Tich bill of materials

[Melv BaileyParticipant @melvbailey34712]

Has anybody got or know where to find a bill of materials for a 3.5" large boilered Tich with Walschaerts valve gear.

Without wanting to stir up the Tich debate, I am a beginner to steam engine building but bought the book as a teenager, years ago, knowing one day I would build it. Last week I bought most of the castings for less than 1/3 of retail price, so am going to make it at last. Finances are very tight, so a BOM will allow me to search for bargins or freebies before I get to needing it during the build.

I have a ML7 bought as a bargin pile of bits from my sister's friend and a fully equipped Unimat 3, both bought over 25 years ago (before wife and kids).

[Melv BaileyParticipant @melvbailey34712]

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

Melv;

Built mine, and love it. It's my "go-to" locomotive, because it's so fun. I did a large-boilered, slip-eccentric version.

You are not going to need too much – the boiler is the biggie, so I'd keep my eyes open for copper sheet, or a complete boiler. Copper and silver solder is expensive.

In terms of a bill of materials – no way you are going to find that – for numerous reasons, like, there are 3 valve gears, 3 boilers, etc, so that makes for one heck of a logistics problem.

Just start building. Make bits and pieces, and eventually they'll bolt together.

A word of warning – my large boilered slip-eccentric Tich does not have the LBSC ash pan, because of lack of room above the eccentric straps. I think that's about it – I did have to add a bit of material to the eccentric stop collars (soft soldered – something standard like 1/8 square or 1/4 square) which may have been my measuring issue.

Another word of warning – my Tich boiler is silver soldered completely; used copper rivets for stays, and nothing screwed directly into the boiler barrel. Talk to your local club boiler inspector before starting on the boiler.

Good luck, John A. Stewart.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

An ideal way to get to know what you are going to be building is to sit down with the drawings and go through all the parts and make your own bill of materials, that way you can also make your own allowances for how much to to add for holding parts, method of construction to suit your equipment, etc.

J

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