LEEDSLINES THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LEEDS SOCIETY OF MODEL & EXPERIMENTAL ENGINEERS

Volume 16 Issue 3 July 2014 Leeds SMEE web site may be found at: http://leeds.smee.googlepages.com

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS NEWSLETTER ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE VIEWS OF THE COMMITTEE

Editorial

This is the first issue produced by me as new LeedsLines editor. Despite Chairman Jack’s reassurances to members that I was completely ‘au fait’ with Microsoft Publisher it would have been nearer the mark to say I was aware it existed. Fortunately skills learned from other Office products seem to translate well to the new environment and by adopting an ‘if it isn’t broken don’t fix it’ approach I hope to continue the sterling work of past editors without any mishaps. Time will tell! I have already found members willing to provide interesting articles to include in the newsletter . If you have a story, report on some event you have attended or a technical article you would like including please email it to me Geoff Botterill or send them by more traditional methods via the Club Secretary.

I would like to thank Colin for all his assistance during this transitional period. Without his help things could have been so much more complicated.

On the 14th May the Society was given a most interesting talk titled ‘ over the Humber’ by Ken Deacon a member of the Trust. Ken explained that there were rigid, semi-rigid and non-rigid (‘blimp’) airships. Henri Giffard had made the first in 1852 and the German von believed in airships and by 1910 there were two German airships in regular passenger service. The largest airships were Inside this issue the German Hindenburg class built in the 1930s which were up to 804ft. long and could lift 235 tons. With the start of the First World War the Admiralty Editorial 1 decided to build a string of airship stations to protect shipping copying designs from crashed German airships. The largest of these airship From the chair 2 stations was based at nearby . The site occupied 1000 acres and employed hundreds of people. At one time or another there were sixteen Dates for your diary 2 different airships at Howden. There were two small ‘blimp’ sheds and a large shed 750ft. long for rigid airships. Rigid (R34) made the first trans-Atlantic crossing and another R33 was built at Barlow being copied from the German airship L33. The Leeds Trophy 3 Americans were impressed by these airships and came to train at Howden and fly R38 to America. Another airship , the first to be built by Barnes Wallis, exploded and Heinrici Engines 4 crashed over Hull in August 1921. This crash closed Howden down and the site was sold to a metal dealer who disposed of most of the equipment on the site in a four day auction. By 1920 planes still only had a range of 500 miles and carried 16 people and Boiler Water Gauge 5 advantage was again seen in developing airships. In 1923 two airships were built, built privately by Commander Burney and Vickers Ltd. and the by the Air Ministry at Cardington. Burney bought the Howden site and in 1926 Barnes Wallis Working Party Update 6 moved there to supervise the building of R100. The R100 had six petrol engines and could carry 100 people. Thousands turned out to see it as it took off and flew around August Rally 7 Howden and York on 16th December 1929. It flew to Cardington and then to Canada in 78 hours and back in 58 hours, considerably faster than a ship. R101 meanwhile took off on a flight to India with VIP passengers but ran into bad weather over France on 5th Harrogate Exhibition 8 October 1930. It crashed in flames killing 46 of the 54 people on board. This incident brought airship building to an end and resulted in the R100 being scrapped. Very little evidence now remains of the Howden airship station. PAGE 2 LEEDSLINES

From the Chair—Jack Salter Chairman LSMEE

The Changing of the Guard

With this issue of Leedslines we are pleased to welcome Geoff Botterill as our new Editor.

Whilst professing himself to be no model engineer, Geoff has been a regular at our society meetings for many years and also an example to us all in being the first to volunteer for Track Marshall duties! Geoff has recently retired from the Fire Service and now feels he has time to undertake this new role.

I hope that many Society members will support Geoff in this new role by providing copy for Leedslines, Geoff has already demonstrated to me that he is willing and able to correct less than perfect drafting! I look forward to this, his first edition, with eager anticipation.

I must also take this opportunity to thank our retiring Editor Colin Abrey for his many years devoted service to the society. As well as being Leedslines editor for around a decade (during which time he never failed to gently cajole me to get my copy in on time), Colin also served as an efficient club secretary, and has also produced the definitive wiring diagrams for our signals and led on all electrical issues throughout our buildings. Having been freed from newsletter duties I eagerly look forward to seeing Colin's completed steam loco at a running day soon.

I am sure that all society members will join me in thanking Colin and wishing him all the best with his extra workshop time.

It is enthusiastic volunteers like Geoff and Colin that make our Society the success it is!

