multi-height couplings, and placed a lamp iron on the smokebox (not decided where to fit one on the rear cab yet as it needs to be out of the arc of the regulator).

Finally I am converting some scrap cylinder covers I obtained off ebay by soldering a piece of brass to the front so that they can be held in place by the screws and nuts used to locate the front buffer beam. This has required the inside face of the buffer beam mounting in the smokebox to be sanded flush (there is a raised portion where you tighten up the nuts holding the buffers on in a Mamod loco).

Hopefully I can resolve the binding rear axle problem, as I'd like to get this loco running smoothly again before my next visit to the 16mm NGM next month.

[ACLR]

wow your haveing a few problems there mate hope you get them sorted soon
and do a vid of it running if you have time

[Chris Cairns]

Got it running again last night, and now the refill valve on the gas tank has got a slow leak, so nothing further can be done until that is fixed (needs a special tool to remove it from the tank, and I do not have one!).

[ACLR]

dont ya just hate that

[mhlr]

Got it running again last night, and now the refill valve on the gas tank has got a slow leak, so nothing further can be done until that is fixed (needs a special tool to remove it from the tank, and I do not have one!).

Get a cheap flat head screw driver, and file a small gap in the middle of it. Or a thin pair of scissors may do it.

[Chris Cairns]

OK a better day today.

Firstly I had to take some photos of this loco for an American enthusiast who has an IP Eng boiler in a Mamod and is looking to fit a Roundhouse lubricator and is having some problems with the steam pipe leaking in the reverser/regulator. So after I did this by removing the cab rear plate, I went into town to find a tobacconist to try and get a replacement valve or some spares plus a removing tool.

Of course now that we have a smoking ban all the old tobacconists have closed shop so no luck there. Also could not find a supplier who has butane gas in the big containers, like the butane/propane mix I use at present.

So back home, and without reading mhlr posting, I decided to cut a slot in a cheap mini screwdriver I had in one of those sets you get at the Pound shops, and removed the leaking valve. 'O' ring was very squashed and flat so that was replaced and valve re-installed. Initial trial proved successful, however on filling the tank right up I got a slight leak again. However by resetting the valve this leak stopped.

So I put the smokebox back on the front of this loco and have just had a successful run again. I think because I'm using a butane/propane mix the water currently runs out before the gas, so I need to find a good source of butane only gas. I've been having the same problem with my Mamod William, and a heavily modified Mamod which will feature here on the forum after its debut at STIA2008.

[steamyjim]

a heavily modified Mamod which will feature here on the forum after its debut at STIA2008.

SNAP!!!!!!!

[Chris Cairns]

OK, here is a photo of this loco during its makeover today.



The lamp iron on the smokebox did not last during all the recent manhandling, so will be refitted last. I've fitted one to the cab back which is outside the arc of the regulator. Lamps have been primed, but await purchase of white & silver paint to complete.

One cylinder cover is in the last part of being painted black. Other one needs smoothing off (my Milliput is not drying very hard so I may need to solder up the indentations instead as I did on the 1st cover).

Just enough space in the cab for a driver from Modeltown. This is one that they sell for the IP Eng Jessie or Jack.

Found a source for a 1/2" pressure gauge that will do a syphon tube and banjo bolt as well. Planning on sharing this pressure gauge with the IPS Janet when that is finished.

I have been waiting to buy a brass chimney cap and steam dome from PPS, but Alan (Mamodevon) says that he will be providing these in his shop. He was hoping for a mid-April start, but not heard anymore recently.

And I've now come up with a suitable scheme for naming my locos, so I'll get some nameplates from PPS as well.

Chris Cairns.

[mhlr]

a heavily modified Mamod which will feature here on the forum after its debut at STIA2008.

SNAP!!!!!!!

Been there, done that, that, and won! ROFL

[laalratty]

I can see Stoneleigh model of the year 2009. A line up of Garden railway forum members mamods......

[steamyjim]

Aye so can I

[Chris Cairns]

We've yet to see your modified Mamod steamyjim, the C of S I believe.

[SillyBilly]

I can see Stoneleigh model of the year 2009. A line up of Garden railway forum members mamods......

Be careful, they haven't started the Mamod category yet .

[laalratty]

Yes they have! Its just that there didn't appear to be one for a couple of years though there was one in the past

[steamyjim]

We've yet to see your modified Mamod steamyjim, the C of S I believe.

Aye Chris sorry about that! I'd better get the pics before i strip here down again to finish her off.

Nothing special at the moment just got all the manifold and vavles etc made and the loco painted