Ragleth: Where do I put the driver?

Boustrophedon · Post by **Boustrophedon** » Sat Aug 22, 2015 11:07 pm

As you can see, with the revised siting of the gas valve just where the driver's head should go there seems to be nowhere to put a driver. Any suggestions? Has anyone got a ragleth like this and found a way?

Alan P · Post by **Alan P** » Sun Aug 23, 2015 8:13 am

I just put the driver on the other side, here's my Ragleth Purdy with Bob at the controls

Alan P · Post by **Alan P** » Sun Aug 23, 2015 8:17 am

Just looking at that picture, i think Bob needs to cut back on his visits to The Engineers Arms. Too many pints of Old Peculier!

mikewakefielduk@btinterne · Post by **mikewakefielduk@btinterne** » Sun Aug 23, 2015 8:43 am

Well here's two suggestions. The red loco is my Ragleth fitted with servos on the reverser and the regulator. As it is an earlier loco than yours I've had to site the regulator servo in the cab but never-the-less can still fit in the driver attached to the cab floor with velcro.
The green Caradoc, which has a similar cab layout to the later Ragleth, only has a servo on the reverser. I've also fitted a gas control valve that extends out of the back of the cab as I find it easier to use. That's meant I can put my somewhat portly driver in the position you see him. He's held in place by a M2 bolt which projects into the cab floor from below with a suitable hole drilled up through the drivers leg.
In the past the Caradoc also had a second servo for the regulator in the same position as the Ragleth. The driver user to stand in the same place as the driver of the Ragleth.

Boustrophedon · Post by **Boustrophedon** » Sun Aug 23, 2015 9:53 am

Thanks! Purdy looks pretty with her additions.

Alan P · Post by **Alan P** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 10:49 am

Thanks. Purdy was my first proper live steam loco and consequently has had the most mods etc.

Boustrophedon · Post by **Boustrophedon** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 12:38 pm

My as yet un-named Ragleth had her first run on rails today. She had had about 2 hours on blocks, to loosen up and for me to get the hang of firing her.

Today my better half is out and it's peeing down so I set her wheels in and put her to run on a circuit of Mamod track on the lounge carpet.

I am very impressed by how smooth she is; something will have to be done though about the throttle and the gas valve, plans are afoot.

Second run was not so successful as I had failed to fill enough gas into the hot gas tank for a run of more than about five minutes before she ran out of fuel.

Next month some Peco track and some building materials.

mikewakefielduk@btinterne · Post by **mikewakefielduk@btinterne** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 3:05 pm

If you find the gas valve over sensitive you might want to consider a replacement from the The Train Department:
http://www.thetraindepartment.com/ttd-upgrade-valves/
I had an Edrig that was a pain to get the gas just right and one of these fixed it. The price is low enough to avoid UK customs and VAT

andymctractor · Post by **andymctractor** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 6:37 pm

You could try cutting off the leg that would be on the inside of the cab. This should allow the driver to be fitted further into the cab and consequently hide the fact there is a missing limb.

MDLR · Post by **MDLR** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 7:07 pm

.............. and you then call it Arfur, coz he's only half a man...............

Boustrophedon · Post by **Boustrophedon** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 10:28 pm

Great balls of fire, that's all I'm going to say. SWMBO was not impressed.

IrishPeter · Post by **IrishPeter** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 10:35 pm

With this hobby and bring it indoors, one of things one has to remember the schoolboy's 11th Commandment

"Thou shalt not get caught!"

Especially by 'Er Indoors.'

Peter in AZ

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Ragleth: Where do I put the driver?

Ragleth: Where do I put the driver?

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