# Mason Bogie LS



## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Today it finally came in..Lots of careful cutting to remove the tape coffin. 

I had started to clean up the valve gear as stated in a previous thread. 

I started with the retaining pin and holder. I had ground down the pin so it would be flush with the yoke instead of too long. I then flattened the bent retainer and trimmed the screw by 3mm and trimmed the spring to 4 coils. All back together and moves smoothly and looks much better.

The other modification was to the pump handle, I cut a slot to control the bypass valve. After speaking to Cliff about it he mentioned that they were supposed to have the cut already but never happened. 10seconds with a cutoff tool and was sufficient. You can also mill a slot if you so desire. Otherwise it is almost impossible to reach the valve.


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## iceclimber (Aug 8, 2010)

That it sort of disheartening to read. What if a guy has no means (tools) to do the cutting you had to do? With this Mason Bogie being one of the two most recent projects from Accucraft, it has me a bit concerned what the planned K4 will be like when it gets here. I can do some things with the tools I have, but why should I have to out of box? I can see down the road after use things will need looking after. Roundhouse and some of the accucraft engines can be compared price wise, but not quality wise. I know all engines will have their quirks, but if accucraft's engines need a bit of things done out of box, shouldn't that necessitate a price reduction?


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

Looks good Jay! Congratulations;-) Did you run it? I wonder what you think of it. It is three days to exactly four years since 6 March 2007! I will have to wait for mine a bit longer... Best, Zubi


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

Your locomotive is almost as good looking as your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the woman in the wedding photo.


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## chama (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Kovacjr on 03 Mar 2011 06:22 PM 
I had started to clean up the valve gear as stated in a previous thread. 



Jay, what previous thread?


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Scott - I think it was somewhere in a DH Mason thread a page or so back. Just that I didnt like the big bolt sticking out and looked how I would change that when I was at DH. I also want to sure up the VG linkages and make the proper rod linkages from the lever down to the links. Just like the prototype and the masterclass. The bar just looks too big. Also the JBar linkage is too thick too and should be straight. 

Im going to RC it and probaly remove the Jbar completly and use the DX6 to set the servo limits. So I'll need to remove the slop in the linkages and flip the detent pin to it wont lock in place. All that slop and the bogie hardly pivots anyway to even make a difference. 

I also want to move up the hungry boards to the correct position for theTenmile. Currently it is the correct place for the SanJuan. If you look in the masterclass you'll see the 2 different lengths of boards. 

Overall Accucraft did a great job on this one. the few minor things can be dealt with. I may try to run it tomorrow if I have time otherwise probally not this weekend as they are calling for rain. I guess I'll hook up the compressor then. 

Wow Zubi 4 years from the proposal to today. 

Carl - Yea shes a cutie. My little cuddle monster, you know how that goes! Your wife ever have any more litters? 

Im not sure what Iceclimber means as disheartening. Its a georgous loco that took 4 years of planning and changes to get it where it is today. Its the 1st Narrow Gauge lkoco to come equipped with an axlepump! You know what that was like to convince them?? There had been comprimses on the valve gear and I wanted to modify them to my desires. The loco will run as is. As for the hand pump handle, its just a dremel cutoff blade, or you can file a slot also. The screw was cut with a pair is wire cutters and filed. Same with the spring. Being in live steam there is no toolless tool box. Maintance is everything on these. You will always need nutdrivers and wrenches to adjust and tighen up bolts that work loose or reapply loctite on something that gets hot and breaks the bond. All things that you will collect when necessary. 

Check out Sears they have a set of midget wrenches in standard and metric and there is also a set with 90degree heads. Might be called a distributor wrench set. Whia makes nice nut driver sets and you will need a set of micro screwdrivers. Eithe lowes, sears or Whia.


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## iceclimber (Aug 8, 2010)

Hey, it is a nice looking loco by the way. I wouldn't have said that a week ago, but it is growing on me. 

Jason, I guess what I meant by disheartening is the part where Cliff says that the screw was supposed to be cut, but wasn't. Quality control.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

No not the screw but the pump handle. They supplied standard handles. The handle with a slot would control the bypass valve. Onlyu due to the fact it is ina tight place.


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## livesteam53 (Jan 4, 2008)

Nice work and you made it simple enough for me .... Thank you Jason!


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## iceclimber (Aug 8, 2010)

I see.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By livesteam53 on 03 Mar 2011 07:48 PM 
Nice work and you made it simple enough for me .... Thank you Jason! 

