Grafton, Illinois
AS A READER OF OUR wonderful magazine I noticed Mr. Gay’s
article on page 18 of the March-April 1958 issue regarding Models
steaming slow. I am an old timer. I started operating a 12 hp.
Jumbo (Belleville) portable 60 years ago this past September,
operating a cider mill owned by my father.
I am also quite a Model fan. I had a 4 hp. double cylinder
upright I assembled in 1950. This I had at Pontiac and Mt. Pleasant
Reunions. I now have a 3 hp. Model in the shed patterned after an
engine made in Canada, Waterous, Champion, as shown on page 7, Fall
1950 ALBUM. Models, it is true, all seem to steam slowly. As Mr.
Gay says, ‘when one follows true to scale the very small ones
more so’. A true scale is very neat and attractive. IF we could
vary just a wee bit and set the front flue sheet back according to
size but leave the shell scale length and use the extension smoke
box and fudge on the diameter of the boiler to an increase. Using
as large a tube as possible. Since the tubes are seldom seen (as to
scale). The boiler will then be noticeably a better steamer. It is
a short large tube idea. You will notice that all return flue
boilers have large tubes. Models always have insufficient draft by
their small smoke stacks.
At least its worth a try. I hope this does some model builder
some good.
