# Boiler Projects



## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Justin and Ryan have been working on converting an Accucraft Mogul with a new boiler designed so that it could be either alcohol or coal fired (this one in particular will be coal fired):



















More progress to come .... good to see two young men so involved in the hobby. So, much so that this is only one of several projects that they are working on at this time: N & W J611, CP Hudson, NYC Hudson, SP F4/F5. A good team effort in keeping the projects moving forward.

Here is the J 611 process as it was stripped of the original electrical components:




















Looking forward to the National Summer Steam up with these two conversions along with the CP Hudson on display:


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## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

Very cool, 


I am pretty sure its a great improvement over the first attempt at the mogul boiler here(for those of you that haven't seen this thread):
http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...aspx#50171

I have my AML 0-6-0 on its way to me (I think I will be getting it today) that I will be doing the same way - even though it will take me A LOT longer to build one, I have to learn a lot of skills since it will be my first boiler (been reading a few of kozo's books lately).


I love these posts, keep the pictures (and when it runs videos) COMING! (I also have a good friend with a mogul that I told him he could get a coal fired boiler for it hehehe). Its my only way to compare and contrast what others are doing by how they approach the problems they run into and how they solve them.

Andrew


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## Jim Overland (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice water jacket on the Mogul 
These photos are inspiring 
jiim


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## Steve Shyvers (Jan 2, 2008)

Charles, 

Thank you for the report. I look forward to seeing all of you out here at the NSS this summer. Only five months to go! 

Steve


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice work Charles. Thanks for the update. Question for you: how do you come up with the design parameters? There is a model engineering group in Australia that has a copper boiler standard they use. I am thinking about buying the book. Kozo also has a copper boiler design article in his new Shay book.

Also, in what order do you solder the boiler together. Looks like you stay the firebox first, then solder on the rear firebox sheet.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, et al.

My actual involvement in the design and boiler of the boiler is basic and general. Most of the design discussion is between Ryan and Justin. As to technique I asked Justin if he will comment on it. As to regulations of design for standards and safety we denote two references on our website: Boiler standards



Kozo is a good layout for building a steam locomotive. I hope in the near future to combine his 0-4-0 guidelines with a 3/8" plan of a PRR A5 at which time I will be taking the torch in hand (based on work schedule probably this summer)!


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## Slipped Eccentric (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By xo18thfa on 09 Feb 2011 11:20 AM 
Nice work Charles. Thanks for the update. Question for you: how do you come up with the design parameters? There is a model engineering group in Australia that has a copper boiler standard they use. I am thinking about buying the book. Kozo also has a copper boiler design article in his new Shay book.

Also, in what order do you solder the boiler together. Looks like you stay the firebox first, then solder on the rear firebox sheet.
Thank you everyone for the kind words.

I've been using as many of the known (to me) sources for design as I can. Basic structural design (Boiler Barrel and Flat Sheet thicknesses, Stay spacing for the flat sheets comes from Nelson's "So You Want To Build A Live Steam Locomotive" and the Pennsylvania Live Steamers Website (under the location for the boiler test application). Flue diameter/length formulas come from Evans and LBSC. There are some design considerations from the Australian AMBSC sub-miniature code that I use as well. There are some things that they require, such being able to drop the ashpan/grate as one assembly with one pin, that are very nice but aren't an absolute necessity (IMHO) for the size boilers and grate areas that we are dealing with.

A lot of the design work (the mogul boilers are a good example) involves just trying to fit as many features as I can into such a small package. I would have liked to add a bit more flue area for the size of the firebox, but even with the true keyhole shape there just wasn't enough room. Also, I generally try to add as much firebox as I can. This may mean the engines are a bit over-fired, but I'm leaning more towards ease of firing. A lot of it is just intuition at this point, and my thoughts and designs have been being refined with each boiler reflecting that.

As for assembly, I've been soldering all of the bushings and the front tube sheet to the boiler shell, then soldering the flues to the firebox assembly. the firebox/flue assembly then gets soldered into the outer shell and stayed. The back (most of these designs are dry-backhead) is then soldered on, and finally the mud ring gets capped.


