Accucraft trains Climax User manual

Instruction Manual
Climax
Electric & Live Steam

Climax Electric
Prototype Information
In 1900 the El Dorado Lumber Company was formed to take over the American
River Land & Lumber Company! One of the first things El Dorado Lumber did
was to build the cable way across the American River in 1901, that connects
the Pino Grande mill with the facilities at Camino California. Lumber was
logged, and rough milled at the Pino Grande site before it was loaded on
lumber cars for the trip across the river, and onto Camino. For the next 6 years
the company prospered but the economic panic of 1907 forced its closure for
the next four years.
In 1911 the El Dorado Lumber Company was sold, and reorganized as the
Michigan - California Lumber Company in 1918.
Michigan California Lumber Company Climax number 4 was built in 1902. Its
weight was 67,000 lbs. Cylinders were 12 x 14 and had 31” drivers. The boiler
pressure was 160lbs.
This very powerful Climax was used to pull loads up the 7% grade from south
cable to the first summit until it was replaced in 1913! The engine was then
taken apart, and taken across on the cable, and was used for switching in the
camps, and also for the track laying crews in the woods. In the early 1930’s it
was retired however it was reconditioned and used again in the late 1930’s for
a short time. Both the Heisler and the Climax were cut up for scrap in 1942 for
the war effort!
The unlettered straight stack version that is offered of this Climax is a generic
version of the same size engine as it would have come stock from the Climax
factory!
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Climax Electric
2
Lubrication
Lubricants: always use quality
lubricants!
Light oil such as Labelle #108 or Wahl
Clipper Oil. Heavy lubricant such as
Labelle #102 heavy gear oil or Labelle
grease.
Prepare the engine for lubrication by
placing the model gently on the work
surface. To protect the locomotive
finish, place the engine on a piece of
foam sheet or soft towel. The engine
should be placed on its side. Be
careful to keep the lubricant off of the
painted surfaces, as this can leave
a shiny appearance on the area it
touches.
Oil all external moving parts of the
engine, including wheel bearings, with
a high grade, lightweight machine oil
like 3-in-1. Be sure to oil all parts of
the drive train. A little oil is all that’s
necessary.
It is a good idea to wipe off all excess
light oil when you complete the
lubrication process.
THIS LUBRICATION SHOULD BE
REPEATED AFTER EVERY 25 HOURS
OF OPERATION!
After following the recommended
lubrication procedures, your “Climax”
is ready to provide many years of
enjoyment and reliable operation.
We recommend that you use a D.C.
power supply with a capacity of 2.5
amps or larger and 24 volts.
Always pick your model up by grasping
it under the frame on both ends. It is
a very heavy model so make sure that
you grasp it firmly.
General maintenance
Clean the exterior surfaces of your
locomotive with a clean, soft and lint
free cloth.
The following parts are packaged sep-
arately
- M2 hex head screws
- 3 mm hex head screw driver
- Whistle pull cord

Climax Electric
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Climax
Live Steam

