Demo River Engine

[Bernd]

Hi fellow PD's.

As I've stated previously that I want to build a sternwheeler and use a steam engine to power it. I also stated that I would like to use an engine with a piston driving the pitman arm directly. I have searched quite a bit on this and was given a link to one very interesting sight, "Twaintimes.net,  that showed how a long stroke steam engine works. I surfed the net to try and find more on this style of engine but no luck.

So I have resorted back to Elmer Verburg's book Elmer's Engines and plan on building his Demo Model of a river boat engine. I have included a pic below.



I'm going to try and build this engine as a practice project. It'll give me some insight as to how well one of these model engines will actually work. I plan on posting progress here in the "Live Steam" section if people are interested. If it works out I'm going to try for the more complicated river engine shown on the Twainstimes web site.

This is to Bogstandard,
I hope this will not interfere with your planned engine build. If it does I will hold off posting build pics. Don't want to over load the PD's with all this precision work that we do.

Regards,
Bernd

[Eddy Matthews]

That sounds interesting Bernd, I can't see a problem with doing both builds together as they are totally different engines, and I'm sure there will be interest in both...

Regards
Eddy

[bogstandard]

Bernd,

You just go ahead, no-one should need anyones permission to show us all how to do new things.

I can't wait.

John

[kno3]

Bernd, please go ahead and show us your work. I'm always interested to watch build reports.
I had a look at the paddle-wheel engines on www.Twaintimes.net, thanks for the link. It's the first time I get to see what kind of valve gear they had. If anybody has better pictures of drawings of these valve gears, please let me know.

[Bernd]

Ok Eddy, I will present pics here of the build.

Bog's,

I didn't want the the PD members going into over load with two builds going at once. Anyway I might need some advice from you on this since you have a few more engines under your belt.    Ok then I will be beginning this project then.

kno3,

As I told Bog's I'll be starting this then.

By the way, you'll have to thank Dave Sohlstrom for that link. He found it for me in another thread. I would also like to know if there are better pics of that engine or drawings for that matter. I'd like to see the exhaust side valving and how the engine was reversed.

I should have something posted by this weekend. The "honey due" list is first. 

Regards,
Bernd

[Dave_Sohlstrom]

Bernd

No problem on the link. Glad it may help.

Dave

[Bill Hudson]

B,

I too checked that engine out. I came to the conclusion that it has way too short of stroke for a stern wheeler use.  I have roughly designed my own from some plans on the internet.  It is late now but I will try to see if I can come up with where i found the engine. I think I found it on one of the little engine or steam engine forums.  i will research it some time
ASAP.  Bill

[malcolmbeak]

Try the Westbury design in the downloads  - not the diagonal one. I see there are only the first four articles out of eight. If you want the rest Eddy, I can send them to you.
Obviously you don't have to build the engine as shown - just use the ideas and general proportions.

Malcolm

[Eddy Matthews]

If you have the rest of the article on the Westbury engine they would be very welcome Malcolm.

Many thanks
Eddy

[malcolmbeak]

OK Eddy. Luckily I have loose copies of the mags, so will scan the pages. If I send them to you as JPEGs for you to convert to pdfs will that be all right. And where do I send them?
Malcolm

[Eddy Matthews]

Thanks Malcolm,

I don't have Adobe Acrobat, so I cannot convert the files to pdf, but any format is better than not having them at all

Please send them to: eddy.matthews@paddleducks.co.uk

Regards
Eddy

[Bill Hudson]

I  don't know what happened but I posted a follow up on the engine I was talking about. Now it is not here?

The engine is from August-October 1965 Model Engineer magazine.  Title is Engines For A Stern-Wheeler
By Edgar T. Westbury. Although this is not a long stroke engine it is designed for a model stern wheeler.  There are follow up articles on boilers. There is also an article on making a stern wheel boat. 

Both articles  were in the files of the little engines forum but I understand they had to remove  them due to a threat of law suit from ME

[Bernd]

B,

I too checked that engine out. I came to the conclusion that it has way too short of stroke for a stern wheeler use.  I have roughly designed my own from some plans on the internet.  It is late now but I will try to see if I can come up with where i found the engine. I think I found it on one of the little engine or steam engine forums.  i will research it some time
ASAP.  Bill

Being a representation of how a sternwheeler engine works I think they didn't take into consideration the correct stroke. Speaking of stroke, what would a normal sternwheeler have for stroke? I don't even know that.

I would appreciate the plans if you can find them again.

Bernd

[Bernd]

Try the Westbury design in the downloads  - not the diagonal one. I see there are only the first four articles out of eight. If you want the rest Eddy, I can send them to you.
Obviously you don't have to build the engine as shown - just use the ideas and general proportions.

Malcolm

I looked at it Malcomb. It looks to have 1.25" stroke. The engine is set up like a steam locomotive with reversing link and twin ecentrics. I have a real interest in the one at "Twaintimes.net".

I'm starting to realize that these sternwheelers had varied engines powering them.

Regards,
Bernd

[Dave_Sohlstrom]

Bernd

The full sized Portland has a 26" bore and 9 foot stroke. In Audels Engineers and Machanics guide 3 covering locomotive, marine, turbine, engines page 1059 it says. "The engines usually have a stroke four times the cylinder diameter." Piston or poppet valves were use as slide valves at high pressure caused too much lose of power ot overcome friction.

Dave

PS Bill how are you comming with your build. Did you get my PM about Portland.