Swiss Steamwheeler RIGI under construction

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's..... ...Gerhard on the 25th you ask what type of boiler has the smaller horizontal shell tube at 90 degrees to the main boiler shell

The only example I could find is as below ...termed as a horizontal cross drum water tube boiler.......not sure that it would be practical to consider in our miniature scales [1:48?]

Over the years boilers were designed for higher & higher steam pressures  and ever increasing steam output.......again our models do not necessarily need or accept such values

What type of boiler did RIGI have?........

Unless members have excellent boilermaking & design skills, the selection of a model boiler is limited to horizontal or vertical .......having said this.....I have seen beautifully designed & constructed miniature boilers 

Keep the images & story coming....we have many members interested in steam paddlers .......Derek

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi PD`s, Hi Derek
Now that this is solved, I will design the boiler, thank you. But, the beauty is secondary, function comes first! And for sure I will keep the story going on, there will be a lot to report to all of you
And; also new photos...................
Greetings
Gerhard

[andy]

Hi Gerhard,

I would take care to the models weight. For my model in scale 1/20 of the PS DIESSEN I calculated as following:
Engine 3000 grams including valves and tubung
Boiler 2500grams including water and valves
Ship about 10 000grams

I got it with about 16,8 kilograms ready to start.

the problem in the shape of the hulls of the european paddlers is the volumne, they are very slim. So you will have to use a lot of tricks to get the weight out of the model. otherwise RIGI will become a submarine with paddles.

But I would  risk to give the paddlewheels an direct drive to the engine without gearbox weight). Better give some more diametre to the pistons, the engine will pull the boat!

Andy

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi Andy
The weight is, what I meant with the option for electric drive. My lifesteamengine is a self constructed 2 cylinder with 12mm bore and 18 mm stroke, planned for low pressure and low revs also. Bore will be possible up to 15 mm, bigger bore will need an complete new construction of the engine. A gearbox should not be neccessary, so the weight will be not too much as I hope! You can see the engine on the previous page of this thread, or download in the download section if you will. The weight carriage of the RIGI will be around 1,4 kilograms, what is not really much, so I have to make everything as light as possible.
BTW, what about a Sidewhell sub?   would not be, what everybody has
Best regards 
Gerhard

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi PD`s
As reported earlier, I was busy with designing the boiler. After a lot of searching in the WWW. I decided to build a flame tube boiler, close to the look of the original one. It will be 120mm long, with a diameter of 45mm, one flametube, steam dome and collector drum with following steam overheating. The boiler will be made from copper tubes, all parts brazed. There will be 16 transverse heater tubes, from 6mm copper tubes, the steamtube to the collector drum is from the same material, andthe steam tube to the engine will be 4mm tube. I still have to design the boiler stands, this will be made, when the hull of RIGI is ready.
Regards from Vienna
Gerhard

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi PD`s
The first building step is done. Today i made the studs for the engine, (part No. 20 in the plan). They are made from stainless steel, 4mm thick, with M2 threads on both ends. While the upper ends are same, the lower are different. There are 4 pieces with M2 x 3mm long, and another 4 pieces with M2 x 2mm and following 2 x 1mm base. The complete studs are 40 mm long. All were made on the lathe, including cutting the threads.
Greetings from Vienna
Gerhard

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's........Gerhard..I noticed on you boiler Drawing a few days back ....M6x0.75 tapping's.......this reminded me of Winfried Niggle..... you will find him in our links page

Winfried manufactures miniature steam fittings & accessories....great person to deal with....good prices ...huge range....you may even know Winfried he is just approx. 481 km from you 

PS...also search in the PD files for www.smallparts ....you should find a link to the UK equivalent to Small Parts & Bearings

Derek 

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi PD`s ..Hi Derek
Have took a good look at Winfried Niggel`s site, he has much better prices than Regner, thank you for this.
The bearings from small parts are more expensive than I will get them in Austria at Lindinger, so I will stay with them.
For my building ; today was very calm, no work on sundays! just a little WWW-searching for new ressources and maybe a good link for all PD`s. It is called "WeightCalc" the name says it all!
http://www.rc-boote.at/opn/system/anypage/index.php?opnparams=A25dOVdhAmc
Greetings from Vienna
Gerhard 

[andy]

Hi Gerhard,

in my steamer SCHONDORF I have a self made boiler, which could be similar to your drawings. But this boiler only has 1 tube in the flame tube, because so many tubes like your drawing shows, will stop any streaming of the hot air inside.