Leeds S.M.E.E Dates for Your Diary—Summer 2014

Working Party Steaming Days/Meetings

13th July – Running Day

14th July

16th July – Mid-Summer Steam Up

27th July – Running Day

28th July

4th August

9/10th August – August Rally

18th August

20th August – Running Day

31st August – Running Day

1st September

3rd September – Three Short Talks

14th September – Running Day

15th September

17th September – Thorpe in Balne Talk

Working Party dates are Mondays, nominally twice a month, but avoiding Bank Holiday Mondays. PAGE 3 LEEDSLINES

Leeds Trophy 2014 – Arthur Bellamy

Due to an oversight by the committee the Leeds Trophy was not awarded at the April steaming day. To correct this anomaly, the committee in hindsight decided to award the trophy to Alan and Ian Macdonald. This trophy is given to the owners of the model which shows the best performance on the day. I, as President, presented the brothers with the shield at the May meeting.

The engine is a 5 inch gauge A1 LNER pacific started by Alan and Ian`s father but completed by Clarksons of York to the order of Alan and Ian after their fathers death. The sons have taken possession and run the engine with success. Well done!

Dear Sir,

On hearing that the ‘Leeds Trophy’ for 2014 had been awarded to our locomotive I must admit that we were surprised as well as pleased.

Geoff Shackleton describes what the judges were looking for as ‘having a good, effortless run without incident or panic, with good style’: so, given the other engines running at Eggborough on April 13, an award for Gay Crusader’s first outing of the year is certainly gratifying but we hope it also reflects the preceding nine seasons. A Gresley Pacific has something of a head start in the fields of ‘effortless’(ness) and ‘good style’ - or so we like to think!

Alan and I have the fun of steaming and driving the loco but credit should also go to our father, Ken, for starting to build it and our mother, Jean, for passing on the incomplete loco when she inherited it. (Fully mindful of the metaphor she handed us the jigsaw she had made from a picture of an A3, saying ‘When you’ve assembled it you can have the real thing.’)

Without their actions and the help of friends to move the project forward between 1980 and 2005 there would be no Gay Crusader to win any trophy!

We’re touched and grateful for the award.

Ian and Alan Macdonald, pp 4477 Gay Crusader!

Heinrici Engines – Glynne Hughes

The piece in LeedsLines April 14, 2014 on Stuart Turner engines reminded me about a vertical concentric Stirling engine that I was given some years ago. (I can’t be the only member to whom ‘unwanted’ mechanical things gravitate!)

‘My’ example is said to have been salvaged when the Clarendon laboratory in Oxford was being re-developed. It is not a replica or reproduction; all of the components are believed to be original. One speculative account has it that the engine sat over a Bunsen burner and was used to transfer and distribute distilled water.

For a while I loaned the engine to the Design and Technology department at Abingdon School where Alf Mansfield (sometime of the Rolls Royce aero engine division) connected the pump so that it re-circulates water through the cooling jacket and back into a small tank attached for the purpose.

Continued. LEEDSLINES PAGE 4

Louis Heinrici was born on the 30th of July in 1847, in Zwickau, Saxony Germany; he started building hot air engines in 1876 and these engines were sold right through to the 1920s when Ernst Heinrici brought out an improved design, three types of which were manufactured:

A vertical concentric water cooled engine of 40; 54; 65; 80; 100; 130; 150 or 190 mm diameter piston.

A small air cooled engine with a 30 mm piston.

A small water cooled engine with a 30 mm piston

Heinrici patented this pattern of engine in 1899 which was the first or second year of production. As an external combustion engine it can be run on any fuel and works on the expansion and contraction of air to create differences in pressure in the displacer/cylinder. Over time Heinrici incorporated a number of improvements but since these engines were sold for over 40 years it is difficult to date them. On some models the patent number (DRP), or DRGM number is embossed on the cylinder casting but mine carries only component marks.

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3uiJYCLjQc for video of an engine in action

These engines have virtually no HP or torque and can be stopped with your fingers. They were mostly used to power really light, small gas/air pumps and, in some applications, cooling fans for the ladies of the British Raj in C19 India.

Southern Federation Spring Rally – Arthur Bellamy At Illshaw Heath the track of the Birmingham Society of Model Engineers

As Southern Federation Rallies go this was not very well attended, I do not know why, but the Leeds club were well represented with five members attending. John and Lyn Hunt ran his Simplex and at other times his aeroplane, Tony and Elaine Wall with his Yankee, Judith and myself with the B1 which ran for a total of 5 hours over the weekend. We all took our caravans and lived on the site. David and Marcia Beale came on Sunday in their Naylor TF1700.

Other people known to have visited Eggborough are the Elliots from Coleville and their friend Roger (I have known him for years but haven`t got his surname), Ian Jacobs from Spalding came and ran his engine and Graham Gain ran his 7 1\4 Hunslet on its maiden run. Another friend came on his motor cycle from Kinver, David and Francis from Bracknell brought a couple of engines, John and Rachel Walker of the home club did most of the supervision including the catering. Chris Andrews lives nearby and paid a visit but Brian (who was a member at Leeds) was not well enough. Brian Thompson came in his capacity as President of Southern Federation.

