Hi, friends and neighbors,

here are some impressions of a trip with my "Fulton`s Folly" on August 6 th.
The little journey takes on river Naab, a tributary of the upper Danube in Bavaria, not far from the mouth into the Danube.
On the bright sunny day it was pure joy to navigate with steam and paddlewheels on the very calm water. The trip was successful, althought two things had to improved: The rudder was too small and the friction between slide valve and the cylinder mirror level seems too strong. In the meantime I altered the rudder.
At a precision workshop I ordered two slide valves made of PTFS (teflon). I expect much less friction with this teflon slide valves.
The speed of the boat was like walking speed, perhaps a little more when the pressure was high until 8 bar/more than 100 pounds. Steam production of the boiler was sufficient, the feed pump wasn`t not quite, but I also used the injektor.
The quality of the pictures isn`t very good, but I hope, you will enjoy.
Thomas

Well done Thomas.....paddle wheel of small size, but full scale......the water looks very tranquil......

From the images, the rudder appears to be totally removable??....

Is the boiler gas fired? or wood/coal?...

Derek

Hi Derek,

the rudder is full removable in seconds like the door of a cupboard, for no damaging when the boat comes into the water.
Boiler is propane gas fired. I hope, that soon I get the teflon slide valves for the engine - I would like to make some further trips in the bright late summer days.

Thomas

Looks great....lovely for a summer day on the water.

Polite suggestion....maybe get two life jackets as part of the upgrades?!

Maybe you don't have the stringent Health and Safety laws like us in the UK. Here a jobsworth from the council would have been along in minutes...lol

Seriously though a truly great piece of work.

Cheers.....Bernie

Looks wonderful 

Thanks all!
Here some details: The new rudder, the engine with slide valves removed and the steam pipe...

 

Here the new PTFS Teflon slide valves compared with the old brass ones.
I expect less pressure friction and therefore more power of the engine. I will tell you the result. If I`m right - may be, that it is worth while to alter other slide valve (not piston valve) engines in this way, including models.

Thomas

Hi friends and neighbors,

the running test with the teflon slide valves were full success, as the pictures shows - it was a powerful turning of the paddlewheels. I estimate the increase of power at least by 30 %.
Indeed the area of the my slide valves (ca. 7 square cm) and therefore the pressure against the cylinder mirror is relativ large, it could be considered, whether it`s advantageous to alter also slide valves of model engines with teflon.
Pressure was about 90 - 100 psi or 6 - 7 bar.

Thomas

Thomas.....

I am sure Winfried Niggle would be happy seeing his miniature steam oil displacement lubricators being used on such a large scale engine....

Derek

Very interesting! I hope you'll do a video as well.

Have you by any chance exhibited your boat's steam plant in Karlsruhe some years ago? I remember seeing it there, or something like it.

Yes, I exhibited the boat two times in Karlsruhe, 2015 and 2016.
Next exhibition will be in Friedrichshafen in October 2017.

Thomas

Yesterday at steam and old time vehicle exhibition in Münsingen. "Fulton`s Folly" in action on the trailer. Last picture shows my new aquisited Horex Resident 350, builder date 1955.

Thomas

 

Thanks, Damian!