Hello, I'm new to the forum and seeking help on a live steam Accucraft Peveril.
I have just started to run mine and it moves very stiffly, and won't cope with the slightest gradient. Thinking it may need running in, I have lifted the wheels off the track by supported it at each end of the frame, and had it going OK for 15-20 minutes. However, it makes a clanking sound that doesn't sound right. Any idea whether something is out of alignment, or whether it just needs to be run in some more?
Thanks,
Peter
I don't have a Peveril, so I cannot state for sure, but many locos do not run well with the drivers dangling. That might be the cause of the clanking you are hearing. With the drivers dangling they are beyond the designed reach of the main drive rod or the valve radius rods, etc. The noise is often the wheels being jerked upward slightly when some pivot point is moving slightly beyond the reach of the rods.
It would be better to support the drive wheels on rollers (a pair on each side, one slighting in front of the axle and one slightly behind, for each set of drivers). These rollers are often referred to as a "Treadmill" or a "Rolling Road". If the clanking is not "too" bad, it should not do any damage, but if the drooping is "too" far it can do serious damage if you run too fast... of course "too" is a subjective term that I cannot define from here. Depends on how far the drivers are beyond the limit of travel of the rods.
Some engines do need a "run-in" time to smooth the drive train parts and wear away the microscopic burrs and such that produce friction.
Be sure to keep it well oiled during the run-in to wash away the grit that might be being worn off. If you are running on compressed air, be sure to inject a wee bit of oil (any oil will do if not under steam) into the steam line (not the boiler!) periodically, to be sure the cylinders are getting lubrication. If running on steam then be sure to have Steam Cylinder Oil in the steam system supply reservoir (I assume it has one). "Over oiling" during the run-in is not a bad thing, but when out on your road, it is best to reduce the oiling to enough to lubricate but not so much as it dribbles all over creation.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Many thanks for the quick response. You've probably saved me quite some heartache and money! I will look into buying a rolling road.
Here's hoping the problem with the poor performance is just a matter of running in. Incidentally, I also have a Roundhouse - as Roundhouse run in their locos before sale, I didn't have this problem with it.
Thanks again.
Problem solved. I ran the loco on a rolling road and noticed how jerky it was. Eventually it stopped suddenly. When I went to unscrew the drain needle to let out the remaining water and steam oil, I noticed that the bar on the screw cap had collided with the drive shaft.
Accucraft confirmed the problem. Because the drain needle cap was set wrongly, the bar when tight was perpendicular to the length of the loco, and interfered with the movement of the drive shaft. They have offered to fix the problem by changing the cap, and check that there's no permanent problem.
A pity, as I was so looking forward to running the Peveril round my newly-constructed railway - it is a beautiful engine. However, all's well that end's well (I hope).
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