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Hey-
It looks like this upcoming Meet is really gonna be a good one! From the bit of news I get-it seems like we've got an outstanding group of people attending this year.
The Canadians are coming, the Kiwis are coming, there are quite a few other newcomers who say they're going to be there....Tom Kimmel has a bunch of new items in the collection that are waiting to be seen....I'm bringing
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Thought someone might be interested.....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-HP-STANLEY-STEAMER-MOTOR-CARRIAGE-STEAM-ENGINE-RUNS-01531-/302054594995?hash=item4653db59b3:g:yKwAAOSwgZ1XweUk&vxp=mtr
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Joe-
That looks like a nice Stanley! You need to bring your new acquisition to the Meet!! There'll be people there who can help you with getting to know the car-as well as quite a few knowledgeable steam guys on other aspects of the hobby.
You can read about the upcoming Meet at the top of the Forum-it's happening on the 16th,17th, and 18th of Sept in Berrien Springs, MI..
Hope to see yo
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
We have a fellow steam enthusiast from New Zealand visiting the USA for a week or so in the near future and he's looking for a few parts while he's here.
He needs a bottom elbow that goes into a 740 condenser bottom tank, a 740 speedo drive swivel and a 740 firing up flap light.
He's planning to attend the Berrien Springs Meet, so if anyone has any idea where to obtain such parts perhaps w
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
WhooWee!
This looks like a serious machine.....what kinda speed are you planning to get out of it?
Chuk
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Rick-
The Barnes Machine Shop is listed in the Bulletin-the website is: www.steamisthestuff.com and his number is: 717-248-6170
He's quite well known in the area for his work with steam.
Chuk
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Jerry-
That's the way it's done-just like you did it!
When using propane for a burner, I always use an adjustable regulator so that I can tweak the fire to make it do just what I want. I'm sure a forge-type burner would do the job if you make it big enough. The problem I see with the coil setup you have would be the distribution of the heat-the coils immediately in front of the burner are g
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Jerry-
The method you describe should do the job if you get a hi-quality join on both sides of the sleeve. I've used both methods-tig and hi temp solder...and I go to great lengths to be able to tig whenever I can. I feel like a weld will take more abuse....If you don't have enough room for your tig torch-how about doing a gas weld? Use the tig torch on the accessible areas and the gas torch t
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Lohring-
You have mentioned one of the few things that aren't desirable about this engine-the heat losses associated with the basic design of the engine. Some of the losses can be ameliorated by changing a few things-as I have mentioned in the Bulletin article. As we all know, every engine is a compromise and this one is no exception.
Having said that-we(my M.E. friend Art Gardiner and I) fe
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Guys-
We used a small video cam looking thru a window into the burner on the Streamliner that we ran at Bonneville, and it worked flawlessly. I used it to adjust the fuel mixture to the 4200 foot elevation on the Salt Flats. After installing the air/fuel ratio meter, it was still useful as a backup tuning device.
As Peter says-t'was a very inexpensive addition-including the small 3X5 inch scr
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Reuben-
Congrats to you-hopefully you will succeed where others have failed! A rotary valve design that solved the lubrication/thermal stress/wear issues would be a real game changer.
Keep us informed-a new valve idea would solve a lot of problems!
Chuk
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Keith-
I agree with you wholeheartedly. Ken is doing an outstanding job as our new Prez and-Let's face it-Tom Kimmel is a hard act to follow!
Ken's knowledge of steam-related patents is of great benefit to the Club, and he's constantly coming up with new ideas about steam related projects/subjects.
The shame of it all is that he's still employed-so he has minimal time to devote to his ow
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Bill-
Which ECTA Meet are you speaking of? There was a steam-powered streamliner pre-registered for the 2015 Speed Week at Bonneville, but the event was cancelled....perhaps it's the same vehicle. That is-if you're speaking of a recent event.
The one I'm speaking of was powered by a converted Mazda rotary engine-does that sound like the one?
Chuk
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Hey Everyone!
It's almost that time again! The Great 2015 SACA Meet At Berrien Springs! This one might be the Premier Event of the Decade! From the feedback we're getting, there's going to be more people, equipment and vehicles attending this time than we've had in quite a few years....
The Time Trials Committee has convened numerous times and the resulting discussions(combined with a few ap
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Well-
Quite nice! This one is so much better than the old one that there is NO comparison!
Many Thanks to you Ken-and the others-who have made the site possible!
Chuk
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
John-
The sliced Bryan block is mine, and it is cast iron. Unfortunately, some guy with no experience tried to repair a small crack-which resulted in numerous cracks that he chased all over the block-brazing as he went.