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Slipped Eccentric on 09 Feb 2011 04:47 PM 
Posted By xo18thfa on 09 Feb 2011 11:20 AM 
Nice work Charles. Thanks for the update. Question for you: how do you come up with the design parameters? There is a model engineering group in Australia that has a copper boiler standard they use. I am thinking about buying the book. Kozo also has a copper boiler design article in his new Shay book.

Also, in what order do you solder the boiler together. Looks like you stay the firebox first, then solder on the rear firebox sheet.
Thank you everyone for the kind words.

I've been using as many of the known (to me) sources for design as I can. Basic structural design (Boiler Barrel and Flat Sheet thicknesses, Stay spacing for the flat sheets comes from Nelson's "So You Want To Build A Live Steam Locomotive" and the Pennsylvania Live Steamers Website (under the location for the boiler test application). Flue diameter/length formulas come from Evans and LBSC. There are some design considerations from the Australian AMBSC sub-miniature code that I use as well. There are some things that they require, such being able to drop the ashpan/grate as one assembly with one pin, that are very nice but aren't an absolute necessity (IMHO) for the size boilers and grate areas that we are dealing with.

A lot of the design work (the mogul boilers are a good example) involves just trying to fit as many features as I can into such a small package. I would have liked to add a bit more flue area for the size of the firebox, but even with the true keyhole shape there just wasn't enough room. Also, I generally try to add as much firebox as I can. This may mean the engines are a bit over-fired, but I'm leaning more towards ease of firing. A lot of it is just intuition at this point, and my thoughts and designs have been being refined with each boiler reflecting that.

As for assembly, I've been soldering all of the bushings and the front tube sheet to the boiler shell, then soldering the flues to the firebox assembly. the firebox/flue assembly then gets soldered into the outer shell and stayed. The back (most of these designs are dry-backhead) is then soldered on, and finally the mud ring gets capped.






That's some sweet work. LBSC and Martin Evans are definitely the authorities in Ga 1. I want to order a copy of the AMBSC code.

I've made 2 boilers using the G1MRA "Project 0-6-0" design. They steam like crazy. 


Boiler making is addictive. 


Thanks


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Another great source for boiler information is old G1MRA Newsletters. 
Dick Moger wrote a very interesting write up called The Boiler Bazaar in the March 1980 issue (NL 110) where he compared all the different styles of boiler design and came up with some basic 'rules' as far as 'heating surface' and 'flue cross section' are concerned.
They then held a Forum open to members with various speakers on the subject in November 1981. 
The write up is in the July 1982 issue (114) and this again explains some very obvious reasons for why boilers should be designed correctly for Gauge 1. 
Not that I have ever designed, or built, a boiler, but I have heard stories of boilers built with no attention paid to the rules of physics, and of course the boiler was a complete flop. 
My hat is off to all those who make really good steaming boilers. 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By David Leech on 09 Feb 2011 08:50 PM 
Another great source for boiler information is old G1MRA Newsletters. 
Dick Moger wrote a very interesting write up called The Boiler Bazaar in the March 1980 issue (NL 110) where he compared all the different styles of boiler design and came up with some basic 'rules' as far as 'heating surface' and 'flue cross section' are concerned.
They then held a Forum open to members with various speakers on the subject in November 1981. 
The write up is in the July 1982 issue (114) and this again explains some very obvious reasons for why boilers should be designed correctly for Gauge 1. 
Not that I have ever designed, or built, a boiler, but I have heard stories of boilers built with no attention paid to the rules of physics, and of course the boiler was a complete flop. 
My hat is off to all those who make really good steaming boilers. 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada 

I (luckily) obtained a stack of G1MRA news letters. I think I have that article. Jan van Remsdyck (spelling??) has a number of designs as well. His designs are very straightforward. Best suited for alcohol. I believe Aster uses some of designs.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

New project on the list. A rebuild of an improperly built Aster K4 kit along with customized for post war (3750) and coal fired boiler which ran through our neighborhood!


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