Friday evening was spent in a flash Hostelry (opposite a MacClaren showroom with Hamilton`s formula 1 car) Ten of us sat down to an excellent meal and on Saturday evening a bulk Judith and John Enjoy the Sunshine order was made for fish and chips to a local restaurant,

The autumn rally is to be held at Eggborough over the weekend 20/21st September where as a side show there will be a number of MG and Naylor cars. LEEDSLINES PAGE 5

Boiler Water Level Gauge - David Beale

We place trust in an item that never tells the truth. Is seeing believing?

The water level shown in the glass never, yes never indicates the precise level of the water in the boiler.

The nearest it gets to achieve this is when the whole boiler is cold & stationary, even in this condition a tiny error creeps in due to capillary attraction. The small bore of our tubular glass causes the water within it to rise a small amount due to this phenomenon.

When hot further small errors result. The water gauge is not at the same temperature as the boiler to which it is fitted, it is cooler by virtue of the fact that it is stuck out in cold air. This brings about two small errors the first being that the density of water varies with temperature resulting in the water in the glass being “heavier” than the water within the boiler.

The second is because the water in the glass is not static, it is flowing. The steam in the top of the glass condenses causing the water in the bottom to flow back into the main vessel. A further cause resulting in a false level is leakage from either the glass or its isolating cocks, the error resulting depends on the volume leaking. To be significant the leakage would have to be considerable.

I fully accept all the forgoing are minor & can safely be ignored although any leaks are likely to cause unsightly deposits & should be rectified.

The movement of our boilers gives errors in level that must be recognized & understood. When braking the vehicle water surges to the front of the boiler resulting in a low level in the glass & may expose the firebox crown sheet albeit transiently. During acceleration it surges to the back resulting in a high glass level being indicated. Similarly bends in the track throw the water to the outside of the curve causing disparity between gauges (if two are fitted) or a low level in the single gauge that is inboard of the boiler centre. All of the above are relatively insignificant untruths/errors, the following are critical situations that must be understood & the appropriate action commenced. An increase in the water level when a safety valve lifts, this may simply be due to a swell effect caused by the small fall in pressure within the boiler during the time the valve is open. This occurs markedly with high lift pop type valves. The water within the boiler has become like aero chocolate, (full of bubbles) because it is liberating steam due to the difference in heat content from that before the valve lifted & that during its blow. It should be expected that the boiler will need water feed when the valve reseats.

If during the above water issues from the safety valve it may be that the water level was initially too high, or it may be due to priming or as often known as water carry over. Simultaneously the water level will rise in the glass & may even disappear out of the top nut. A rapid streaming of rising bubbles may also be observed.

Priming results due to contamination within the boiler or a build up of suspended solids i.e. concentration of feed water impurities through not blowing down frequently enough. Further possibility results by introducing too much water treatment chemical this will be more relevant to models with steel boilers.

Whatever the cause the boiler is loosing a large quantity of water which may ultimately result in the fire box crown sheet not being cooled.

To recover the situation turn off the blower, open the firehole door & close the regulator. This will usually cause the safety valve to reseat, whether or not this occurs begin feeding the boiler immediately with the hand pump if one is fitted. If not try an injector but this may not work until dry steam is available, i.e. priming ceases. As a last resort tap the safety valve pintle to make it sit down but do recognize that this is extremely bad practice. If the water level is out of the glass when the safety valve reseats drop the fire immediately. The reason for this is that while ever the boiler was priming the crown was being cooled but it is now exposed. Continued.

© David Beale LEEDSLINES PAGE 6

An erratic or varying water level that is not understood may be caused by a total or partial blockage of either the steam or water connection of the level gauge to the boiler. If the gauge has three working cocks blow the passages through. To do this close the steam & the water cocks, open the drain cock, in turn momentarily open the steam & water cock. A good blow should result if it does not then a blocked passageway may be the cause. Return the gauge to service by closing the drain & opening the steam cock followed by the water cock. Is the water level where you would expect it to be? If not retire the steaming of the boiler & prove the passageways by other means unless you have a boiler with two gauges & one is working satisfactorily. It is worthy noting that excessive grinding in of taper cocks will cause the passageways of the body & plug to be misaligned & ultimately blocked.

Boiler inspections

The periodic boiler inspection requires the inspector to prove adequate passageways to the water level gauge. One way is described in 3 above, but a positive test is to pass a soft metal rod through the rodding port on both steam & water connections all the way through the fitting into the boiler. If such ports are not available & any doubt exists the fitting may have to be removed.

Other methods of water level indication are available, steam cars used a solid alloy float in a chamber linked to a pointer & dial, early boilers used test cocks but in our application non are better than the "untrustworthy" tubular water level gauge but remember SEEING IS NOT ALWAYS FOR BELIEVING.

