CI would be the better of the two.

Even in 5"? …or did you miss that bit?

Steve.

Well said Michael!

Steve.

Yes, sincere apologies Kevin, missed the 5"g bit.

Cheers,

Julian

Cast Iron usually wears less and is much to be preferred for heavy use. Brass is not the best material to use for cylinders. However, it's quite easy to do what I did and fabricate cylinders from bits of brass tube and plate and then fit cast iron – or gunmetal – liners. Making them from mild steel is also an option – but you'll need to line these for certain, and to take care to squirt WD40 or similar into them after a run.

Using cast iron piston rings in cast iron cylinders is also an excellent idea; making them has been described several times.

Good luck with your Tich, Kevin. I run a little 3.1/2"G 0-4-0ST that is a tad bigger than Tich and a bit smaller than Juliet. It's older than both those designs! It goes like stink for a while (until it gets choked up) and it does need to be thrashed a bit to take two round the track at Eggborough, but it brings a smile to my face, and it can also serve as a mantelpiece ornament when not in use… Your 5"G version should be a lot less difficult to keep going, too.

I can only agree with you Neil, I was given the "Tich" book as a birthday present in the early '70's after seeing it advertised on the back of the Model engineer magazine. I started the loco at school during Metalwork classes and made a few parts. I didn't make a lot of progress and then life started to get in the way. I fully understand that it may not be the ideal beginners engine to build but I still think that the book gives an excellent introduction into Model Engineering for any beginner. "Read the Tich book and then build a Simplex or Rob Roy" is a common cry. To dismiss it as a "Useless ornament that lives on a shelf" is very unfair and as many examples have proven, totally untrue. I find it very annoying when people feel the need to spout off about what some builders regard as their pride and joy, just because they don't like the model in question. In this particular case the wrong engine was targeted and the thread was derailed. Rant over.

Steve.

Hi Steve,

All I can say is when I started this lark at age 16, I joined my local club which was then the IWMES, and I was told not under any circumstances build a 3.5"g 'Tich' by very experienced fellow model engineers. Instead I was told, in fact directed, to build Don Young's 5"g Railmotor design as a first loco.

As I knew the 'words and music ' for 'Tich' almost off by heart, this was an initial disappointment, but I do not regret the sage advice I received all those years ago, and a 5"g Railmotor was started straightaway. It was so easy to fire and drive that my 2 daughters when quite young learnt to drive on it at the club track.

I do not apologise at all for my earlier post that most 3.5"g Tichs remain as ornaments, or not even finished as ebay proves.

LBSC's Juliet is a much better design and better proportioned re the boiler.

Cheers,

Julian