# Steam Up -- Handbuilt Fun



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I spent the afternoon at the New England Wireless & Steam Museum's annual "steam up" open house ... a fun collection of steam gizmos both huge and tiny.

Here's a pair of fully-functioning (live steam) brass/stainless/copper locos hand-crafted by an incredibly talented machinist. The detail is nearly incomprehensible ... each tiny bolt hand-turned.

The first is a model of an 1840's English loco, and the latter an English narrow-gauger with wheels inside the loco frame, but where they could be re-positioned outside the frame for wider track, too.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Some nice looking hardware there, that must have been a fun afternoon.


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## njrailer93 (Nov 28, 2011)

wow truly amazing. i have a couple of mamod stationarys. makes me want to fire up just to hear em roar!


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

njoffroader said:


> wow truly amazing. i have a couple of mamod stationarys. makes me want to fire up just to hear em roar!


Mamod is cool! Post some pictures of your engines.

Here is my 60's SE-3. I like the alcohol burner models best, low smoke and smell. Just have to be cautious the alcohol flame is practically invisible.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Thanks for the pix...there's one near my house today at a local town museum that I sometimes take my engines to...,,

I built a genny for this Mamod alcohol burner to power electrical toys...like rkenney, i love the earthy scent of denatured alcohol burning. Our fellow steamers in Europe envy the fact that we can buy it by the gallon and unaltered with a safety additive that soots up.










...and my Wilesco D10, a solid fuel burner.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Great stuff, guys. Thanks for sharing!

TJ


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Did they run them all on air? That's actually harder on the engine than running it under steam. Air running requires regular diligent oiling because air has no natural lube abilities. Most steamies frown on that though it gets around insurance rates.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

The full-size engines along with the larger models were run on live steam. The smaller models (like the ones here) were run on air, with drops of oil to lube.

Cheers,

TJ


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## njrailer93 (Nov 28, 2011)

sorry i'm a little late to the party but i finally got a chance to grab one of them and snap a pic.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Sweet....


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## njrailer93 (Nov 28, 2011)

she still runs. definitely needs some paint and a little tlc


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

njoffroader said:


> she still runs. definitely needs some paint and a little tlc


"Tis called "patina", and she's earned every flake of it... :smilie_daumenpos: Is that one with a cast 'Mamod' counterweight?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Nice looking little power house, NJ!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

tjcruiser said:


> Nice looking little power house, NJ!


tj, which one you making?
How about a custom built old type steamer freighter vessel that actually steams around in the pool? :thumbsup:

I love the smell of alcohol *before *it is denatured, ethanol is the best. 
I don't believe I ever have had the chance to smell denatured alcohol while it is burning.
And when 7000 gals is sitting behind me I don't think I want to.:laugh:
Shaygetz.....what is the alcohol denatured with? Should say on the can, Isopropanol? 
If you could get it cheap, would they run on straight ethanol 190 or 200 proof do you know?

What is the name on your piece, NJ? 
Who made it?
Is it missing something?


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

NJ has a Mamod MM2 Ed. Don't you read the whole thread?

Anyway, here is one hooked up to move:








from this page:

http://www.toysteambible.org/Mamod/MM2.htm

ME-1 is the Mamod powerplant for a boat, Check out the link above.

Common wood alcohol Ed, The can doesn't have an MSD sheet.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

NO, I just look at the pictures! 
I missed his first response, and just saw the "sorry I am late to the party".
Thank you for showing me the picture.

So......he is missing something then?
Do you read the posts? :cheeky4:

Wood alcohol? 
Then that is just Methanol?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanol
If so here is the MSD,
http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927227

I would think denatured alcohol that is denatured with Isopropanol would be better to burn.
IPA is safer then Methanol, and they do label Methanol as poisonous. I presume that the fumes it expels would be poisonous too?
It should have a slight blue flame while burning. But like you said it is barely noticeable.
Though you will feel the heat. 

I still love the smell of pure straight ethanol, though I never smelled it while it is burning.:smilie_daumenpos:


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

They must be older cans?

It is just Ethyl Alcohol and denatured with Methyl Alcohol. (methanol)
Can not be made to be non poisonous. It is not straight Methanol.

That is from their MSD on it.
http://www.kleanstrip.com/uploads/documents/QKGA75003_KSG_Denatured_Alcohol_MSDS.pdf

That is from here,
http://www.kleanstrip.com/product/green-denatured-alcohol

We denature our ethanol with either Methanol or Isopropanol, the 190 proof gets one and the 200 proof get the other, then it goes into the storage tank. It has been more then a few years since I have blended a batch out under the rack. I can't remember which gets which.
And I keep forgetting to ask the yard guys which is which.

I guess the flash point is a better burn with the Methanol than the IPA?

I used to have one of those to play with when I was a kid. As with most of my toys they got passed down to my sisters and brothers.
It looked like what Shaygetz posted the Wilesco D10. But I don't know what the name of mine was.
I always wanted to get another to "play" with. 
It would fit in on the O layout, huh?
A good excuse to another buy one. :thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

big ed said:


> tj, which one you making?
> How about a custom built old type steamer freighter vessel that actually steams around in the pool? :thumbsup:


I wish, Ed ... sounds like a fun plan! 

TJ


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

This is the Mamod unit to build your dream ship, the ME1:









BUY three and you can build the Titanic!


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## 400E Blue Comet (Jul 11, 2014)

Wow but-j-wh-dsfsdffds.... Impossible! Man, I really need a Livesteamer.


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## BWA (Jun 16, 2012)

A few Steam Engines hiding in this pic of my last workshop. Both Stationary, and, Locomotive bits.


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## njrailer93 (Nov 28, 2011)

check out ministeam.com lots of cool kits.


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