Your controversial or other comments are welcomed by the editor. © David Beale

Working Party Update – July 2014 — Hon. Sec. Geoff

Track renewal:

Since the last newsletter the main line track between the two traversers has been relayed and it is now a pretty smooth ride. It is not yet in service use however since the corresponding main line tracks on both the north and south traversers have now been lifted for replacement. The traverser steelwork is being prepared, primed and painted. Track sections are ready to be laid on the south traverser which is a relatively simple task. Re-laying the track on the north traverser is more complex as the traverser is not only on a gradient but also has ‘transition’, (a progressively increasing degree of tilt) leading into the ‘super-elevation’ on the bend by No.1 golf tee. In order to lay the track on this section multiple laser measurements have been taken and plotted out on the now infamous roll of wallpaper. The plot is used to find the best line for the gradient and the required degree of tilt. Once these traverser sections of track are relayed work will concentrate on levelling and adjusting the height of beams where necessary around the track. This can be done without interfering with loco running in the peak summer months. Track replacement will then re- Steve and Geoff Replacing the Track commence in the autumn.

Traverser Overhaul:

Regarding the north traverser its overhaul is now complete and the new track circuit interlock has been commissioned. This prevents movement of the traverser when a train is in the vicinity in the same way as the interlock already in use on the south traverser. Overhaul of the south traverser including bearing replacement is now in progress. Locomotive Storage:

Excavations are nearing completion for the new path from the outer workshop to the steaming bays and the path will soon be laid. At the time of writing consideration is being given to converting the earthworks into a temporary swimming pool such has been the deluge from above. The objective of the work is to have a smooth path to enable safe transfer of Club locomotives from the new workshop storage facility directly to the steaming bays.

Other Works

In addition to the above major jobs there has been the usual crop of smaller jobs such as track repairs on the approach to the tunnel, repairing the grit blaster gun, tracing a fault on the portable track trailer lighting and repair of a fault affecting No.3 signal. LEEDSLINES PAGE 7

LEEDS SOCIETY OF MODEL & EXPERIMENTAL ENGINEERS

invite owners of 3½" and 5" gauge locomotives and scale traction engines to their

AUGUST RALLY

to be held on

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 9TH & 10TH AUGUST 2014

at the track site in the grounds of Eggborough Power Station

(located on the A19 just north of M62 Junction 34)

Light Refreshments Variety of Steam Attractions Historic Vehicles Bring and Buy Sale Camping Facilities – Tents or Caravans

Leeds SMEE is affiliated to both the Southern and Northern Federations of Model Engineering Societies. All visitors with steam models must bring a current boiler test certificate. For further details and to pre-book caravans and tents e-mail [email protected] or contact Leeds S.M.E.E via the web site at http://sites.google.com/site/leedssmee or telephone 01977798138. PAGE 8 LEEDSLINES

National Model Engineering Exhibition Harrogate — Hon. Sec Geoff

This years show seemed as good as ever with large numbers of visitors on the Friday and the Saturday with the aisles being packed at mid-day. One or two well-known traders did default this year but were replaced by a couple of second hand and surplus tool merchants where there were definitely bargains to be had. (yippee!!!)

Thank you to all members who provided models for our display this year and to all stewards who staffed the stand and interfaced with visitors and answered their numerous questions. There were eight 5ins. gauge and five 3½ ins. gauge

locomotive exhibits, ten stationary engines, one traction engine and two items of workshop equipment, in all a total of twenty six items on the stand this year. That is about the same number of items we have exhibited in previous years. However, this year we had a slightly larger display area which enabled the models to be more easily inspected due to having more space around them. The variety and quality of locomotives on display this year was particularly good. The Club DVD’s were shown throughout the show and the one made from an old cine film of the Temple Newsam track in 1962 attracted particular attention. Two visitors to the stand were amazed to see deceased relatives in the film and have been provided with copies. Once again the display cards seemed to be a worthwhile addition as a lot of visitors picked them up to read about the items on display. The flyers advertising our own August Rally were also in high demand, hundreds disappearing over the course of the three days, next year I think that I will print something on the back of the flyers…………………that might slow down the exodus.

Society Officers and Committee. Newsletter by e-mail President: Arthur Bellamy You can save the Society postage costs by electing to have the newsletter, in .pdf format Chairman: Jack Salter and in full colour, delivered to your personal Secretary: Geoff Shackleton e-mail address. Treasurer: Nigel Bennett* Simply e-mail your request to Glynne Hughes Committee: John Hunt [email protected] and it should Steve Russell* happen automatically. Peter Smith Nick Morley Send articles for inclusion in the newsletter to the editor at [email protected] or *Boiler Inspectors plus Tony Wall via mail to the Club Secretary & Martyn Chapman