Steam Model Days in the Industrie Museum in Lauf an der Pegnitz

[Werner SchleidtParticipant @wernerschleidt45161]

Hi all,

I visited the Steam Model Days in the Industriemuseum in Lauf near Nuremberg in Germany. You can see in the video a lot of models of different kind.

https://youtu.be/I3L3oFEsKhU

I hope you can enjoy the video

Werner

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Verner thanks for the link some interesting models on display.

H

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Thanks, some good models there and nice to see so many running rather than the static displays we tend to have at our shows.

[Werner SchleidtParticipant @wernerschleidt45161]

Thank you for your kind comments. My model was the green Jaxon Steam Car on display.

In october we made a steam off in a small steam rally. The Jaxon is able to drive with 1 Kg propane gas 7 Km distance at an average speed of 6 km/h.

Here the link to the video https://youtu.be/5dwSUJq1jkY

Werner

 

[Paul KempParticipant @paulkemp46892]

Wow…… what can I say?  Some absolutely cracking stuff there!  That machine shop at the end of day one was particularly nice, even machines making swarf, stunning.  There was even a version of Nigel’s steam lorry boiler right at the end!  The Germans even have some half sensible road traffic laws which allows Werner to drive his steam car unimpeded.

But I ask myself, how can this be allowed? Lighted candles, spirit burners, naked flames, bottles of flammable liquid, gas cylinders, compressed air.  IC engines running indoors with curious people close enough to touch them???  Scandalous disregard for public safety!!!!  You wouldn’t get away with that in the UK!  More is the pity………

If I were younger and thought there was half a chance of learning the language I would consider moving!

Paul.

[Werner SchleidtParticipant @wernerschleidt45161]

Hello Paul,

in Germany there is an exception for vehicles with < 6km/h. Above 6km/h it is comparable to England. There are many traditional vehicles here at carnival time and they fall under the exemption. Also vehicles for pulling boats out of the water, for example. And vehicles with motor of any kind. You need than no registration number, no insurance ( it is better to have one) no Mot or TÜV and you are responsible that it is save. But you have to have a 6 Km/h plate at the vehicle.

The fire hazard is of course an issue, but it can be handled sensibly. Many also have concealed extinguishing water. Of course, many machines also ran on compressed air. But like everywhere else in the world, there are also stupid people. My colleague with the quadruple flame eater put up signs saying “do not touch” and “very hot”. He also told an adult visitor in person. In an unobserved moment, he sees out of the corner of his eye how the visitor burns his fingers and quickly disappears. I once read in a forum that “it would all be easier if people like that wore a sign saying “I’m stupid” because then it would be easier to deal with them.”

Werner

[WearyParticipant @weary]

Thank you Werner for taking the time to film and post that video.

There are some absolutely fantastic models there and it was nice to see so many of them running.

No sign of your fire-engine though?  Have you ‘retired’ it in favour of the Jaxon?

Phil

[Werner SchleidtParticipant @wernerschleidt45161]

Hi Phil,

this year I made many optimisations in the Jaxon project. I brought the driving distance with 1 Kg propane from  ~ 4.5 to 5 Km last year to 7 + 0, 3 Km. And I changed the average driving speed from 4.5 Km/h to 6 + 0,5 km/h. This cost me many work. The engine was changed to a changeable 2 cylinder engine into a compound engine. This save me steam and gave me more distance and driving speed. After 260 km mileage I had some drawbacks in durability in my rear axle setup, some broken spokes and not good aligned chain final drive. This I had all solved.

And I made for the optimisation some special measurements like electronic cylinder indication in normal and compound setup. I was driving at my town roads with the car and the measurement setup and on top of my knees the laptop. The people looked very astonished to see an old car with steam and a guy with a laptop.

The fireking was prepared to drive , but unfortunatly I forced me to work on the jaxon. Next year at our steam rallies I will start to drive alternatively the fire king or the jaxon. With the driving performance of the jaxon I am now 95 % satisfied and I prepared an idea to cover the last 5%. But this is a step for next year.

Both models make very much fun, but I have only the time and transport capacity to drive with one. And with my 5 inch steam locos I have a lot to do by cleaning and maintenace. And on top I am flying model airplanes.

Werner

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Oh what fun ! Wonderful, thank you for showing this Werner. Noel.

[WearyParticipant @weary]

Hi Werner,

Thanks for that update on your Jaxon steam car development work.  Interesting that ‘compounding’ (combined with other improvements perhaps) gave you 40% greater distance covered and 35% increase in top-speed for similar inputs.  That is significantly more than I would have guessed.  I recall that you carried out engine development work on your Fire-King too, so clearly it is forte of yours.  Travelling a total of more than 260km in a small vehicle like your Jaxon is an impressive feat – you must be fairly well-known locally by now.

Pleased to read/infer that the mallet is still going strong too…….. and looking forward to the next chapter in your steam adventures……..

Phil.

 

[Werner SchleidtParticipant @wernerschleidt45161]

Hi Phil,

the reactions of the people are very different by seeing the Jaxon. Some people are angry to drive slow behind me others want not to pass by, they are looking and looking. A SUV driver make a full brake stop and ask , if it runs by steam and gave me a big thumb up.

The Mallet is somehow sensitive to the coal quality. With pure anthracide german coal it is difficult, with the low output pressure of the compound cylinder, to get a good fire. With a mix of polish coal (flame coal) and anthracide it is no problem. I found this out by chance. With this mixture the stink is low and you get no headache.

Werner

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