Large Scale Central

Progress on my Roundhouse Billy Kit

Electronics Live Steam
#1

When I got rid of my RH Fowler as it was just to darn large on my railway, I swapped it for a new Billy kit. Then my friend wanted that and swapped my old Mayflower back to me for it. That worked till he found out what it would cost to have the model professionaly painted and lined. So, we swapped back and I started building the Billy today. Original thoughts this time around were to paint like an LGB Stainz in the green/red/black colors. But then I found a pic of a Billy done up as a Africa/Aussie bush engine. Pilot buffers narrowed to same width as the frame rails, cow catchers/monkey/roo pushers added on both ends of the pilots, Roundhouse Darjeeling arc head lamps on top of the smoke box and cab roof and a paint job shown a German/Austrian heritage. So today, frames and motion work were etch primed, painted, baked and assembled. The valve timing was set and a successful air test passed. Need to drill and pin the cranks to lock the timing in still. The cab footplate is painted and drying as I type this. Hope to get the boiler installed tomorrow so I can start running in the chassis whilst I wait for goodies from Roundhouse, they are on holiday till next week. I do plan to light both lamps up with a DPDT toggle in the cab to control which one is lighted She will be a manual control engine for now, you can see the SSP Slomo inerta device between the frame rails Mike the Aspie

#2

Ahh… a build log !

#3

Looks like a lot of work. Looking forward to seeing it steam up(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

#4

Todays progress pics on my Billy kit. We are now ready for a steam test. Plumbing is hooked up on both gas and steam, reversing quadrant hooked up. Boiler and boiler wrapper are painted and installed. I am working on cutting down one of the extra set of buffer plates that come with the engine. I do have the Billy style ones painted and baking right now so he can have something till I figure out how I want to cut the others down to just fitting across the frame rails to expose the cylinders.

#5

Neato! (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)

#6

Made several runs on steam today, with about half of them with the Slomo engaged. no problems and she gets smoother and smoother with each run. Running with the Slomo is just like the way it is when I ran NKP 587 many years ago when she was operational. You open the throttle right up, as she starts to roll, you close it down, then gradualy open more if the ground speed isnt fast enough. The Billy operates the same way when the Slomo is engaged. I can run right down to “tick over” speed, then take a wood paint stir stick and put pressure on one of the drivers and she will not stop, just chuff louder and maintain speed at nearly the same rate as before I put the drag on it. Those who have drove a manual control or even RC side rod engine knows that consistent ground speed is hard to maintain without babysitting the throttle or a dead level raised railway. Now he runs more like a Regner geared engine. When weather permits, a run on my raised line is in order as it has settled on one side(will fix that next spring!). I am now torn on how to paint the rest of the engine(cab). I really do not want an all black engine. Starting to lean back towards painting the cab green with a black roof, and putting Regner Euro style lanterns instead of the Darjeeling ones. Still thinking on it for now.

#7

Here are some more pics of my Billy, now with a cab and really sporting the “LGB” look now. Just needs lanterns and a driver figure. Will try to take a video of him running on blocks later this week. Mike the Aspie


#8

That looks great! It would look mighty fine with a string of LGB cars!

#9

Thanks Eric, the cars are on the shelves above my HO layout. Need to get the black clip on cylinder covers, combination lever/drop link valve gear upgrade, then cut down the front buffer beam and fit the little snow plows that the LGB Stainz comes with. Regner lanterns and etched builder and numbers plates from Narrow Planet will finish him off. Cant wait for this inhuman cold weather to pass so I can run on the track with the Slomo. I need to time the runs, with the gas burner down to a whisper, she runs for what seems like forever.

#10

You are right that the black cylinder covers would look good…i would just use black paint cause i am cheap. The red on the rods looks very German too.

Can you make the plows from brass? Or do you want to actually use the LGB one(s) i would say make em from metal if you can.

#11

metal fab isnt my forte, easier to just use the LGB part as I have access to those. Both couplers are LGB ones, the front plow will attach with the coupler. The rear will need a crossmember to mount it to. But I have a spare one from the kit as the frame spacer/crossmember in the middle is removed for the Slomo install.

#12

Just wanted to update the built log. Billy continues to get smoother and smoother, gear noise from the Slomo gets quieter with use and oiling them with a heavy oil. I will be adding a chuff pipe at some point, this really helps cover up the slight noise at higher speeds. I can also just loosen the single grub screw on the axle chain sprocket and run without the Slomo doing anything. The Regner lanterns and mounting brackets are on thier way from the UK and I will be getting a few extra items from Roundhouse soon as well. I can highly recommend the kits from Roundhouse to those wanting a really nice live steamer and want to save a bit off the cost of a RTR one, as well as not having to wait as long for a batch to be built. You also gain the intimate knowledge how to take your engine apart for when adjustments are needed.

#13

Added some Regner lanterns to my RH Billy. Front one is lighted with a bulb, powered by a 9volt battery mounted in a holder under the cab and a toggle switch mounted in the cab floor. Rear one isnt lighted yet. I plan to get a center off SPDT toggle so I can manualy flip between the front or rear lantern. Wire the front is a piece of stiff Teflon wire bent to look like a conduit. The loco itself is the ground side of the circuit. The Aussie look is out for now, the Austrian look is where I ended up going. O&K builders plates and square numbers(sort of like the ones on the LGB Stainz) are on the order books of Narrow Planet. I went with the nice round O&K builders plates with red and black inlay finish. I want to get the vacuum pipes for the front and rear as well. Working on a center buffer to mount above the LGB loop couplers. The Roundhouse goodies have to wait till I have room on my credit card to place that order.

#14

https://youtu.be/XDqbHP8URDs

#15

That looks great! It sure looks right with the LGB coaches running on your neat little railway. Well done!