Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[Mege66]

I have the pleasure of introducing the recently completed Marthen, Howes & Baylis Fast Commuter Steam Launch “Llareggub” (aka Projext X).The model has been built over the last two years and I can say that the build was quite straightforward and did not present me with any significant difficulties. I took the liberty of modifying the engine room a little to show off Martin Baylis' mechanical marvel a little better than the instructions allow.

This link leads to the YouTube video of the mayden voyage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjF4vpKbhM8
A video of the slightly modified Martin Baylis steam plant can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaF1kgF7CAs

Both the boat kit and the steam plant are of a very good / excellent quality and met my (rather high) expectations. It was a pleasure to build the model and especially to drive it for the first time recently.

If you are interested in, then a detailed building report can be found on the french forum Cercle des amis du modélisme naval à vapeur which can be accessed by this link: https://modelismenavalvapeur.forumactif.com/ Some of you will probably already know the forum, as there are a few Englishmen on it.

I hope you enjoy the videos, too.

[rhavrane]

Bonjour,


Beautiful singing steam launch indeed    Personnaly, I would add a gas regulator and a RC gas valve to this already complete great plant for safety reasons.


Please note that the steam machine is not a real triple expansion but the look is amazing.


Martin Baylis, a friend, came with his first project X to Atlantica on 2019 : https://youtu.be/VPLj-5f_mKs


The boiler was singing, sithout whistle 

[Mege66]

Hi Raphael,

the steam plant is already equipped with a gas regulator. It is a modified Baylis unit (I changed from solid piston to a MVQ silcone membrane which seems now to be the standard solution when ordering from Martin). The regulator now works excellently and very crisp.

The RC gas shutoff valve integration is still pending. I am not sure if it is required at all since the gas regulator works very well and the gas tank would run empty by the time, without that the safety valve ever opens. So the water level in the boiler would not lowed inmeantime. As I said, the gas regulator works really well...

Opposite to the boiler in your video of Martin's run, mine has strangely absolute no tendency to "sing". I must admit that I have no idea why this is, but I am of course more than very happy with this. last but not least,  yes, I am aware that it is not an expansion engine, but just pretends to be one. I am not sure if a real coumpound is really desireable. Safe restarting and reversing is the most important feature for model steam boat applications. I would absolutely not fancy a swim at the current water temperatures.

Keep posting your great videos!

[rhavrane]

Bonjour Mege,

Sorry, I had not seen the gas regulator and I agree with you, with it operating correctly, a RC gas valve is not necessarily necessary 

Singing boilers occur to mine equipped with a ceramic burner at a dedicated gas pressure, example, Odette boiler sings between 400 - 500 g of gas pressure;

https://youtu.be/F-uMhIyIIEU

[Mege66]

Here‘s another video of a run with some 400g ballast added to reduce the model‘s rolling:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RImKFk79boQ

[derekwarner]

She sure looks fine on the water Mege  ...her steerage appears very sharp [small turning radius] even at relatively low speeds  .......


I agree with your comment and question the value of a RC gas shut-off valve, as adding a complexity of a potential source of failure/gas leakage, and that may well never be in a position to see the need to actuate it


Derek

[Mege66]

Well, I do not question the value of a gas shutoff valve in general as there may be situations where such a valve is most welcome and useful:

Just recently friends of mine from the local model steam boat group managed to empty their boilers in the middle of the pond (being distracted by women they claimed). In this situation - caused by using too large gas tanks - a shutoff valve would have been useful. No harm done to the boilers except that they have to replace all cooked seals and the cladding. And wet trousers, too (and most probably nasty grins from the rest of the gang).

I for my part use a programmable downward counting timer that tells me when it is time to steer ashore.
The right timer setting is first determined in the bath tube and then adjusted during the first few runs.

Happy Steaming!

[1967Brutus]

Running a boiler dry, can happen when having a too large gastank, but it can ALSO happen when for example the feedwater pump fails.

That is why personally I opted for a servo-controlled one, which can be manually overrided.