VetChugger Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 Thanks for that! Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regulo Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 48 minutes ago, SteveO said: I must have been 14 years old or so when this was last fired up, so it has been laying there unused for more than 50 years. I will let you know how we get on. Don't bother. I'll hear the bang in Basildon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grendel Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 when testing a steam engine the first time I run it up using compressed air (from either my nig compressor or my air brush compressor - this is far safer than steam, you can literally hold the end of the compressor pipe in place by hand and get a good enough seal on the filler plug hole to see if it all turns over. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polly Posted October 20, 2018 Author Share Posted October 20, 2018 Phil, had his brother's for David, it looked fine but we took it into the model shop where we were regular customers for checking over, which they did. They rang us up a few days later and condemned it as unsafe; there was a crack in the boiler we couldn't see. I am glad we didn't fire it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveO Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 I will pressure test the boiler with compressed air before I commit to adding fire and water. Judging by the way that the steam valve, piston and whistle valve are seized up, steaming could be some way away. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grendel Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 I have a similar one in slightly better condition (and several in as bad or worse) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grendel Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 they normally work again if carefully cleaned and lubricated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroadAmbition Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 It was Lego for me but moved onto Meccanno. I had a traction steam engine model - Goodness knows where it went. Also had Keil Craft Super 60 - Goodness knows where that ended up, along with a glow motor powered stock car - Lost. I do however still have a r/c RAF crash tender that I finished construction in about 73. (OS10 powered) Lost the r/c gear, the boat needs some tlc to get it back to what is should be like. So much to do and never seem to get time to do it Griff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZimbiIV Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 32 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said: So much to do and never seem to get time to do it A warning to all who are looking to retirement to get the time to do those jobs. You will not have time then, something else seems to come along and take the time away. I am sure I had more time when I worked! paul 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quo vadis Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 A warning to all always test pressure vessels with a liquid ie water never a gas ie steam or air 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveO Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 All seized valves freed off. New level plug fitted. New O rings for whistle and safety valve and boiler filled with water and then pressurized. No leaks, so we part-emptied the boiler, filled the burner with meths and fired her up. She exceeded expectations by running something like a well-oiled watch. A bit more vibration from the crank than I remember, but that was 50 years ago and I might have been wearing the rose-tinted spectacles of memory. Now all we need to do is clean her up. 56190919332__8D039732-D5CB-4E5F-AEB6-2AB58E7D57F6.MOV 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grendel Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 just as i said, all that is needed is a bit of lubrication. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheQ Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 A copy of meccano is what I had, I also remember the bleeding fingers.. After that it was on to Airfix, sadly every time we moved, all my models got thrown out.. I just have one left. But built much later by me, a Revell 1/32 Tornado ADV, Much modified: A, Because it's not a very good model of an ADV. B, Because I built it in an on the ground situation, with the nose cone open and I made a radar to fit inside.. The Tornado Has an allocated corner, in the model railway shed, though the railway will be 1/76 scale.. 4mm to the foot, EM Gauge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveO Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Anyone remember that rather grubby old Mamod steam engine that I posted about last October? Well it has undergone what I would call a sympathetic restoration. All parts removed and cleaned, painted parts stripped, repainted and then all reassembled. Here is the result. Not too shiny, because some of the bits were too far gone for that, but a huge improvement on what it was nevertheless. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEM Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 On 20/10/2018 at 19:23, ZimbiIV said: A warning to all who are looking to retirement to get the time to do those jobs. You will not have time then, something else seems to come along and take the time away. I am sure I had more time when I worked! Having been "retired" for just 12 months I second the above. Too much voluntary work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helian Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 I don't see anyone has mentioned Bilofix - basically a larger format wooden version of Meccano with large plastic nuts and bolts. A bit like what Duplo is to Lego. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetAnne Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 My mum's (she's 87 this year) original Bayco set from her childhood is still with her, , well looked after and now being enjoyed by the fourth generation of the family. Anyone remember Stickle Bricks? We still have ours, also now enjoyed by her great grand children. My collection of Corgi and Dinky cars are now classics in their own right, not that there is much paint left on any of them or the hall skirting boards! They have done some miles across the floors over the years and continue to give sterling service. I noticed the little statue of Graham Hill laid in the bottom of the toy cars box the other day, can anyone else remember which toy car he came with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveO Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 We used to have stickle bricks - great for brushing your hair if you had lost your comb. A pal of mine had Bayco and we spent many a happy hour building houses with that. We also had something called Betta Bilda, which was made by Airfix. The bricks were white and made from polystyrene, Airfix's stock-in-trade, as opposed to cellulose acetate or ABS which was the case with Lego. They were similar to the one stud thick Lego bricks but more brittle and not compatible. Roofing tiles were made from green polystyrene and interlocked together to make a realistic looking roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 6 hours ago, JanetAnne said: My mum's (she's 87 this year) original Bayco set from her childhood is still with her, , well looked after and now being enjoyed by the fourth generation of the family. Anyone remember Stickle Bricks? We still have ours, also now enjoyed by her great grand children. My collection of Corgi and Dinky cars are now classics in their own right, not that there is much paint left on any of them or the hall skirting boards! They have done some miles across the floors over the years and continue to give sterling service. I noticed the little statue of Graham Hill laid in the bottom of the toy cars box the other day, can anyone else remember which toy car he came with? Most likely a Lotus or BRM. The last seasons before his plane crash (71,72,73,74,75) were Brabham, Shadow and Lola. Do you have a Lotus in Gold Leaf livery? I remember there was a lot of celebration in 1966 when he won the Indy500 driving a Lola Ford. Hope you get him back to his right car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairTmiddlin Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 12 hours ago, JanetAnne said: My mum's (she's 87 this year) original Bayco set from her childhood is still with her, , well looked after and now being enjoyed by the fourth generation of the family. Anyone remember Stickle Bricks? We still have ours, also now enjoyed by her great grand children. My collection of Corgi and Dinky cars are now classics in their own right, not that there is much paint left on any of them or the hall skirting boards! They have done some miles across the floors over the years and continue to give sterling service. I noticed the little statue of Graham Hill laid in the bottom of the toy cars box the other day, can anyone else remember which toy car he came with? Probably this one JA Have stories of GH but for later 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thiswan Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 On 19/10/2018 at 11:18, ranworthbreeze said: I also had Meccano. But who remembers Bayco? Regards Alan Alan, was Bayco the one with little steel rods you could your stab yourself? Would never be allowed now! I had one loved it the plastic bricks slid in between the rods.which were slotted into a baseboard. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranworthbreeze Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 Hi Peter, Yes Bayco was the one with the steel rods that fitted into the bases. Bricks, doors and windows all slid between the rods, I liked the pre formed roofs. Regards Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VetChugger Posted February 12, 2019 Share Posted February 12, 2019 Bayco sets often turn up on fleabay if anyone is feeling all nostalgic and wants another go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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