Some new motive power for the S&CGR

Today the S&CGR took delivery of these two items...

A Regner Vincent - my first Regner loco:



And a long-since discontinued Roundhouse/GRS 'Elsa' (equivalent to a Roundhouse 'Jack' but with a tender):



So this afternoon we have been conducting trials. One or two mishaps involving the Elsa and some sharp curves and a tad too much speed...

Also, having successfully ran the Vincent once, I am now unable to light the gas even though I am convinced the gas tank has plenty on board. I have sought some advice from the gentleman who sold it to me, I am awaiting his response.

Things are looking up on the S&CGR.....You have more live steam than me now!

The Elsa looks a treat and I expect to see some more pics.

The Regner shouldn't be a problem, maybe just a blocked jet.

More pics will be forthcoming once I have weeded out the rubbish ones and cropped out the remainder...

For now though, what do I need to do to clear a blocked jet? If you could explain using the pic below... In this pic, I can tell you that I know (1) is where I put the gas - seems to be charged judging by the ice on my thumb when I press the little nozzle thing down

(2) is where I turn the gas feed on, only no hissing to be heard at all...

Gas Tank full (press filler nozzle and liquid sprays out) + no hissing when gas tap turned on = blocked jet. This can be confirmed by opening the union between the tap and burner and hissing should be heard.

Remove burner jet and its mounting held in by allen screw - after first disconnecting gas pipe. No need to remove entire burner assembly!

Unscrew burner jet from mounting. Look to see if hole is completely clear.
Probably not!
My advice for clearing blocked jets. DO NOT use anything to poke at this stage.
Soak in a small bath of cellulose thinners or acetone for several minutes, pour a glass of wine and savour the fine German engineering with no slot head screws.

Blow through the opposite way with a high pressure air line...not easy to do without the jet disappearing into the workshop mess or... use the gas bottle and give a quick squirt of high pressure gas.
You can even blow through it yourself but be careful as I nearly swallowed one once.

Repeat above proceedures until jet visibly clear or you get fed up.

As a last resort....and with prudence I sometimes use the very very finest filament teased from multi strand electrical cable and gently turn it and wiggle it into the hole.

Hope this helps.

nice couple of Locos Clive, hope they were bargains!

Mikey

Elsa looks nice, hope you get the Regner sorted soon - nice job clive

Sorry, showing my ignorance here but is the 'union' the little pipe fitting to the right of the wheel at (2) ? So if I undo that and there is hissing, then obviously the blockage is beyond that point hand therefore must be in the bit the goes into the boiler. So i need to undo that union and take the burner bit out?

Also I don't have any acetone, and I am fairly convinced that I don't have any cellulose thinners - would white spirit do?

Undo the uinion and the allen screw holding the burner jet mount. Withdraw mount and jet from the the burner. It maybe quite tight in the burner even with the allen screw loosened.
The burner itself normally remains in the boiler and is essentially just a tube with slots/holes in and to which the jet mount fits.

The jet nipple is screwed into the jet mount, obvious on withdrawl.

White spirit isn't much good...too oily, petrol would be better but not as good as acetone, nail poilish remover.

BTW I'm not surprised that the burner is blocked looking closely at the crud on the footplate.

There is a large air hole at the side of the burner and when the gas is turned off or more often when it runs out air can be drawn back through the jet briefly. The particles of crud can be carbonised steam oil which sticks itself to anything.

How is this (Vincent) going Clive?

Have you fixed it yet or does it need to come to Normandy to be fiddled with?

No opportunity to get the thing apart this week - I'm hoping to do so over the weekend at some point.