# NSS 2011 - RETURN of Another View!



## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

I've learned something at the Summer Steamups that's probably obvious to most of you live steam veterans -- you have to be willing to 'fuss with it.' In fact, it helps if you can sit back, relax, and ENJOY 'fussin' with it.'










Gary Whaley is a maven of the BAGRS live steam special interest group. Several years ago, when Carolwood arranged the build & purchase of the Ft Wilderness engine with Accucraft, it was Gary who demonstrated the care & feeding of the engine to a bunch of us newbies who had never boiled water before.


Gary is known for his whimsical creations, but this year he brought some more conventional engines which illustrate his talent for packing elegant radio control solutions into very small quarters.










I was interested in how Gary had R/C'd his Ft. Wilderness, and he gave me some tips. (F'rinstance, he cut open the back bunker on his Ft.W and stuck in batteries and a recharging plug!) Gary & some other BAGRS steamers put on a clinic every year or so on R/C installation; I told him I'd be willing to come up from L.A. to attend!

But Radio Control will have to be down the road a bit for my Ft. Wilderness; the problem I kept having was keeping the fire from going out!










It's a common problem with this engine; apparently oily exhaust will drip back down into the smoke box and 'pop' with enough energy to blow the flame out. I've heard of several solutions, mostly involving cutting/crimping/moving the exhaust tube that runs down the stack. I actually visited the vendor hall in search of a Summerlands chuff pipe, hoping that would fix the problem -- but there weren't any left that would fit my Ruby variant!


Several folks volunteered solutions, but Paul Brink's seemed to me to be the simplest -- why not make a 'radiant burner' that wouldn't blow out? 










Paul just happened to have the right screening material available, and the wire to tie it up with! 










(Here's a hint from Paul if you're looking for wire that will withstand the temperatures necessary -- retrieve your wife's old broken hair dryer, or buy one cheap at Salvation Army, and uncoil the heating elements!)


Besides Paul and Gary, I also got advice, as well as assistance with tools and parts (like replacement coupler links and fuel adapters) from Art Busalacchi, Dennis Bowie, Dwight Ennis, and Dave Frediani; most of them happened to be set up around 'my station', and they all volunteered. While we were fussing with reassembling the gas line on my Ft. Wilderness, Paul and Art mentioned a mutual friend of theirs, an experienced steamer who had never come to the NSS. He had his own elevated steam track so he could run anytime he wanted; why would he want to spend money to come to a steamup? Paul shook his head a bit and said "I guess he just doesn't get it."


I looked around at all the folks who had been helping me, half of whom I hadn't even met before that morning, and decided Paul was right -- that fellow just didn't get it. Which leads me to another thing I learned at the steamup -- 'If you fuss with it, they will come. And help.'


So here's a random look at fussers and helpers...


Dwight gets his NPC No. 21 up and running..



















Dwight may have started a tradition of cab-forwards! Here's Alan Redeker warming up a cab-forward to join its brethren, with Joel Taylor watching. I think there's one AC-12 and two AC-6 "Flatface" retrofits.










Here Ryan Bednarik walks one of them around the table. (We've had Shay-ups and Ruby-ups, but if we had a Cab-Forwards up, should we make them run backwards?)










Can you see it? Can you hear it? Kevin Schindler, Steve Shyvers, Patrick McConnell and Bill Baxley all join me in asking the eternal question -- "Is it flame yet?"





































"You want flame? I'll show you flame!" Here Bill Allen fusses over his push-me pull-you Fairlie. (Go back five pictures to see Allen's Fairlie on the table behind Ryan Bednarik.) Allen gave a well-attended clinic on Double Fairlie construction.










As far as Butch Floyd is concerned, traditional steamers burn alcohol!










The Alky folks always bring in odd rigs like this, to provide themselves with a way to light & check their wicks. 










Yes kids, live steam is fun for the whole family -- and children of all ages! It looks here like Reggie and Eric Bowles are checking the gauge on a wheelset.










Mark and Kim Kelly prepare her brand new TenMile Mason Bogie for its very first run! 










