Building an African/Aussie bush engine from a Billy Kit

artfull dodger

artfull dodger

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My friend and I retraded engines after he decided he didnt want to spend the $$ to get the Billy kit built and painted how he wanted So he asked if he could have the Mayflower back and I said yes. The Billy kit is brand new and includes a Slo Mo. I was going to go the LGB Stainz look route but have changed my mind I found a blog where a gentleman took a Billy and make a really good looking "bush" engine out of it. He added RH Darjeeling lamps on the smokebox and cab roof(lighted as well), Brandbright cowcatcher pilots(which are nolonger available and I am looking for an idea what to use) and the coal bunker etch from the Lady Anne kit. I have an email into Harri about costs for the coal bunker etch, Darj lamps and the combination lever/droplink valve gear upgrade parts. Frame and valve gear will be red, smokebox is BBQ flat black(in the oven baking right now) and the boiler/cab will be satin black to get the model a German look to it. He cut back the buffers to be more like the William engine so the cylinders show, then added the Brandbright pilots that are nolonger available(he calls them monkey pushers!) I love the idea as my railway will get grown over as it ages and fit the part of a jungle railway. using ex Austrian/German rolling stock and locomotives. I will put older style kero lanterns on my Maestro and use him as a heritage engine on specials. I am in the process of etch priming and painting frames right now on the Billy. So nothing to show yet, but here are the pics of the engine I found online. Would love to know how he got the nice shiny silver relfector seen inside that front Darjeeling lamp! Anybody have a pair of those pilots they will sell??? Mike the Aspie
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Here is tonight's progress pics of my Roundhouse Billy kit. Got frames and valve gear etch primed, painted and baked. Then assembled, successful air test. Need to find my 1.6mm drill bit so I can pin the cranks(I hate this part). And, as you can see, the SSP Slomo installed between the frames. Much easier to install then in a finished model. I have left the grub screw loose for now, want to get the first few steam tests without the strain of the inertia device on the motion.
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Before you drill and pin the cranks (Weight Bar) I would do a test fit of the Boiler to see if they operate OK. Part of the SloMo fit (on a pre built loco) involves moving them so that they do not foul the SloMo but still clear the boiler. The curve is to accomodate the boiler but I believe that it is a little overstated. I lucked out with my second SloMo fit to my Stanley Steam Tram as the bar is straight on that loco.
 
Todays progress pics on my Billy kit. We are now ready for a steam test. Plumbing is hooked up on both gas and steam, reversing quadrant hooked up. Boiler and boiler wrapper are painted and installed. I am working on cutting down one of the extra set of buffer plates that come with the engine. I do have the Billy style ones painted and baking right now so he can have something till I figure out how I want to cut the others down to just fitting across the frame rails to expose the cylinders. And I did make sure of that the valve gear would shift, did that late last night. I still haven't pinned them yet. I am to shaky handed today to want to try it. Mike the Aspie
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artfull dodger said:
Here is tonight's progress pics of my Roundhouse Billy kit. Got frames and valve gear etch primed, painted and baked. Then assembled, successful air test. Need to find my 1.6mm drill bit so I can pin the cranks(I hate this part). And, as you can see, the SSP Slomo installed between the frames. Much easier to install then in a finished model. I have left the grub screw loose for now, want to get the first few steam tests without the strain of the inertia device on the motion.
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Click to expand...
Great colour scheme. The SloMo looks good too.
 
Got the cab all soldered together, not happy with the etch primer that I have now, waiting on firewood delivery before I can run to the store and get a different primer.
 
Goodies to be added still are, RH black clip on cylinder covers and combination lever/drop link valve gear upgrade, Regner lanterns, Narrow Planet number plates and O&K builders plates, narrow the front buffer beam to frame width and add the LGB Stainz snow plows, see if I can fit the rear facing snow plow just behind the rear drivers.
 
Added some Regner lanterns to my RH Billy. Front one is lighted with a bulb, powered by a 9volt battery mounted in a holder under the cab and a toggle switch mounted in the cab floor. Rear one isnt lighted yet. I plan to get a center off SPDT toggle so I can manualy flip between the front or rear lantern. Wire the front is a piece of stiff Teflon wire bent to look like a conduit. The loco itself is the ground side of the circuit. The Aussie look is out for now, the Austrian look is where I ended up going. O&K builders plates and square numbers(sort of like the ones on the LGB Stainz) are on the order books of Narrow Planet. I went with the nice round O&K builders plates with red and black inlay finish. I want to get the vacuum pipes for the front and rear as well. Working on a center buffer to mount above the LGB loop couplers. The Roundhouse goodies have to wait till I have room on my credit card to place that order.
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