Jupiter Locomotive by drobinson02199 - OcCre - 1:32

[Canute]

There should also be a pop valve on the steam dome, next to the whistle, as a safety feature. If steam pressure gets too high in the boiler, the valve opens to vent the steam,

[drobinson02199]

Ken -- For all I know, what you see IS the pop valve.  None of the parts are given names, so one has to assume.  I assumed whistle, but could be a pop valve.

 

Regards,

David

[drobinson02199]

Added the front braces to the boiler, and also some fittings on the side of the boiler that pipe down to a device in front of the wheels.  Brakes perhaps??

 

Regards,

David

[realworkingsailor]

The fitting on the boiler is a check valve. The device in front of the wheels is actually an early form of injector pump.

 

As a steam locomotive builds pressure, water needs to be introduced at a greater pressure, otherwise it would blow out backwards into the tender. Before the development of more modern Venturi type injectors, injection water pressure was increased by the use of a pump. These pumps were usually driven via a linkage from the valve gear, (hence its location in front of the first driver wheel), so would only operate when the locomotive was moving.

 

Andy

[drobinson02199]

Andy:

 

You have really enhanced the quality of my build log.  Thank you.  Where did you get all of your detailed locomotive knowledge?

 

Regards,

David

[realworkingsailor]

1 hour ago, drobinson02199 said:

Andy:

 

You have really enhanced the quality of my build log.  Thank you.  Where did you get all of your detailed locomotive knowledge?

 

Regards,

David

You’re too kind! 😀

 

Most of my knowledge has been acquired through years of self-study. I’ve been fascinated with steam locomotives for as long as I can remember, and I’ve been driven to understand every facet of how they and all their various components work. 
 

Andy

[wefalck]

Are you sure that this is a steam-dome, that thing before the cab? To me it rather looks like the 'coffee-pot' housing for a double set of spring-loaded safety-valves that is seen on early locomotives (perhaps before the 1880s). this 'coffee-put' should be open on the top to let excess steam escape upwards.

 

The thingy on its top looks very much like a steam-bell, rather than a whistle.

 

Some early locomotives didn't actually have steam-domes, but the steam was taken from a high area of the boiler, which is why the boiler has a wider diameter near the cab - not a terribly good solution, as water might get into the steam-pipes on an incline.

 

It is interesting to see that the sandbox sits, where on more modern locomotives the steam-dome would be located, i.e. in the middle of the boiler, where the water level would change very much, regardless whether you were going downhill or uphill.

 

On the other hand, I have zero knowledge of US American steam locomotive practices ...

Edited April 9 by wefalck

[realworkingsailor]

30 minutes ago, wefalck said:

Are you sure that this is a steam-dome, that thing before the cab? To me it rather looks like the 'coffee-pot' housing for a double set of spring-loaded safety-valves that is seen on early locomotives (perhaps before the 1880s). this 'coffee-put' should be open on the top to let excess steam escape upwards.

 

The thingy on its top looks very much like a steam-bell, rather than a whistle.

 

Some early locomotives didn't actually have steam-domes, but the steam was taken from a high area of the boiler, which is why the boiler has a wider diameter near the cab - not a terribly good solution, as water might get into the steam-pipes on an incline.

 

It is interesting to see that the sandbox sits, where on more modern locomotives the steam-dome would be located, i.e. in the middle of the boiler, where the water level would change very much, regardless whether you were going downhill or uphill.

 

On the other hand, I have zero knowledge of US American steam locomotive practices ...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_(locomotive)#/media/File%3ACP_steam_loco.jpg

 

Quite confident. I know the structure that you are referring to, but I’m fairly certain that was introduced later as a method of keeping the steam from circulating in front of the cab. 
 

And no doubt the “can” on top of the dome is the whistle. Very standard practice for the day.
 

Jupiter was built at the height of the brass age when railways wanted to show off their industrial advances in the finest style of the times. Lots of excessive and highly polished metal. Very different from locomotives that would be built less than twenty years later.

 

Andy

[kgstakes]

I've looked at this model to buy and build, how are the instructions and the parts?  Looks great !!  Any challenges?

[drobinson02199]

Kgstakes:

 

Parts are good -- high quality.

