I got the rest of the valve gear on the chassis and spent quite a bit of time on "timing" the valve events. It involves setting the crank pin at the right angle, then having the other crank pin 90 degrees different. Then you have to adjust the slide valve via the block and set screws which bind down the block to the valve spindle. After reading over and over the directions and looking at the matching diagrams AND talking with a few people, I feel I have the valves timed for Forward motion pretty good. I put the nuts on the cylinder studs and now have to do an air test. Pushing the chassis along a length of track is great. Seeing all the working levers, arms and gear and feeling that compression from the cylinders is unlike any electric locomotive experience. I can see why those who have gone to live steam never look back at the electric train hobby.
Here are the parts for the dummy brakes
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ReplyDeleteJeremiah, I know it's been 9 years now since you built your Aster Mikado. I am building one of Aster's 2018 light Mikado kits (updated and revised version) and am wondering if you ran into this same valve spindle issue I have. To prevent the valve spindles from coming out of the forward valve chest bushings when the valves are at their extreme rearward position (front end steam admission ports fully open), I had to loosen each valve spindle crosshead several mm and add a 2mm nut to each spindle to lock the valve spindle crossheads in place. When I previously tightened the crossheads to the end of the valve spindle threads, the crossheads would make contact with the valve crosshead guides when the valves were in the extreme forward position (rear steam admission ports fully open). Such positioning was necessary to prevent the valve spindle from exiting the front valve chest bushing on its rearward stroke. It's almost like Aster did not manufacture the valve spindles long enough to prevent their exit from the forward valve chest bushing when the crossheads are fully threaded and tightened onto the valve spindle. Did you have this issue with your build? Thanks! JJ
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