Andreas

[derekwarner_decoy]

....Gerhard says...."he has much better prices than Regner".....yes......if you examine the products on line I suspect that Winfried manufactures for other WEB site suppliers 

As I have no real machinery.......I must rely on suppliers .........whilst not mentioned on the Niggle WEB site is that Winfried will manufacture specials  ......

I decided 4 & 5 bolt flanges for 3 & 4 mm OD tubing would look prototypical....but did not favour the gasket variety offered

Asked Winfried & he produced o-ringed versions of the flange sets for near no additional cost.........superior integrity flange geometry

Great person to deal & purchase from ...... Derek

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi Gerhard,

in my steamer SCHONDORF I have a self made boiler, which could be similar to your drawings. But this boiler only has 1 tube in the flame tube, because so many tubes like your drawing shows, will stop any streaming of the hot air inside.

Andreas

Hi Andreas

The drawing can be misunderstood, there is just one coil tube down from the collector drum, so the streaming should not be too restricted. The length of the coil can (and must) be tested, which length wil be enough.

Hi Derek
Flanges and other things will be made on my lathe, so I dont need too much to buy, but manometer, safety valve, the feed pump and some others are things I will have to buy. And this will be buoght fron Niggel, thanks again for that great hint, well done
Regards
Gerhard

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi PD`s again
Today was one lazy day, only one new part to the engine is finished. It is part Nr.: 18, the distributor stud. Even this is made on the lathe, from 4mm stainless steel, turned down to 3mm, with an M3 x 3 thread on one side, and a groove for a retaining ring on the other side. Now I will have to wait a few days, until my ordered materials are delivered.
Greetings from Vienna
Gerhard   

[Gerhardvienna]

After a few days, back to work!
The frames are ready drawn and will be lasercut, as I mentioned earlier. And the materials for the engine has come, so I can now start the work on the lathe, what will start at monday. I`ll keep you informed............
More to come soon!
Gerhard

[Gerhardvienna]

Hi PD`s
After some time of studying the ships plan, i decided, to take contact with the VHS at Luzern https://www.verkehrshaus.ch/de/museum/schifffahrt/ds-rigi where mrs. Dr. Claudia Herrmann is the correct person to deal with. She sent today the correct plan from the RIGI, so i can use that for building the hull. It is the best material to get, even the factory who brings the RIGI back to original works at that paln.
Engine parts are on the way, comig back for more................
Stay tuned
Gerhard

[Hankwilliams]

Hi Gerhard and other P.D`s,

here I like to show my "Rigi".

Not often, but sometimes in the last years the "Hjeilen" kit or the finished model I found offered by ebay, but never found anywhere the information, that a "Rigi" kit in 1 : 50 scale also was availiable by Billing Boats in the 1960sixties.

In 1966 - I was 13 years old - I built the "Hjeilen" and one year later I ordered the "Rigi" Kit by the model shop C. Streil in Zürich. Both kits were not too difficult and the boats were fittet with electric drive but no radio control.

Of course in later times my modelwork -  I made as a 13 and 14 year old boy - seems not very satisfying to me.

Also I did complete reconstructions of both boats in 1999 and 2000, only keel and frames were used again and a few fittings. By this time I had build some steam driven boats and so it was a challenge, to make the little models also steam driven.
Especially by the "Rigi" this was rather difficult with stability and weigh problems - the lenght of the model is only 81 cm.
The small, but forceful "Andreas" engines were the suitable propulsion for both models, the boiler of Rigi is very light made of 0,5 mm brass without water gauge. The gas will be empty, before the boilerwater is consumed.

On the pictures you see floats of balsa before the wheels left and right, this was necessary for a sufficient stability by the Rigi boat - not for the "Hjeilen", which I made according to the original state without the great roof.
The floats can be remove in seconds, when the boat is on display. The condition of the boat ist like the last in end of the 1940tis, as one could found she as exhibit in Verkehrshaus Lucerne until 2006.
The presentation of "Rigi" in her element is - exciting. Only on calm days I`ve driven the model in small lakes not too far from the shore. Speed is rather fast, the running time will be 20 - 25 minutes.

It was a great pleasure to make this small models steam driven!