Sydney Live Steam Locomotive Society
1954
Miniature Railroading in Australia
by A.E. Herbert
Birmingham St., Alexandria, N.S.W., Australia
The Miniature Locomotive, July-August 1954
I have now received my second copy of our new magazine. Will you please accept my congratulations on a very fine publication; I wish it every success.
I wish I could get the earlier issues, as I would like to construct an electric generator for my engine. I have shown my editions to my Mates at the Sydney Live Steam Locomotive Society and they all think it's "the goods" and I would not be surprised if you had a few more subscriptions from here.
I have enclosed some photos of my Mikado American Loco and of the club track. The dimensions of the engine are as follows:
- 5 inch gauge
- 2-8-2, Cylinders 1-3/4 inch bore
- 2-1/2 inch stroke
- boiler 18 inch steel plate, welded with 6 inch combustion chamber
- 1/2 inch tubes
- Two 1 inch Superheater tubes (as per the old master himself, [LBSC|L.B.S.C.])
- Firebox 9-1/2 inch by 7-1/2 inch O.D.
- Driving wheels 4-1/2 inch diameter (as these were the only size I could get at the time.)
- Bogies 2-1/2 inch diameter
As our coal is rather dirty and leaves plenty of ash I have had to dispense with the ash pan for this reason. it was necessary for me to fit a baffle plate under the grate to stop cold air going straight through the tubes. This plate is 1-1/2 inch wide, and is welded to the foundation ring. The grate rests on this at the back end and a pull out pin on the cab end. The grate can now be dropped very quickly if need be. However, after a long day's run I keep the engine going till only 20 pounds show on the gauge. I then blow her down and leave the rest of the fire in to dry her out.
I have constructed a track out of 7/8 inch by 7/16 inch black mild steel in 12 foot lengths, welded to sleepers made form the same steel, spaced 18 inches apart. These in turn are screwed to hardwood 2 inch by 1 inch by 12 inch resting on the ground. As no ballast was used, I have had trouble with the track sagging on the clay soil. Next time I would use 1 inch by 1/2 inch steel as I would then have a stronger track, able to carry the heavy loads. The track has been donated to the afore mentioned society. It is in the form of an oval 70 feet diameter with 75 foot straights.
On one side it rises 2 feet in the straight run, and I have toted 18 children and adults on the 3 tracks, and have had no trouble with this load, even when starting from the bottom of the grade.
I am now building two new engines for the 5 inch gauge track, one similar to Walt Disney's and a Southern Pacific type which will be slightly larger than the Mikado.
Would any of your readers who are operators of Live Steam Railroads care to correspond with me? We could exchange photos and club news, as I am a lone hand on American railroad practice in Sydney.
The most popular gauges here are 2-1/2 inch and 3-1/2 inch of which our club have 450 feet of elevated track as shown in the photo, and we are building about 950 feet in addition (wish it was for 5 inch gauge).
Well, I guess I will have to go and stoke her up now.
Thanking you for the trouble you have gone to in publishing the best ever for Live Steamers.