 

Instructions are another matter.  You can see references to them in my log above, but basically there are no detailed written instructions.  What you get are some step-by-step diagrams with symbols and parts indicated by code -- but there is no way to figure out what part is what without looking at the picture and then searching for it in the parts bag.  Laser cut and etched parts are coded on the diagrams of the wood and brass sheets -- it's the loose parts you have to find from the drawings.  Strongly recommend having clear plastic cases with dividers so you can categorize the parts and see them clearly when you look for the one you need.  I think this is an advanced modelers kit.  

 

I have been able to figure it all out -- you just have to look carefully and pay attention to what needs to be painted when -- and then figure out the best sequence for some assemblies yourself.  I'm doing that now with a complicated pipe assembly on the boiler.

 

Regards,

David

Edited April 12 by drobinson02199

[kgstakes]

34 minutes ago, drobinson02199 said:

Kgstakes:

 

Parts are good -- high quality.

 

Instructions are another matter.  You can see references to them in my log above, but basically there are no detailed written instructions.  What you get are some step-by-step diagrams with symbols and parts indicated by code -- but there is no way to figure out what part is what without looking at the picture and then searching for it in the parts bag.  Laser cut and etched parts are coded on the diagrams of the wood and brass sheets -- it's the loose parts you have to find from the drawings.  Strongly recommend having clear plastic cases with dividers so you can categorize the parts and see them clearly when you look for the one you need.  I think this is an advanced modelers kit.  

 

I have been able to figure it all out -- you just have to look carefully and pay attention to what needs to be painted when -- and then figure out the best sequence for some assemblies yourself.  I'm doing that now with a complicated pipe assembly on the boiler.

 

Regards,

David

 

Thank you for responding to my questions.  I use containers with dividers for all my projects.  Just makes things easier.  Thanks again.

[drobinson02199]

Two things added to the engine:

• Pipes running from the cab across the top of the boiler on both sides.  RealWorkingSailor/Andy -- if you see this can you help me out with what these are and what they do?  On the model at least, the vertical fixtures do not touch the boiler -- they are attached with brackets and stand off from the boiler.
• The headlight.

 

Regarding the pipes -- the brackets require drilling into the boiler (as does the headlight), and because it has a curved surface the drill wants to skitter.  I broke a couple of bits but eventually got it done -- and then did a LOT of touch up work on the boiler after installation.

 

To install them, I started by simultaneously fixing the rear end of the pipe to the cab and the first vertical fixture.  To get that positioned, I dry-fitted the assembly at those two points, marked the bracket hole, drilled, then glued the pipe at those two points.  Then it's a matter of sliding the fixtures on and doing the same.  I mounted the brackets onto the fixtures first, then slid them on.  Some adjustments to the wire are needed as you go.

 

The end cap beads supplied in the kit don't fit, but I found some brass buckets from an earlier ship build in my spares supply and they made perfect end caps.

 

Regards,

David

Edited April 13 by drobinson02199

[realworkingsailor]

17 minutes ago, drobinson02199 said:

Two things added to the engine:

• Pipes running from the cab across the top of the boiler on both sides.  RealWorkingSailor/Andy -- if you see this can you help me out with what these are and what they do?  On the model at least, the vertical fixtures do not touch the boiler -- they are attached with brackets and stand off from the boiler.

That’s an easy one, those are simply handrails! 😀

 

Andy

[drobinson02199]

Added the smokestack.  This is difficult to build.  I had to putty the areas where the conical section joins, but that worked fine and painted fine.

 

The instructions (see diagram) suggest the most complex and difficult way to add the screening, but it's simpler to just use a circle, and that worked well and looks fine.

 

I didn't pay close enough attention to some of the alignments, so if you look closely you'll see that the crossbar on top of the smokestack isn't aligned front to back as it's supposed to be, but ah, well. 

 

Final picture shows the stack mounted, and the bell rope rigged.   The engine is now completed, and it's on to the tender.

 

Regards,

David

[Canute]

Nice spark arrester. Build looks good.

[drobinson02199]

Started work on the tender.  Here's the first stage of the body frame.

 

Regards,

David

[drobinson02199]

And here it is with the metal sides on.  I remembered to use my Dremel sanding drum to rough up the sides that are glued, so gluing set quickly.

 

Regards,

David

[drobinson02199]

Removable jigs determine the angle of the top flange of the tender.

 

Regards,

David