Sluggish lumberjack

John57sharp · Post by **John57sharp** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 7:31 pm

Sounds like a pub doesn't it! Can anybody assist? My Regner Lumberjack is having problems maintaining pressure, I cleaned out the gas system last night, noticed the collar holding the jet assembly had been loose, and when I put it all back together again, things seemed fine for 10 minutes or so, then the howl from the burner went away and the pressure stayed low. It runs for ages but can't pull the skin off a rice puffing any more.
Thanks in advance
John
Ness Garden Railway

Busted Bricks · Post by **Busted Bricks** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:19 pm

Blocked gas jet perhaps?

John57sharp · Post by **John57sharp** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 10:25 pm

I did take the jet out, turn it around and give it a blast. It seems odd that it should work for a few minutes and then give trouble again. Should I flush out the tank etc with something too?

Lner fan Sam · Post by **Lner fan Sam** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 10:30 pm

There could be some gundge in the gas tank.

Dr. Bond of the DVLR · Post by **Dr. Bond of the DVLR** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 11:00 pm

I've found my locos to be quite sensitive to the seal around the gas jet. My regner went really very sluggish and I took it to Tag Gorton at the 16mm scale AGM. He put some PTFE tape around the threaded part of the gas jet and screwed it back into place - bingo, problem solved.

artfull dodger · Post by **artfull dodger** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 7:07 pm

I agree, sounds like grunge in the tank or a bad can of gas that is getting crud in the gas jet. crud in the tank plugging jets seems common on Regners. Definatly a gas burning failing to make enough pressure to run the engine. That twin cylinder osmotor needs pressure to run, low pressure isnt gonna do it any good. I would take the whole gas system off the engine, flush everything and reassemble. If blowing out the jet helped for a short spell, thats where the problem lies, crud from the tank/line getting into the jet. I am dealing with a faulty soldering job on a Lumberjack I just built for a friend. Has a pin hole along one of the edge seams, you cant see it, but you can feel/hear it. A request as been submitted to the USA agent for Regner for a replacement tank under warrenty. Good luck. Mike

John57sharp · Post by **John57sharp** » Wed Mar 27, 2013 12:25 pm

Thanks everybody, I think I'll go for a full flush out since I have to dismantle it anyway. I'll let you know.

John57sharp · Post by **John57sharp** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 9:06 am

Morning all. I have flushed out the whole gas system and reassembled. There followed a couple of weeks away from home, but I finally found time for a test stream the other day. It wasn't an instant success, the gas would not blow back into the boiler tube, then suddenly it did and that familiar banshee wail took up and the pressure climbed.

Nothing is ever straight forward though, the failure to blow back overheated the cylinder retaining spring despite the placement of a patch of fire blanket.

So the boiler is off again while I make up a brass heat shield sand a sleeve for the air hole on the gas burner....

Cheers
John

Garden Railway Forum