# Aristocraft Mikado



## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

I recently picked up a Mikado sight unseen which I knew would be a project engine.
What I didn't know was that it must have had taken a dive as the cow catcher was broken off and it and the smoke box front are missing.

I can make new ones in brass which will be better than original and also replace the melted stack in brass.

The wiring in the engine is messed up. The piezo lighter isn't working and the head and class lights are gone with the smokebox front. I was also wondering where the lighter is as I didn't see it anywhere.

I don't know much about these engines and would appreciate any info regarding the history of them.
Because of the smokebox fire problem with them, I was thinking a ceramic boiler would do a world of good and maybe convert it to manual and get rid of the electronics and sound but this may be considered a cool thing by some.

I guess they are adequate pullers but is there something else that should be done if a boiler off repair is to be done?


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## rwjenkins (Jan 2, 2008)

I have one that I converted to manual operation pretty early on after the electronics failed on me (one of the limit switches on the throttle motor quit working). I also had a problem with the gas tank where the O-ring in the gas valve disintegrated and clogged the gas line. In the end, I gutted the tender and installed a gas tank from an Accucraft K-27, and eventually reconverted it to R/C with a Spektrum R/C receiver and a pair of Hi-Tec servos. I never reconnected the piezo igniter after I removed the factory electronics, but it lights fine with a lighter over the stack. The safety valve plumbing has to go. I have my safety set at 45 (it comes from the factory set at 30), but the safety valve's downstream plumbing restricts the flow of steam enough to prevent it from venting effectively, and my boiler pressure climbs to about 90psi. If I remove the cover from the safety valve's steam collector, it stays at 45. The engine is a very capable puller at 45psi. It will practically pull stumps at 90!

I have always had this idea that I wanted to convert mine to a 1:32 scale model of a Northern Pacific W-3. That idea isn't completely dead, but it has been on the back burner for a long time. That conversion would involve an all-new brass shell replacing the plastic one. It will also most likely involve shortening the boiler by about 3/4" and modifying the frame to shorten up that goofy gap between the cylinders and the first driver. If I'm going to end up doing boiler surgery anyway, I am really liking the idea of a ceramic burner in this thing.


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

Richard
Thanks for the feedback
I didn't see the safety or the igniter. Where are they?

On your idea of converting to a Pacific, wouldn't you need to make a new frame, side rods etc.?
I have an Aristo Pacific that I was thinking of using for parts on this project but I understand they have gone up in price so I may just leave it as-is. But...it would be cool


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

I was thinking of using one to turn it into a PRR Hypo! The scale difference should be just right for the Pennsy's large decapods in 1/32, the big cylinders also and I probably would rebuild the frame and superstructure in brass anyways so could use cast iron wheels available and do away with the aristo ones... make a reproduction of the bar frames very evident at the rear. So if I ever come across one cheap I may do just that. It might be my last steam project.
Right now though I am moving house to the sunny south of France and should have my workshop set up again by next summer and the layout which should be larger than my presenbt one here at Valmondois will be my principal preocupation for a while.
Best to all.


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## rwjenkins (Jan 2, 2008)

The safety is hiding under the sand dome. It's surrounded by a capped banjo fitting that diverts the steam into a horseshoe pipe that redirects it downwards under the boiler. When I first discovered that this extra plumbing was restricting the release of steam, I tried replacing it with a larger-diameter tube that ran straight back to where the scale safeties are on the boiler shell, and directed the steam upwards through a hole I drilled between two of the scale safeties. That still didn't solve the problem though. Eventually I'm thinking I'll add a new bushing to the boiler and install a WeeBee type safety in the proper location. For now I just run with the cap off the banjo fitting so the safety just vents through the sand dome.

The conversion project I have in mind is a W-3 class heavy Mikado from the Northern Pacific Railway, not a Pacific (sorry for the confusion). Larry Herget did convert one of these into an Atlantic using some Aristo Pacific parts though (he also had to shorten the boiler to do that). Also, Gilbert Bony did a live steam conversion of an Aristo Pacific before they introduced the live steam Mikado. He also did similar conversions of an LGB Mikado and LGB Mogul. All three of his conversions used Roundhouse cylinders hiding under the plastic cylinder shells, and a boiler hidden inside a tank car pulled behind the locomotive.


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

Thanks Richard
I'll check out the safety

I took the engine to our Saturday work shop and we found the igniter. It goes into the bottom of the smokebox just ahead of the end of the gas flue and sparks to the flue.

Everyone got some chuckles when I worked the sounds which didn't seem very realistic. Maybe just a bad speaker. In any event, I would think a tender revamp is in order.


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## rwjenkins (Jan 2, 2008)

bille1906;1142444Everyone got some chuckles when I worked the sounds which didn't seem very realistic. Maybe just a bad speaker. In any event said:


> Nope, the sound was always garbage on these things. I certainly had no qualms about ripping mine out.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I took out the sound also. Get a Chuffer, they really give you good stack talk, don't need no fake sound, it's real!


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## ktucker8 (Jul 23, 2014)

I have one I bought "New" three years ago that still works Factory excellent electronics wise. But as for modifications I added a heater to the tiny water bath in the tender powered by track power and a limit switch to keep the water hot for better gas pressure. It actually at 60 psi pulls like a Banshee. It is one of my favorite Loco's. 

