The Backyard Railroader

Description
Steam locomotives dominated the railways from the 1820s through the 1960s. Today almost all of them have been replaced with electric and diesel engines, yet the fascination surrounding steam-powered trains has not dwindled. A diverse community of enthusiasts—from mechanics to teachers to lawyers—have taken up the hobby of building and running steam locomotives in their own backyards. Drawing on the author’s extensive experience and research, this guide covers the materials, tools, skills and technical information needed to get started or to improve an existing design.


 * Paperback: 306 pages
 * Publisher: McFarland (December 21, 2018)
 * Language: English
 * ISBN-10: 1476672814
 * ISBN-13: 978-1476672816
 * Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 0.7 x 9.9 inches

Table of Contents
Preface 1 Abbreviations 4 Safety Is Rule No. 1 5 Basic Machine Shop Safety 5 Basic Welding/Torching Safety 5 Basic Safety with the Track and Riding 6 Basic Safety with Running Trains 6 Safety Summary 7 Getting Started 8 To Buy or to Build? 8 Buying a Steam Engine 11 Casting Kit versus Building from Scratch 13 Track Basics 24 Book Knowledge versus Experience 29 Suppliers 31 Operating a Steam Engine 35 Basic Checklist for Operating My Steam Engines 35 Water Level in the Boiler 38 Basics of Coal Burners 38 Basics of Oil Burners 40 Sanding the Flues 42 Basics of Propane Burners 43 Firing by Landmarks 43 Speed 44 Water Behavior in the Boiler 45 Carry Over versus Foaming 47 Hooking Up an Engine 49 Hooking Up, Compression and Knocking in the Rods 52 Boilers 54 Water Glass Safety 55 Water Treatment 63 Fusible Plugs 64 Boiler Anodes 65 Boiler Washes 65 Water Circulation in the Boiler 70 Stored Energy in the Boiler 71 Lessons from Gettysburg 73 Signs and Dangers of Low Water 74 Valve Gear 75 Dead Centers 75 Lap and Lead 78 Setting Stephenson Valve Gear 79 Setting Walschaert Valve Gear 83 Inside versus Outside Admission versus Indirect Motion 93 Steam Blowing through the Piston and Valves 95 Uneven Exhausts (Out of Square) 96 Adjusting the Valve Gear on the 4-6-0 98 Building Walschaert Valve Gear for the 4-6-0 101 Lead and Lap/Combination Lever 108 Rebuilding the Valve Gear 110 Systems, Improvements and Why Things Are Done in Certain Ways 112 Potential Reasons for a Poor Steaming Engine 112 Helping an Engine Become a Better Steamer 113 Firebox Arch 114 Large Scale Atomizers 119 Drafting 123 Personal Experience with Axle Pumps and Injectors 128 Tires 132 Automatic Cylinder Cocks 136 Replacing a Crank Pin … and Then Some 139 Piston Problems and Lessons in Threading 147 When There Is No Water in the Glass … Some Food for Thought 151 Revisiting Retubing the Mikado 152 Making an 0-4-0 into a 2-4-0 158 Equalizing 164 Lubrication for the Cylinders 167 Throw, Quarter, Side Rods and Such 170 Wheels and Trucks 172 Basic Lights 174 Dynamo 177 Grates and Ashpan 180 Learning Oil Firing on a 15″ Gauge 4-4-2 185 Propane 192 Long Track, or a Short Loop 195 The Bigger the Better, Right? 195 Equalized Brakes 196 Sanders on the 2-4-0 207 My Experiences in the Hobby 212 The Shay 212 The 0-4-0/2-4-0 214 The Mikado 216 The ­Ten-Wheeler 219 General Improvements 221 Leaving Home 222 Our Engines 223 Rebuilding the Spirit of Traverse City 233 Getting Back into the Hobby 247 Introducing People to the Hobby 264 Appendix A. Major Parts of a Steam Locomotive 273 Appendix B. Common Questions 275 Appendix C. Common Myths 286 Appendix D. Inspections 290 Appendix E. Tractive Effort and What an Engine Can Pull 294 Index 297