K1 with Roundhouse parts ???

R

RobB

All models, boats, heli's, planes, cars, trains et
Hi,

I know I'm reinventing the wheel here, but how hard is to make a K1 out of two cut down Roundhouse Billy chassis's and maybe a Lady Ann boiler (or custom made. or Billy boiler)

Thanks.
Rob.
 
How long is a piece of string? If the 'parts' fit your ideas of what looks right, then it probably won't be too far out.

Problems with Garratts? Answer The steam joints and controls between the chassis. If you can overcome that, then you could be on a winner.

Undoubtedly you will need some custom made parts (cab, tanks, etc), do you have the facilities, or know someone who has, to get them made?
 
I did exactly this three years ago and will try and attach a photo if I can figure out how.

I used simple expansion (the prototype is a compound) and Roundhouse components. Two Katie chassis for the bogies, a Billy smokebox and sundry other bits. The Roundhouse boilers were two small for four cylinders so I got a larger boiler made by Argyle Engineering in Australia. It is all described in Garden Rail Issue 181 of September 2009.

The bodywork was made with laser cut acrylics and I can email you drawings and details of the whole thing if you PM me your email address.

However, whilst it looks great, the project was not completely successful. The loco suffesr from shortage of steam and needs to be rebuilt with a larger boiler diameter.
fc3c2f9289424639b1b4530be9f07fd5.jpg

Regards
Peter Lucas
MyLocoSound
 
Hello Peter.

That's fantastic, thanks.
I'll get my address to you.
I intend to make it as scale as I can from brass. I'll have the correct size boiler made (I know two local boiler makers that can do it for me). The only compromise will be the RH valuve gear (I could even add a little there). I'll make the smoke box from scrath and make a 'mock' scale fire box over the boiler and bring the boiler into the cab as far as I can :bigsmile:

Could be very nice :bigsmile:

Thanks for your help, I'll be in touch.

Rob.
 
The drawings are on the way to Rob and also the Garden Rail article.

If anyone is think of trying this then I would recommend that you consider making one of the bogies unpowered. This will allow you to use a standard Roundhouse boiler, smokebox, gas tank, lubricator, etc. The end result will have less traction power but will be a more reliable steamer and cheaper and easier to build.

Regards
Peter Lucas
MyLocoSound
 
MRail said:
Do I detect a new kit in the offing?
Click to expand...

'Fraid not, totally mine :)
But there is a new body coming, made to fit a very popular, British, cheap chassis !!
Not saying more than that ;)

Rob.
 
If roundhouse developed a garratt in freelance aiming to keep price as low as possible it would sell well
Click to expand...

I offered all the information on my K1 to Roundhouse when I visited them three years ago but they did not seem to be interested.

This thread has revived my interest in my K1 which has been gathering dust on a shelf for two years. I wonder if it might pay to convert it into a "compound" where the superheated steam is fed only to the closest bogie and the exhaust steam is fed partly to the other bogie and partly out the funnel. The aim would be to have the second bogie in "light steam" so that at least it looks like it is doing something.

Regards
Peter Lucas
MyLocoSound
 
If Roundhouse made a K1 at a resonable price, level of detail and satin paint, I'd buy one :)
A K1 must be close with them, they must be running out of models to make by now ?

I'm going to start asking around on getting a quote for making a full scale boiler for my K1 project :) Looking at the real thing and your model, I would say a full scale boiler would produce enough steam, and for sure if it went into the cab as normal 16mm practice.
 
What concideration have you given to how you are going to generate enough heat with a larger than standard boiler to create sufficiant steam to power the two sets of motions ? I ask as I am working on tentative plans (finance and foolhardiness permitting) to produce an R/C Mallett using modified Roundhouse/Accucraft chassis and running gear with a bespoke boiler.

I had brief but interesting coversation with DJB not so long ago and the idea of using a ceramic burner rather than the Jet/Poker type one usually sees was planted in my mind. Also a conversation with Tony Sant at Finscale brought up the issue of lagging the boiler as a way of minimising size and heating needs.

It seems that from a previous posting this might be the core issue when embarking on a project of this kind if a satisfactory result is to be acheived.

N.B. There is also another maker who offer their chassis/power units for sale and they had a competition to see what enthusiasts could do with them. I seem to remember seeing a Garratt design as one of their competition winners. Might there be some usfull information to be had there ?

Max.
 
I was going to fit a ceramic burner and lag as standard, anything else was never going to be an option in my head.
 
I'm now starting to formulate a plan, having had a good chat with Chris Moody. I've sent a request to the NRM, to ask if I can measure that one and maybe some works drawings ??

I've one price for a boiler to be made, I'm just waiting on a second quote from another boiler maker. It's not a price thing, it's a spec thing.

I've looked at the RH chassis, and I've decided to cut them down and make shorter con rods and frames to get the correct wheel spacing :)

I am going to try and make it as scale as I can using brass sheet and custom made masters for detail to also be cast in brass.

Knowing my luck, I'll get to the end of this build and find it's announced to be made by Accucraft or Roundhouse :( Never mind.
 
RobB said:
I'm now starting to formulate a plan, having had a good chat with Chris Moody. I've sent a request to the NRM, to ask if I can measure that one and maybe some works drawings ??
Click to expand...

Based on personal experience, I think you'll really struggle to get the NRM to let you to crawl over the original witha tape measure. If it's still outstationed at the WHR, you might have more luck.

But drawings are easy to come by :

There are various scans on the Net
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/K1_drawing.jpg < Link To http://upload.wikimedia.o...ns/f/f6/K1_drawing.jpg
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=1080282&I=1&SE=1 < Link To http://naa12.naa.gov.au/s...80282&I=1&SE=1

There have also been at least one set in Continental Modeller, I suspect these are a scan of those :
http://s405.photobucket.com/albums/...ngs/?action=view&current=Beyer_Peacock_K1.jpg < Link To http://s405.photobucket.c...t=Beyer_Peacock_K1.jpg
Alternatively it may be a scan of Greg Edwrads datasheet drawing - for a small fee he will produce these to any scale if you ask nicely.

Prints and CD's of the original works GA are also readily available from MOSI (manchester museum of science and industry) - they probably get asked for the tasmanian K class so often the librarians mubble the catalogue numbers in there sleep, but if they don't, the Beyer Peacock Works order and loco numbers will get you to the right documents.

Jonathan
 
The real thing is owned by the FR trust and is at the WHR. I think it's in bits at the moment but is meant to be back for super(quarry) power in September.

Once you've done K1, will you make some kits of the WHR carriages?!
 
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