Boilers for G1MRA Dee & LBSC Girton

[Nick Campitelli 1Participant @nickcampitelli1]

I can't seem to locate 1 3/4" copper tube in Australia, as specified for the boules of G1MRA Dee and LBSC Girton. My choices seem to be going to either 1 1/2" or 2" so does anyone have a suggestion as to which one would be better. Even the LBSC Dot is between these sizes so I will have to make changes for all of them.

[Nick Campitelli 1Participant @nickcampitelli1]

Boiler size

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Hi Nick,

I live in UK, so ignorant of whats available in Australia. However, 1 3/4" is close to 45mm. Can I suggest you look at metric? or is this silly? bearing in mind I dont know local available supplies.

John

[Nick Campitelli 1Participant @nickcampitelli1]

Hi John,

I did ask for the metric equivalent but all the plumbing & even model engineering supplier only has 38mm or 50mm – nothing in between. That agreed with what they had online before I contacted them too.

Nick

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

1/1/2 could be filled out to size with lots of insulation under the cleading. However you will have to do a bit of adjustment to get the tube in and have less water space of course. This won't really matter if you have an axle pump fire with meths as if the top of the tube runs dry it won't be hot enough to be damaged.

2 in is borderline on looking bloated even without cleading. You might nudge the cab etc up a bit to keep things in proportion even if the scale is off. Quite a lot of mixed 10mm and 3/8 scale trains get run by non rivet counters.

The 'correct' solution is to take the 2 in tube and remove a sliver, butt joint with butt-strap if your boiler inspector allows it.

In the end it might just be best to find someone who can ship some out to you. Perhaps we should have a special list of things not available in Oz that tourist modellers could take out.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Nick, The nearest you will probably get, going by my catalogue here in nz is listed as Engineering Tube 44.5 mm OD x 2.64 mm wall, or 44.5 mm bore x 2.03. With plumbing tube it goes from 40 mm to 50 mm. Oops, just found Australian Standard 1432-1973, water gas, sanitation, type (B) 45 mm x 1.2/ 1 3/4" x 18g, and type (D) 45 x 0.9, 1 3/4" x 20g.

So all you need is a supply Warehouse, and select the required wall thickness. The catalogue even gives the bursting pressure for annealed copper tube, you can get it annealed or hard. If you are lucky you might get an off cut, maybe part of a damaged tube. If you can go to the sales outlet, tell them what you want it for, this sometimes helps.

Try Master Trade.

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 07/04/2016 15:01:05

[Hi Speed ScrapParticipant @hispeedscrap]

Nick, try

George White

03 9544 1100

Non ferrous wholsaler, small orders ok.

Dave

[Nick Campitelli 1Participant @nickcampitelli1]

Thanks Dave, I had a quick look at George Whites website & it seems to offer 1 5/8" which is better than nothing. I'll email them today.

[Nick Campitelli 1Participant @nickcampitelli1]

Thanks Ian, Tradelink is the only immediate supplier up in Far North Qld and they don't have anything to offer. The usual model engineer supply houses in Brisbane & Sydney didn't have anything, so White's as Dave suggested may have to do at 1 5/8 or 41mm. I did track down a manufacturer in China – not sure if they'd even look at a small order.

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