Climax Live Steam
Preparing the engine
A steam-locomotive engineer goes
through a lighting-up ritual every time
the engine is to be run. It is good to
follow the same routine each time so
that nothing is overlooked.
1. Oil all external moving parts of the
engine, including wheel bearings, with
a high grade, lightweight machine oil
like 3-in-1. Be sure to oil all parts of the
drive train. A little oil is all that’s neces-
sary.
2. Place the engine on track.
3. The adjustable lubricator located
in the cab ensures the cylinders and
valves are properly lubricated inside.
As the steam passes through it, a
small amount will condense into
water. This water will sink to the bot-
tom of the lubricator, forcing a similar
quantity of oil into the steam line and
thus to the cylinders.
Remove the lubricator cap and draw
out any water from previous run with
a syringe. Use only proper steam
cylinder oil. Fill the lubricator, but
leave a small air space between the
oil and the cap.
4. Unscrew the ller plug and ll the
boiler to the top with water then pull
out 30 ml with large syringe. Use only
distilled water in your engine’s boiler.
Tap water contains minerals that will
leach out and ultimately affect the per-
formance of the engine.
Lubricator
Reversing leverPressure gauge Throttle
Gas ller valve
Hand water pump
Filler plug
Water glass
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Climax Live Steam
5. Finally, add fuel. Your Climax burns
butane gas. The gas tank is located
in the rear bunker beneath the rear
deck. Remove the rear deck. Butane
gas can be purchased at the grocery
store or at a tobacconist’s as ciga-
rette-lighter rells. These come with
a nipple suitable for the ller valve on
the Climax’s gas tank. (Butane can
also be purchased in larger containers
at camping-supply stores, but these
cans will require a special adapter for
lling the engine’s tank.) Simply press
the nozzle of the butane canister hard
onto the ller valve atop the tank,
making sure that the control valve is
closed. You will hear the gas transfer-
ring and will see a little gas bleeding
out of the valve. When the tank is full,
the gas will begin to splutter and much
more gas will escape the valve. When
the gas tank is full you are ready to re
up the engine. Add 1” to 2” of water to
the rear tank. This will keep the tank
warm and the gas pressure up!
Firing up
Make sure the throttle is closed. The
engine’s burner resides at the back
of the ue inside the boiler. Open the
hinged smokebox door at the front of
the engine and you’ll be able to see
the ue. To light up, strike a match
and hold it at the open smokebox door
while simultaneously opening the gas
valve in the tender very slowly until the
gas ignites. You should hear the gas
coming into the burner. Opening the
valve too wide or too fast may blow
out the ame or cause the re to burn
in the smokebox.
The re should ash back into the
back of the ue with a quiet “pop”. If
it wants to burn in the smokebox or
in the forward part of the ue, slowly
close the gas valve until it ashes
back to the burner. Don’t let the re
burn in the smokebox - your engine
will not run as it should and may be
damaged. The re should burn un-
der the burner in a crescent-shaped
ame, which should be clearly visible
through the smokebox door. The ame
should be bright blue and should burn
steadily. If it sputters or looks yellow
or green, adjust the gas valve accord-
ingly. The object is to run the burner at
the lowest setting possible to operate
the engine, thereby increasing the ef-
ciency of the engine and the duration
of the run. You’ll get the hang of this
with practice.
After another four or ve minutes,
pressure on the pressure gauge
should read about 20psi (pounds per
square inch) or so. The safety valve
is set at 60psi. When the pressure on
the gauge reaches 40psi, the engine
can be run.
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Climax Live Steam
Running
Open the cab roof for access to the
controls. Move the reversing lever at
the right side of the cab to the forward
position. With the engine on the track,
and without a train, open the throttle.
Because the cylinders are cold, the
hot steam entering them will condense
into water and be exhausted through
the stack. The engine may need to be
pushed a little to overcome the steam
condensing into water in the cold cyl-
inders. After a few moments, it should
take off on its own, moving away
smoothly.
Once the engine is running smoothly,
a train can be coupled on and the run
can proceed. Since all of the locomo-
tive’s functions are controlled from the
cab, it can be driven like a full-size
engine, meaning that you’ll have to
stay with the engine through the run if
you want to change its speed or direc-
tion. If you have a suitable track, the
engine can be left to run on its own
at a steady speed. Keep your eye on
the water glass. When the water level
drops, add water by pumping the hand
pumper.
Shutting down
At the end of the day’s run, close the
throttle snugly. When cool, the safety
valve should be loosened to relieve
the vacuum that will be created in the
boiler. This vacuum could pull oil from
the lubricator into the boiler if the throt-
tle is not closed.
After a day’s operation in the garden
you’ll probably nd that your engine
has a coating of oil all over it. This is
steam-cylinder oil that has been ex-
hausted from the stack. A simple wipe
down with a dry cloth is all that’s nec-
essary to restore the engine to pristine
condition. This is best done while the
engine is still hot. Wipe any grit and
excess oil from the wheels and run-
ning gear.
The boiler can be drained of water, or
not, as you will. Leaving water in the
boiler will not harm it. The lubricator
can also be drained and relled with
steam oil in preparation for the next
run.
Cold-Weather Running
The weather can dramatically affect
the performance of your locomotive.
Cold and wind can decrease efciency
to a disappointing level. Butane gas
becomes liquid at 32°F and will not
work. As it approaches 32°F, its pres-
sure (and effectiveness) diminishes.
The compartment in the rear tank in
which the gas tank resides can be
lled with warm water in cooler weath-
er. This will warm the gas in the tank
and keep its pressure up, which will
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Climax Live Steam
cause the engine to operate in a much
more lively manner, much as it does
in warm weather. If the water in the
tank cools, just replace it with warmer
water. Empty the tender at the end of
the day’s run. Note: the temperature
of the fuel-supply-can must always be
higher than that of the engine’s gas
tank. If you have warmed the engine’s
gas tank and the supply can is cooler,
gas will not transfer. Never put boiling
hot water in the tender around the fuel
tank.
Notes on Radio Control
Although the Climax was designed
as a manually controlled locomotive,
there is no reason why radio control
(R/C) cannot be tted, with some inge-
nuity. A two channel radio is all that’s
necessary, one for the throttle and one
for the reversing lever. The gas valve
should always be controlled manu-
ally. The reversing lever will have to
be modied so that it does not lock in
position, but it must still have stops at
either end of its throw for proper posi-
tioning of the reversing valve.
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Climax Live Steam
Safety
For your safety, there are certain rules
that should be observed, as follows:
1. The safety valve is under the steam
dome (the dome nearest the cab). It
has been set at the factory to release
at 60 pounds per square inch of pres-
sure. Never tamper with the safety
valve.
2. The ring system has been de-
signed to use butane gas only. Never
use any other gas (including propane
or butane/propane mix), as the storage
pressures can reach unsafe levels.
3. Always refuel the engine away from
other working live-steam locomotives.
The fuel lling system allows a small
amount of the gas to bleed off as the
fuel tank is being lled. A passing en-
gine can ignite this bleed-off gas, caus-
ing a potentially hazardous situation.
4. When lighting up, light your match
rst, then turn on the gas.
5. A steam engine gets hot. Be care-
ful. The following parts are packaged
separately
- M3 hex head screws
- 3 mm hex head screw driver
- 5 ml syringe – steam oil
- 50 ml syringe - water
Technical Specications
Live Steam
Scale/Gauge: 1:20.3, 45 mm Gauge
Length: 18.5 in. (469.9 mm)
Width: 4.13 in. (104.9 mm)
Height: 6.63 in. (168.4 mm)
Minimum Radius: 48 ins. 0.76 M
*Be sure to leave at least 3” clearance
(measured from the inner rail) to allow
for overhang.
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