So I’ve brought my first garden scale live steam locomotive and what I didn’t find while researching what to buy was a list of what equipment was needed to operate the engine.

I’ve had some Mamod traction engines for a while and we have been running these as per the instructions that came with them. In retrospect some of the tools and equipment that we got for the locomotive would have simplified operating the traction engines.

So here is my rough guide of equipment that I brought and what I’ve found useful so far.

Water Syringe – The easiest way to water a cold locomotive or traction engine is with a syringe. One came with my locomotive however I purchased a spare from Aliexpress with a length of flexible hose. The hose allows me to empty the boiler of water after a running session.

Butane Canister Adaptor and Roundhouse gas filling adaptor – These need to be purchased to fill the butane tank on the locomotive. I’ve noticed that the butane gas canister adaptor can be purchased from Aliexpress just search for –

Steam oil & Metal – steam oil is essential to the long term life of the locomotive. I got a bottle of steam oil and the Accucraft AP29-201 metal syringe from Argyle locomotive works. The metal syringe makes it really easy to get the right amount of steam oil into the lubricator and if you over fill the lubricator you can remove a small amount.

Oil can – For lubricating the motion I’m using the Reilang Pocket Oiler. This provides a bit more control than just the bottle of 3 in 1. I did try another pocket oiler however it proved useless compared to the Reilang product.

Rolling Road – I got the Accucraft Rolling Road for testing the engine this has proved useful for learning to run the engine as you can steam it in one spot. It’s also proved useful when building non-live steam models as you can test run the mechanism while ironing out any issues.

Goodall Valve & Water Top Up Bottle – a Goodall valve is basically a simple clack or one way valve that allows you to pump water into the boiler while it is still under pressure. This allows you to refill the boiler and extend your running time. On my Accucraft locomotive the fuel tank is sized to suit the boiler size so you run out of gas before you run out of water. However being able to maintain steam pressure saves time as its just a mater of topping up the gas and steam oil to keep running.

Hand tools –

Rags – Without a chuffer when the locomotive starts moving you get oil and water coming out the stack. The easiest way to prevent this is to hold a rag over the stack when you clear the condensation from the cylinders. There’s quite a bit of heat coming from the stack so make sure the rags are flame retardant/heat resistant. These are also good for wiping down your locomotive after an operating session.

Field box/flight box – I’ve been looking for a suitable toolbox to store all the above. In the end I found that in the remote control aeroplane world they have what is called a field or flight box. These field boxes are all set up for model aeroplane requirements, although I found you can purchase a field support box from Loco Boxes in the UK. Having a look around I decided that the best option will be to build my own field box suited to my live steam application once I work out exactly what I need.

The only problem with 7/8th scale is the equipment is often too large to operate on friends G scale layouts. I had a look around for a small prototype that would fit within the the G scale loading gauge. I found a suitable prototype in the HAWE a small self propelled flat wagon used in the Netherlands. I found a Geocities page with heaps of photos of the prototype and some technical information. The key dimensions for building my interpretation of the HAWE are 3300mm long, 1000mm wide.

The model isn’t intended to be a exact scale model the goal was to capture the look and feel of the HAWE. I decided to build the model from brass sections which is a first for me however it gives the model some weight.

For the driverS step I got some neat 1:14 scale tread plate from Aussie RC. Aussie RC also had 3D printed oil drums that supplied a suitable load. Without the oil drums there is no real reference to scale and it may be mistaken for a G scale wagon when out visiting.

Mechanism

I purchased a N20 motor with metal gearbox from Aliexpress. The N20 motor I ended up using is 3v with a no load output speed of 200rpm. I’m really impressed with the quality of this cheap motor and will be using these in future projects.

The motor output is connected to the axles using sprockets and chain from MotionCo. Wheels, axles and axle boxes are from Binnie Engineering and apparently 30% glass fibre 70% nylon. They should last in this sort of low power application however time will tell.

My model HAWE true to prototype is battery powered and in the principle of KISS the control is a simple on/off switch. ​

This has been my first attempt at scratch building a mechanism. The 1000 rpm version of this motor doesn’t have enough torque so the model isn’t the fastest item in our fleet although it travels at a nice prototypical speed. Overall this mechanism seems to operate well and I’ll be using a similar set up on my next project.

Materials

In case anyone else wants to give building one of these a go here are the links to where I got my materials.

Motionco – sprockets and chains

Aussie RC – Tread plate and oil drums

AliExpress – motor, electrics

Mitre10 – K&S brass, basswood, balsa wood

Binne Engineering wheels, axles, axleboxes