Jaxon Steam Car ride to the next 5 inch rail club

[Werner SchleidtParticipant @wernerschleidt45161]

Once again, I took the Jaxon steam car on a longer journey to the nearest railway club in Bischofsheim, which has 5-inch gauge tracks.
Most of the route was along country lanes and cycle paths, but there were also some normal roads. The total distance there and back was 14 km. It takes a certain amount of confidence in the technology you’ve built yourself to undertake a journey like this. After all, if something goes wrong, you’re a long way from any easy means of getting back. During the journey, I had to top up the oiler and lubricate the engine every 2.5 km. In total, I had three 1-kg propane gas cylinders with me, as one cylinder only takes me about 6–7 km. The range varies slightly and depends on the speed and gradients. The initial feed water temperature also affects the range. About 500 metres before the finish, after 6.5 kilometres, the first gas cylinder was empty. Once on site, the driver was first treated to coffee and a freshly baked waffle, and then the water supply was topped up at the steam railway. Unfortunately, a brief but heavy rain shower then set in. Just as I was about to set off again, my high-voltage igniter for the gas burners briefly malfunctioned. But after a short wait, everything was working perfectly again and so I was able to begin the return journey.

Even though you’re only allowed to ride at 6 km/h, it feels much faster because you experience the ride much more intensely. It’s always interesting to see the looks on the motorists’ faces and the many thumbs-up.
I hope my video helps you to understand what I’ve described above.

Here the link to the video https://youtu.be/kDvelerezzU

I hope you can enjoy it

Werner

 

[alecsParticipant @alecs]

What a way to see the world! Thanks for posting.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Excellent, keep up the good work

[WearyParticipant @weary]

Hallo Werner,

Thanks for posting the video – a good and impressive test of man and machine!  Always nice to see and hear-of your travels and devlopments.

It looked to me that that the car is somewhat better on uphill gradients nowadays.  Have you made some relevant changes or is it just my imagination?  Perhaps following usage during your adventures it is simply run-in a little more and so runs more freely.

Whilst, of course, I would never encourage anyone to break the law I must say that you are showing great restraint in gearing the car to limit top-speed to 6km/h; or would gearing for a higher top-speed load the big-ends of the engine too-much perhaps?   I find it difficult to believe that the Landespolizei are lying in wait with speed-traps for steam-car building model-engineers, and in any case once at a club venue you are on private land anyway(?)

Phil

[Author]

Posts