Retiring In Thailand

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Two Model Steam Engines To Make As Retirement Projects In Pakchong (Pak Chong), Thailand

When I retire to Thailand I want a nice big steam model to make.  In my model engieering workshop here in the UK I have only a small lathe/milling machine  and so can only make fairly small models.

I find that as I get nearer to retiring age that my eysight is gradually worsening and I find it difficult to see the small model parts with some form of eyewear. Also I find the small parts fiddly to make and to hold. These are some of the reasons why when I retire to Thailand where I have a large lathe in the model engineering workshop I want to make bigger models.

One more reason to make bigger rather than smaller models. It’s easier!

As models get smaller the dimensions become more important and so much more accurate work is required. For example on a full sized steam engine 1 mm tolerance on non-running surface components may well be acceptable. Scale that down to, say 1/4″ scale (1:48) and that 1 mm becomes 0.02 mm. That’s just about as accurate as you can make things even using precision machine tools.

Also I want to make a big model steam traction engine – one big enough to pull a few people and to go to the nearby shops on. Before I start on the steam model traction engine, though I have to get my workshop properly set up with all the tools i will need and also I have to put the new lathe and milling machine through it’s paces, prove it’s accuracy, and just to get used to it.

So I’m going to make a different steam engine model before I start on the steam traction engine.

Making The Stuart Turner Steam Model “Victoria Mill Engine”.

I have decided which steam model engine I am going to build and below is a photo of a finished one built not be me but by someone else.

Above a photo of the type of model steam engine I will build in Pakchong (Pak Chong) before I start on the model traction engine. This model is available as a kit of castings and materials from a company called Stuart Turner. This particular Stuart Turner model is known as the “Victoria Mill Engine”.

A great advantage of building a model steam engine from one of Stuart Turner’s kits is that in addition to all the castings and raw material the kit comes complete with all fixings i.e. all the nuts, bolts and washers needed to finish the model. This is particularly useful when building a stem model in Thailand (and in Pakchong in particular) because I envisage that it will be very difficult to impossible to find these small nuts and bolts in Thailand. Even when in the UK it is very convenient having all the fixings in the kit rather than to have to source and buy them individually.

I should add that I have already bought the Stuart Turner Victoria Steam Mill Engine Model kit – in fact it was delivered to my home in the U.K. last Staurday. I haven’t had chance yet to take any photos to put up here on the website.

Making The MJ Engineeering Scale Model Fowler Class A7 Single Cylinder Traction Engine

Above are some photos of a model steam traction engine I want to build when I retire to Thailand.
All the drawings, castings and most of the other materials are available from MJ Engineeering. It’s not a kit as such but all the parts can be bought individually ready for machining.

How big will the model Fowler Class A7 single cylinder traction engine be?

MJ Engineeering off the castings in two scales 2″ to the foot (1/6th full size) and 3″ to the foot (1/4th full size)

Here are the overall dimensions of the traction engine when built at the two different scales:-

I must say that I’m tempted by the bigger scale model, but I have not decided the scale yet.

Both sizes of engine are powerfull enough to pull the driver and other people.

The 2″ scale traction engine is easily able to pull its driver and an adult passenger, or two children.

The 3″ scale model traction engine will pull the driver and six or seven children.

So you can see what big models they are.

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