Bill Allen, and his family, are checking out a borrowed inertia car.










Chris Coley looks on as his daughter, Samantha, fires up her Ruby. 












Art Busalacchi and Patrick McConnell chat as Art sets up.










Friday night, Dave Frediani demonstrated his radio-controlled tipping gondola. 










And on Saturday, he trained a 'co-pilot'.










That's all for now --


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary, 

Thanks for sharing that. 

Best, 
TJ


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Great Gary! Carla takes wonderful photos! My compliments to her please.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

As always, Carla. Wonderful images and a great write-up, Gary.


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Gary, 
Actually that's Bill's Beyer Garratt with it's 'hood' up, that he is trying to melt! 
Thanks for more memories of the event. 
All the best, 
David


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

We all seem forever fussing over something to do with live steam. 

Ryan paused as he fussed over AC-12 











Alan as he fusses over the AC-6










That is what it is all about: burn fingers, fussing, fixin, and making locomotives work with real steam!


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## Alan in Adirondacks (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary, Carla and Charles, 

Thanks for the pictures! 

Alan


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Great pictures that really do show that the 'Lone Steamer' is seriously missing out on the REAL live-steam world. 

Having said that, I've given up trying to show folks my steam trains hereabouts. Just before we went to Oregon for our month of sanity 'as far away from here as you can get without coming back' I tried again, but this time, I informed mrs tac [maker of fine steam-accompanying provisions and fodder] for the last time. I put out THREE signs - shaped like steam locos - one on each side of house, and one on the side access to the yard - 'Steam Trains - running NOW!'. 

Result? My fellow-steamer pal and I spent the afternoon playing with each other's trains, but nobody else came near... 

Pretty sad, really, and a reflection of the general attitude prevalent in present-day England, too, if you ax me. 

tac 
www.ovgrs.org


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

Right David 
That is the Garratt and I was trying to solder a very small fitting with Dave Hottmann's monster torch. Luckly someone loaned me a pincil torch before I burned the place down 
The inertia car is actually mine but I didn't build it. It was made by Dennis Mead a BAGRS member and friend who has also made a beautiful flywheel and brass ball mechanical governer type car that kicks in at higher speeds. I think there may have been some pictures of it from last year's event.


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks, everybody, for your corrections and additions! Charles, your pix are terrific illustrations of the 'fussin'' theme!

Bill, your mention of Dennis Mead sent SWMTP back into the archives, and she found these from LAST year's steamup!

This must be Dennis, right? And the two inertia cars are in front of him.










Here's a closer shot of the beautiful .. ahem.. 'brass balls' car. It looks like a steam punk's dream!


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

And related to another part of this thread -- I wrote

_(Here's a hint from Paul if you're looking for wire that will withstand the temperatures necessary -- retrieve your wife's old broken hair dryer, or buy one cheap at Salvation Army, and uncoil the heating elements!)_

I got this the other day via 'private mail' from Bill4373 --

_I have an old hair dryer and would be willing to send some heating element wire to anyone that sending me an email. (and save a few marriages) I tried to put this into MLS and it won't take my "add reply"... Bill_ 

Thanks for the offer Bill! I hope folks can find you in the member database in order to drop a private message as needed. I wonder why this thread wouldn't take your "add reply." Have others had this problem?


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

I wonder why this thread wouldn't take your "add reply." Have others had this problem? This has been reported by people using IE9. "Compatibility Mode" must be used with MLS in IE9. 

BTW Gary, did you get my PM?


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

"BTW Gary, did you get my PM?"

Dwight -- got it and replied via internet email. You didn't get it? Answer is "Yes"


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary, 

> And the two inertia cars are in front of him. 

I give up. What are they, what are they used for, and how do they work? 

Best, 
TJ


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By tj-lee on 04 Aug 2011 03:12 PM 
Gary, 

> And the two inertia cars are in front of him. 

I give up. What are they, what are they used for, and how do they work? 