The block is available for measurement and pattern work-all I want out of the deal is a usable casting!
Chuk
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Eric-
The track conditions were a factor, but-as usual-it was a coming together of a few other factors as well that contributed to the loss of control.
Our exit speed at the five mile was 147.3mph, and I had quite a bit of throttle left.....
Chuk
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Jeremy-
I don't know where you get your information-your "ideas" about what happened during my accident contradict the facts determined by the accident investigator and others who were present.
There was no "bad wheel alignment". I wasn't "out of my lane" until I lost control of the vehicle and crashed.
It's as simple as that.....
Chuk
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Chris-
I agree with you-things are a bit ambigious regarding the Land Speed Record. If you're are running an internal combustion engine at a Bonneville Speed Event, there will be separate engine classes for different size engines. At Bonneville, turbine-powered steam vehicles are in the same class as reciprocating engine powered steam vehicles. I'm not quite sure, but I think the same ruling ap
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Bill-
I don't know what anyone else's ideas are regarding this subject, but for my future "road car"-whenever I get around to building it-I'm planning to use an engine sized at around 125-150HP. Of course, I don't plan on using that much horsepower for casual around-town driving, but I do want it available for the occasional blast! I plan to use a generator that has a throttle, theref
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Hey!
Well-it's been awhile since I posted anything.....there wasn't much to say except that my injuries were healing! I've been trying to forget the LSR dream ever since the accident-without success. We were sooo close, and had the capability(it seemed) to set a new record quite a few mph above the 148+ record.
Of course, there is no real way to ascertain what "could" have happene
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Lohring-
What you have described is a control system for a variable pressure generator. Of course-as mentioned-the control steam temp is set a few degrees above saturation. So, as the pressure goes up the sat temp goes up accordingly and so the control temp,etc,etc,etc. By controlling the feedwater input, then, you are controlling everything else.
It sounds like it should do just what we're
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Lohring-
The combustion chamber in my steam generator IS a direct copy of a gas turbine burner! I say direct copy-actually it is a copy adapted somewhat so I could build it without too much outsourcing of labor and material. To design it, I looked at many, many photos and designs of gas turbine burners, and adapted their ideas. The end result took a bit of development to get things right, but w
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Hey Everyone!
Many Thanks to everyone who have sent their Good Wishes and great energy-I'm healing well. My injuries are becoming less noticable, and the physical therapy is expected to succeed in getting the full range of motion back in my hands and wrists. The cracked vertabrae aren't causing any problems-though I still have limitations on lifting. The right arm is limited to lifting 5 pounds
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Myles-
Yes there is a video, taken from about 3/8th mile away. The photographer was Randy Maxwell, affiliated with the guy who had the big truck with a V16 with quad turbos. He was getting anything that looked interesting, and part of that included my run-along with the accident.
The video is 5+minutes long....Randy had the video running as we started the vehicle at the start line in prep fo
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Myles-
There has never a question in my mind regarding the stability of the streamliner-it's always felt very stable and tracked like it was on rails. Until this time at the Flats-that is. When we did the first shakedown runs at Bonneville in October '12, the salt was hard and dry, the vehicle tracked straight and was very stable.
This time the track conditions were very different....as in-
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Hey Myles!
Thanks for the link! I was hoping to be able to see a video of his car-his cameras survived to tell the tale! My tail camera was in pieces-but I managed to salvage the memory card. Unfortunately, there was nothing on it.....I think it must have been erased by the camera damage.
My cockpit camera wouldn't come on when we went thru the startup procedure-before the run-so there wasn'
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Bill-
The engine in the Streamliner wasn't damaged very much at all-the frame protected it. The steam generator is in pretty good shape also-with just a few hits to the casing.
I'm looking for a suitable engine to be used in a "road car"....a hot rod that I can blast around town or on the freeway at 80+....
I'm healing pretty quickly-the cast is off my left hand, and I'm getting
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Well-
I'm happy to hear that the Meet went well! It seems that our new President has hit the ground running, and that we have new directors-with a bit more of a geographical mix-that's good.
I want to let everyone know that I am healing rapidly, and feeling grateful that my body came thru the crash with only the relatively minor injuries that I have.
I finally saw photos of the car yeste
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chuk williams
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SteamStuff
Hey-
Home sure feels good! We took the redeye out of SLC last night.....
I plan to take some serious time out for the body to heal!
Sorry to say it-bit we're gonna miss the BerrienSprings Meet-as always, I was looking forwrd to it-but this time my body just can't make it!
Chuk
by
chuk williams
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SteamStuff