Anyway what caught my attention was you mentioned you can remake the front boiler in Brass? I would love to know how to do this. Hence my "new" Mikado when I bought it still sealed up in original packaging arrived at my doorstep by FedEx looking as if it was drop kicked from Georgia all the way to California..I was needless to say very unhappy. My "new" Mikado now had a broken front headlight..pieces of the boiler front handrail gone and the front boiler door broken off. I super glues what pieces i had back onto the Locomotive and it has held though you can see some of the damage though I painted it. I would love to find a replacement or a new front piece with door? Maybe this cannot be done but since my train runs so well I would love to really fix it. And yes the sound works but turning it on is kind of a insult to ones ears. Lol. And yes I did receive a small discount on the purchase but I never really got over it but things happen. Ken


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## leemoor (May 30, 2008)

Hi Richard,
There is a knurled knob with a screwdriver slot in the smoke box. Do you know what it is for?
Thanks
Graham


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## seadawg (Jan 2, 2008)

bille1906 said:


> I recently picked up a Mikado sight unseen which I knew would be a project engine.
> What I didn't know was that it must have had taken a dive as the cow catcher was broken off and it and the smoke box front are missing.
> 
> I can make new ones in brass which will be better than original and also replace the melted stack in brass.
> ...


Well Bill, I am anxious to see what you have in store for this machine. I have two sitting on my shelf, both with damaged / melted front ends, begging to be turned into something. I've never heard anything bad concerning the drive train (although the expansion link looks a bit large to my eye).

What to do.... What to do....


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

Dave
Funny you should write now
I ran it a while back and it performed well
The throttle RC is not working so i am going to extend the shaft and add a knob to it

I started working on the front yesterday

I took a piece of 1/4 x 3" brass plate and cut it out on the band saw to just under 3' diameter. Then on the lathe, in an arbor, I trued it up and bored the recess so it goes over the step in the plastic smokebox. then on the exterior jaws, I bored out the inner hole.

As the stack was also melted, I made a new one in brass. I made it a little stouter just to change the look.

I am also thinking of painting the front in graphite to make it look a little less Aristo Craft. 
What do you think?

I am going to look at the tender after I finish the engine. I am thinking of maybe making a larger water bath and getting rid of the speaker as I don't like the sound. Keeping only the RC reversed and Piezo lighter


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

Grahm
That is the smokebox door. It unscrews to access the inside.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice work, I like the look of that. I don't have the skills to do that to mine.


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

Thanks Jerry
I just finished the engine front

The platform has some protrusions which I milled a slot in the buffer to fit. It is a push fit so it should be sturdy. The step bolts will go in to give added support. There is a tab on the pilot truck which I don't know what it was for but I cut a slot for it to slide on thus restricting the truck swing.



















The cow catcher, steps and front coupler bracket were made similar to my Blue Comet build.










Finally, I painted everything with low gloss engine enamel and replaced the painted grab rails with Stainless ones.



















Now, I will take the tender apart to see if there are any easy fixes for it.


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## John 842 (Oct 1, 2015)

Hi Billie - the images in your last post don't show up for me - any ideas?


All the other pictures showed up fine - so many thanks for a very interesting thread.


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

That's strange as they are all i the same album
Does this one show?


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## John 842 (Oct 1, 2015)

Nope - just the little no entry sign in the middle of the picture size space.


Sequential clicking on the bar expands and contracts it as usual.


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## Dan Pantages (Jan 2, 2008)

They were there yesterday for me but not now.


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

How about now


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## John 842 (Oct 1, 2015)

Yup - that one shows up OK - but the ones in posts 15 and 17 are still not showing up.


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

Ok
That one was posted directly from my Photos page in Gmail
Google is changing things and this way is actually easier
I have a few things to show.
i am working on the lube tank now and should have it finished tomorrow.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

I can see that one OK but not the rest.


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

Here are photos from the last posting



























The fuel tank is surounded by a water bath on three sides which is about 1/4" wide. this amounts to about 10 ML of water which quickly becomes ice cold. I increased the volume of water to 180 ML by the following

I removed the tank, expelled all of the gas and blew it out with compressed air. then on the back, I milled out a hole for flow to the new extension.









This shows the tank under the water bath portion.









There are some low hanging parts on the electrical board so I made a stepped box to clear them










Then I just cut and soldered pieces to complete the box. i silver soldered them only to keep them from falling apart on later solderings.










The new box is where the speaker was so I moved it back, covered the sound slots with duct tape and drilled some sound holes in the new speaker location.









The RC for the throttle was bad and bypassed. I decided to leave it manual but the lever was in a poor position. I made this extension and a lever made from Peek a very strong and heat resistant plastic with an 0-80 SS screw in the center of it.









It is now accessible and stays cool










The lube tank had a very small hole and I had a hard time filling it. It took forever and I spilled more than I got in the tank, Then when I ran it, it burned all of the oil in the first lap. I think they may have been looking at the Accucraft C16 when they designed it but I think the fill hole is even smaller than the C16.










I removed the tank and cut the fill spout off. I then mounted it in the mill vice and drilled the hole out to 11/32" in 1/32" increments to get it centered properly. i then drilled out the hole in the plastic running board to 3/8"
I then made a 3/8" spout with an 11/32 step at the bottom and a 5/15 x 24 thread with a counter sunk end which will hold the o-ring in place.
The photo shows the new and old


















I needed to add an adjuster to the system to keep it from over oiling. It looks like the tube from the tank to the cylinders is soldered on and I didn't want to fool around with that but there wasn't enough room to fit anything into the line. The tank and mountings are symmetrical so I just turned the tank around and made a "U" shaped needle valve which does the trick.










I painted everything and am now waiting for everything to dry.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I could not see any of the pictures. Way too big a size I guess.


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

do these show


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill;

Those photos showed just fine. Posting photos on this site can be challenging.

Thank you for not giving up.

Best,
David Meashey


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice work but I did a hot water bath which was a lot easier and functions well. Just took some brass tubing wrapped around fuel ran one end out under tender floor for steam to escape other end goes into a globe valve I installed in boiler. Also removed the gas regulator eliminated a lot of gas issues. Later RJD


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