Garden Railway Forum

Hi,

The performance of one of my model locomotive has dropped off of late and as it is 5 years old and had a lot of use it was decided to give it an overhaul. The most likely culprit for the reduction of performance was a worn crank pin the remained of the gears and bearings still being in reasonable condition. Also the '0' ring on the aluminium piston seemed OK and didn't need replacing.

The Cracker locomotive needing an overhaul.



The worn crank pin.



The engine taken apart the colour of the brass showing that it runs a little warm!



The model cleaned up awaiting its gauge glass whose fittings have been soaking in citric acid over night and might get put back onto the boiler today.



Regards Tony.

A video of the effectiveness of the 5 year old '0' ring.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/p3mEOwm2PDw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hi,

Sorry the video doesn't seem to work.

I will try again.

Regards Tony.

Hi,

Hopefully this will work.



Regards Tony.

Hi Tony,

This Forum uses a different version of the software to the TUMAOSF Forum so the YouTube iframe coding that works over there does not work here.

You need to use the old embed code here and that is only available if you are not Signed In to YouTube like so -

<object width="640" height="480"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/p3mEOwm2PDw?version=3 ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/p3mEOwm2PDw?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

Chris Cairns

I found your 2008 article on the 16mm Website ("A Pair of Crackers") on how to build one. Very instructive. The one in this thread is presumably number 3 or ......?

Hi Chris,

Many thanks for what ever you did which I don't understand. Perhaps you will explain when we are at Llanfair preferably with a glass in hand?

Another try at a video. The Cracker with her usual rake of wagons.

<embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid895.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac154%2Fgaynorandtony%2FVideos%2FMVI_8513_zps3cf0c628.mp4&title=">

I found your 2008 article on the 16 mm Website ("A Pair of Crackers") on how to build one. Very instructive. The one in this thread is presumably number 3 or ......?

I'm not sure it is one of the later ones, the only one with a 'T' boiler,
there has been twin cylinder version, a tram engine and even an amphibious one but most have been ordinary tank engines much as the first two. I think I have 10/12 but have been involved in making 20+.

Regards Tony.

Hello again,

It worked! I know where I am with Photobucket I think?

Regards Tony.

Hi,

I had meant to include another boiler that used a 35 mm 'T' connector as its boiler it was made at the same time as the other one, as yet it is just a wagon load but it might get put on a Cracker type chassis.



Regards Tony.

Tony Bird:103049 wrote:Hi,

I had meant to include another boiler that used a 35 mm 'T' connector as its boiler it was made at the same time as the other one, as yet it is just a wagon load but it might get put on a Cracker type chassis.



Regards Tony.

Excellent pics as ever.

That one runs well Tony with a nice rake of wagons.

Chris Cairns

Hi,

<embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid895.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac154%2Fgaynorandtony%2FVideos%2FMVI_8521_zps26f92525.mp4&title=">

Edward gets used a lot hence the wear because it is the model that goes with us when we travel on holiday when we often visit garden railways. Rather than take just a locomotive a large tool box can carry two Cracker or any other small locomotives some stock, gas ,water and tools.






Regards Tony.