Hey Mark You going to the East Coast show???


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## David Fletcher (Jan 2, 2008)

Jay I wouldn't mess with the hungry boards on the tender - you have an as-built version from Mason, not the UP rebuild. The photos you refer are of the #42 after much rebuilding in 1883 and 1885. The Tenmile was the last of the short tender versions of the Mason. The rest that followed had tenders that extended all the way to the rear of the tender deck. I dont know if the Tenmile as built had hungry boards set up like the long tender versions, but what I drew for Accy was based on the as-built version of San Juan - a short tender version built right before Tenmile, so I think they would be similar. Mason #5 (leadville) between these two engines was a used engine from the Kansas Central. If you just like the look of the shorter coal rails then go ahead and do it, but its speculation both ways. To me the as-built evidence is stronger for how they did Sanjuan, than the 1885 rebuilt stuff. 
Still waiting for my engines to arrive.... 
David.


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Jason,

Thanks for the photos - I believe you mean the center bolt with the spring on it - that is not on my hand built version, and I was wondering about it, still cannot work out what it does though?

My electric one is still 'somewhere on the high seas' so I don't know how it looks in this area. 


For others on the RGS Hobbies site there are some photos and one shows this area - you cab see how much the center bolt sticks out. Here is a link

http://rgsrrhobbies.com/Accucraft-Mason-Bogie-San-Juan-and-Ten-Mile.html



Can I ask please how you restore the thread after ginding the bolt down? I think that normally a nut fed on before grinding any bolt down could restore the thread, but this may not have that nut?i


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks David. I think what I need to do it finish my Electric one and do the 42 in black since that is how it was all modeled as I built it. 

Peter I just nipped it to length and ground flat on a dremel wheel and then just chamfered the starting thread on the same wheel. The reason the screw and spring is there was that the valve gear needed a detent to hold in place around curves, well so I was told. After moving the bogie from side to side with the pins out they are not really required and when I RC it anyway they are coming out. The pin still has to be there but the point is not required to lock in place.. With RC any resistance is going to make the servo jitter and will burn it out.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

My Tenmile arrived last Thursday in good condition, nothing broken. I fired it up on the bench and after blowing out copious amounts of water it ran back and forth a foot or 2 without a problem. We had a show at the fairgrounds over the weekend and I ran the Bogie 4 times. I did not get the axle pump so had to stop several times to add water. With the water in the boiler plus a full tender it ran at least half an hour (didn't time it) and still had some water in the boiler. I was very happy with how well it ran, very smooth. I will be making some changes to the valve gear and adding RC. I also plan to add a water line to hook up my water car with electric pump that I built to use with my scratch built Bogie. 

The flexible steam line seems very stiff, I am going to see what I can do about building some kind of pivot to reduce the resistance. Since there are no cylinder drain cocks, when starting the engine dumps lots of water into the smoke box which then runs out all over the pilot deck. If possible I will build a spit valve (as I have done on several other locos) which dumps the water out under the cylinders. I think some spring loading to center the pilot wheels would help it track around curves better. None of this is really necessary but I think it would just make it perfect! I REALLLY LOVE THIS LITTLE LOCOMOTIVE!!!!


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

So I had a chance to fire up the Mason. Lubricated everything all over. Filled the boiler and lubricator. The check valve was not seating too great so it was heating the tender water. Being only 40deg out I left alone it until it was warm then tapped the valve and it stoped. Will have to take it apart and check out.

Cleared the cylinders nicely and the burner was pretty good. I had adjusted the collar to not cover the holes as it was choking out the flame. I did have an issue keeping up steam and never got above 20psi while running. With the throttle closed the pressure would climb and eventually hit 60psi. Just a few things to check into. I wil run in warmer weather before I change anything.

Lets get on to the pics and video..


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice photos (and plumes) Jason, and nice video. Glad you like your Mason!


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

The check valve was not seating too great 
The Accu one I put on the C-19 has/had the same problem. I had to take it apart and clean everything to make it work.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

One thing I forgot to mention was that there should be a deflector in the inside of the smokebox front as there is a gap just in front go the saddle and it directs a lot of heat onto the pilot deck. The screws took too much heat and took the paint right off. Time to look for a matching color. Keep an eye on the stack too as some areas seem to have lost the gloss and are a little matte. Im not sure if the inside of the stack is sealed off for the cinder cap so it does not build up heat.


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