Jeff, Lewis was able to have mine delivered on my birthday, so I've had a few weeks to play with it. I'm very impressed with the quality and the really low price. The gas fill seems to be a common problem, but I've not considered trying to remove it - waiting for some work from Aristo staff to see if they have a cure. The tote/suitcase it was packed in really impressed me. what a great way to make a loco portable. I'm thinking about trying to make a remote controlled coupler to do some switching. The loco reverses very easy with the radio controls and has never stalled in the process. My biggest complaint is the white tubing for the gas connection to the loco - it just seems to distract from the overall appearance. I'm going to get some black heat shrink electrical tube to slip over the gas tube and try to disguise it a bit. I bought a battery operated, wireless TV camera and a small receiver to give me a picture of what happens behind the shed at the SE corner of the track. If anything is going to go wrong, it happens there where I can't see it. Today I tried putting the camera in a car four cars back from the tender to see what the picture would be like. What a blast! It reminded me of the view I had from the cupola of the caboose of the local freight train I rode in as a kid to go visit relatives who lived at the next coal mine south of us. I'm sure I've run this Mikado more in the last two weeks than I have run any of my other steamers in the last YEAR. I'm impressed! Keep your steam up! Mr. Lunkenheimer's assoociate.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Geoff Spenceley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Small-scale live steam discussions" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 7:50 PM Subject: Re: [SSLiveSteam] Arisrocraft Mikado > I have just received the Aristocraft Mikado and I am pretty > impressed with the loco overall, especially with the boiler > fittings, design and mechanism, The "power" reverse is very good > with the steel worm and brass gear. I love the electronic ignition > too. The safety valve piping the steam to beneath the boiler is > unique and good eye protection, especially since I love to peer down > at safety valves! > > I am having problems with the butane burner design, it's a job to > keep it lighted and the filler valve does not bleed when the tank is > full. ( I'd like a new filler valve). I understand some owners have > disassembled the tender and adjusted the metering valve for a proper > gas flow, I don't want to do that, I'd never get the electronics > back together properly!! Any way, I think it is just the matter of > keeping the butane tank warm. Accordingly I am considering installing > a valve and a heat resistant neoprene tube from the bleed down valve > located under the cab to the warming tank in the tender. This would > have little pressure in it and could heat the water in the warming > tank and bleed off the excess boiler water at the same time ( I > believe the existing valve is to remove excess water from the boiler > thus lessening priming.) This would kill two birds with one stone (me > too, if I don't do it right!) > > Anyone out there with the Mikado who understands what I am trying > to explain and may have some suggestions? > > Help! > > Geoff. > _______________________________________________ > SSLiveSteam mailing list > Send messages: [email protected] > Cancel subscription: http://postfix.45mm.com/mailman/listinfo/sslivesteam > Rules: http://www.45mm.com/sslivesteam_guide.html > > _______________________________________________ SSLiveSteam mailing list Send messages: [email protected] Cancel subscription: http://postfix.45mm.com/mailman/listinfo/sslivesteam Rules: http://www.45mm.com/sslivesteam_guide.html
