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[nhp651]

Finally finished plumbing in the steam plant to my tug today, after some weeks of putting it off. A very alien thing for me as I am more of a switch and go modeller. :angel:
Just have to pluck up the courage to light the blue touch paper and hide behind the club house now.
Have enjoyed the build though.
Oh yeh, and before any one tells me it won't go far without connecting the engines up, I haven't got a 6 chasnnel radio yet to operate the plant, plus lights and fans for cooling yet, so can't centralise the servos to make the connection rods fit.
All in good time, Rome wasn't built in a day.

[Colin Bishop]

That looks like a really smart set up, lovely model too.

Colin

[nhp651]

Cheers, Colin.bit frightened of it, to tell you the truth. :'(

[Colin Bishop]

I'd be proud of it myself!

[Proteus]

Looks good and neat , any chance of some detail of the plant Please..


Proteus

[Bunkerbarge]

Now that is a very nice looking Tug with a superb plant in it.

You don't often get people brave enough to fit two engines but she will look fantastic on the water and should be just as manoeuvrable and powerfull as any electric plant.  Go easy on the fast runs though as the four cylinders will take quite a lot of steam but using a complete camping gas bottle should give you plenty of burner duration.

Does it have on board water filling?

I agree the motre photo's the better of this superb model and especially when she gets on the water.

[nhp651]

I don't know about brave, Bunkerbarge.....more like barking mad, really.
I don't know about twin electrics never mind twin steam engines.............just thought it would be a good wheeezze, and will try anything once!
Proteus, the plant consists of two Cheddar Puffin engines fed from the large Cheddar Proteus boiler.
The port engine feeds the boiler by a mechanical water pump feeding from a 1/2litre auxiliary tank.two condensers/oil steam seperators also are in both port and starboard wings abeam the boiler and the plant has a self ignighting gas fed burner.
Hope that is clearer to you than me.cheers,neil.

[sheerline]

Just one word about your tug Niel..........COR!!

[Bunkerbarge]

Look at it this way, you won't even have to put it in the water to be centre of attention!!

When you do though you don't mention water level control so I take it the feed pump will be manually changed from either feeding to the boiler or returning to the tank via a two way valve?

If this is the case be very carefull as the danger of feeding too much to the boiler could result in a hydrostatic lock, i.e. the boiler gets full of water, and there is a very real danger of something not very nice happening.  I know some people try to crack open the valve and bleed a bit to the boiler and most back to the feed tank but if you don't use the water in the boiler fast enough you will have a problem.

I would take great care to only fill the boiler at the pond side and ensure the two way valve does not leak to the boiler.

There is always the automatic level controller method such as the Stuart Automatic Boiler Level control system (Ex Cheddar unit) and one on it's way from Monahan Steam Models in the United States.  They only really add a servo to control the two way valve based on a signal from a level sensor so not a great deal more to add than you already have.

[Proteus]

, and will try anything once!
Proteus, the plant consists of two Cheddar Puffin engines fed from the large Cheddar Proteus boiler.

 the plant has a self igniting gas fed burner.

Hi I know its your plant but you may find it is a Puffin/Pelican maxi boiler that was designed for this set up as it was non ceramic burner and it was return flue and the  Proteus was not .the dia of the Proteus was much larger and you cannot use the pizo unit with it.
I may be wrong but i can send you the catalog if you want, eathere way its a very nice set up and I had a play with one some years ago the same tug.
this may help you . have you thought of using a mixer, that way you can controle two engines and rudder off two channels it works very well on that setup

Proteus

[nhp651]

think you're right on the boiler, Proteus..... I thought that that and the proteus boiler were one and the same, but it is the Maxi boiler.
Bunkerbarge. yes it does have a return valve on the pump, so will watch that one. :angel:
However my level of stamina in operating a steam plant is far less than that of electric powered boats so i may not sail it more than once or twice, before it gets shelved.
I much more enjoy building these days than sailing,and it just might become an expensive white elephant?
Thanks for your advice and comments.
I am a complete novice where steam is concerned,even more so than computors so am very wary of singed eyebrows and hot liquids and WILL be very carefull.
Any one fancy a newly built steamer???

[Proteus]

I think once you sail it you will never want to sell it. steam gets to you you , its a bit more than just a different type of propulsion it comes alive when the gas goes on The same Boiler single engine off the same type and name you have used for the boat , sailed for 24 hours non stop (well pit stops) it's such a well tried set up ,I think you will ever want to stop sailing it .you may find it's as satisfying as building it , as it's not just switch on and go, it's more like the original


Proteus

[SteamboatPhil]

Hi Proteus,
I agree wit my fellow Mayhemers, a really nice looking boat and steam plant. Question, as you a running a mechanical pump from the port engine, do you have a bypass vavle fitted (ie a small valve to let some of the water back into the water tank, the rest into the boiler) I ask this, as you will find the pump puts quite a load onto the engine, and a bypass  does take a fair amount of load off, otherwise  you might get one engine running slower than the other.
Keep up the good work

[kno3]

Nhp651, that's a very nice tug and steam plant. What kind of propellers did you use?

[Proteus]

Steamboatphil   Its not my boat but I think you will find that the valve marked is the bypass

[SteamboatPhil]

Sorry Proteus I boobed (am I allowed to say thay) appolgese to nhp651 ( it is a nice turnout) Yes I can see the bypass now you have pointed it out (and put my glasses on)
Can't wait to see pics of it running

[nhp651]

thanks for your kind comments gents, really appreciated.
kno3, hopefully you can see the props on this picture.neil.

[kno3]

Yes, thanks.

[nhp651]

don't know how, but seem to have got this picture on two seperate threads.........errr sorry!
told you I am better at building models than I am operating a computor!! :'(

[Neil]

Hi nhp651,
I am attempting to construct the same model, mine is the Imara. I think I'm correct in thinking they are one and the same unit.

My concern is/are the paint colours. For sure the colours will not be known on Australia. I wonder if there is a site that can "translate" the humbrol, Revell, etc colours to something I can buy in OZ.

Don't misunderstand me, please, I can buy Humbrol and Revell here, but, I only have access to $900,000 (Joke). I can buy 250ml of paint here for the same price as a 15ml tinlet of, for example, Humbrol. That will go nowhere, I would think, on my Imara.

Also, I plan to have a single, (largish) boiler, and twin twin cylinder engines to power the beast, rather like you did nhp651, with all the accoutrements.

My choice would be Monahan or Hemmens. There aren't too many left now, are there. Not any companies that can make the engines, boilers, and all the other bits and pieces.

Nick's product would be my choice, but, he's a bit expensive, and, since I've spent a lot of my money on the kit, I think I'll have to get together a conglomerate. Meaning, a boiler from here, engines from there, etc. I now learn Nick, is out of stock on what I want. Bummer.
As to the rest of the bits that will stop me burning my boat to the waterline, well......

Onward, and forward, tally ho, pip pip.

Neil.