Best, 
TJ 

TJ,

The inertia cars are (usually) flywheels geared to the axle to provide a drag on the locomotive to make it work hard. Steam engines are very powerful, and unless you have a 20-car train, it is unusual for us to be able to make them sound and act as if they are working hard. Small locos that tend to run too fast are perfect locos for adding some inertia.

David Bailey at DJBEngineering has been running one for a while, and there's thread around here somewhere . .ah yes, here: http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/aff/11/aft/80371/afv/topic/Default.aspx

Dennis' cars look very nice. The brass balls are presumably a 'governor' that applies the brakes to stop the car going too fast? I think David experimented with fans as well as flywheels, as they are self-limiting in speed.


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Posted By Pete Thornton on 04 Aug 2011 03:53 PM 
TJ, 
The inertia cars are (usually) flywheels geared to the axle to provide a drag on the locomotive to make it work hard. Steam engines are very powerful, and unless you have a 20-car train, it is unusual for us to be able to make them sound and act as if they are working hard. Small locos that tend to run too fast are perfect locos for adding some inertia.

David Bailey at DJBEngineering has been running one for a while, and there's thread around here somewhere . .ah yes, here: http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/aff/11/aft/80371/afv/topic/Default.aspx

Dennis' cars look very nice. The brass balls are presumably a 'governor' that applies the brakes to stop the car going too fast? I think David experimented with fans as well as flywheels, as they are self-limiting in speed.

I look at them as a way to wear out a loco very quickly.
Some years back at Ted Sharps in Seattle, I was 'coerced' into putting two inertia cars, each representing 50 box cars, behind my Aster SNCF 150.
It pulled away with no problem but you could feel the strain on all the bushings and joints.
Perhaps if you use one, have one that just represents a few cars.
I see the real purpose of an inertia car is that on a very up and down layout it will 'smooth' out the running.
It won't run down the hills too fast, and then the flywheel effect will help push 'up' the hills.
All the best,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

I look at them as a way to wear out a loco very quickly 
So if you try to make an Aster loco work hard it wears out, just like any other? 

P.S. having a load of 100 cars will wear anyone out, I would think!


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## mikemartin (Feb 14, 2008)

Dennis Mead's cars are wonderful pieces of engineering as well as beautiful examples of craftsmanship. (He's also one **** of a nice guy!) The car with the big flywheel and the brass balls is indeed an inertia car. It effectively simulates a much heavier train when used on flat track. The other car with the flat shiny discs (a pair with a small separation) is a drag car. The difference is that there is no large mass to simulate the inertia of a long train, but rather, it generates drag in a manner that is related to the speed of the train. The unit is based on a pair of hard drive disks that flank a set of four rare earth magnets. The magnets are embedded in an adjustable blade-like arm that can be moved towards the disks, so that they enter gradually. When they are between the rotating disks, an eddy current results from the motion of the metal discs in close proximity to the magnets. Note that the magnets do not touch the disks. The neat thing about this setup is that the strength of the eddy current increases as the square of the speed of the disk. Therefore its braking force is minimal or practically non-existent at slow speeds, but increases rapidly as the speed of the train increases. This tends to "even out" the performance of what might otherwise be a runaway train. The tricky part with either car is acheiving adequate traction to deliver the wanted effect. 

Those with a physics background will please make (gentle) corrections to my layman's explanation of these unique cars. 

Mike


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Pete, David, Mike, 

THANKS! Great explanation on "inertia cars". 

Best, 
TJ


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

The one with the balls is a momentum and drag car. The disk one is drag only. The disk car is fully adjustable from nearly zero to something like 20 cars. 
The drag gives the locomotive a rich chuff sound and more steam. You can pull a Forney down to 5 scale mph at full throtle and it won't come to a stop at the slightest grade or curve like it would with a load of cars. 
One of these days, Maybe I can get Dennis to post a build log here. 
Dennis and Henner (Donkey Doctor) built a n electronic scale speedometer and Henner thinks we could use some of the same designs to make an electronic speed governer where one could put a Ruby on an up and down layout and forget about it...Science Fiction???


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