roundhouse DARJEELING 'B' CLASS User guide

DARJEELING ’B’ CLASS
Owners Handbook
For the Darjeeling ‘B’ Class Locomotive

Operating Instructions
IMPORTANT: Read these instructions carefully before operating
the locomotive
The following items are required for running this engine and are not
included with the model.
Fuel Butane gas. See 'Filling the gas tank'
Water See 'Filling the boiler'
Lubricating oilSee 'Lubrication'
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
This is a working model locomotive using steam under pressure
and highly flammable fuel. Provided it is operated with reasonable
care and attention, no problems should arise.
It is intended for use out of doors and must only be operated in a
well-ventilated area.
Whilst the locomotive is in use, hot gasses are exhausted up the
chimney and excess steam frequently blows off through the safety
valve even when stationary, so operator and spectators should not
bend over the model.
As you will appreciate, this is not a toy and is therefore unsuitable
for young unsupervised children.
Follow manufacturer’s recommendations regarding the safe
storage of Butane gas canisters.
Some areas of the model will get quite hot whilst it is operating, so
a pair of gloves is provided in the tool kit for your protection.
Always have to hand either a fire extinguisher or wet cloth when
operating the model.
2

3
Darjeeling ’B’ Class Instruction Booklet
CONTENTS
Tool kit Page 4
Un-packing the model Page 4
Running in Page 5
Access to controls Page 5
Identification of parts of the locomotive Page 6
Preparations for operation Page 6
1. Filling the Gas Tank Page 6
2. Filling the Boiler Page 7
3. Lubrication Page 8
4. Lighting the Burner Page 9
Running the locomotive Page 10
Driving manually Page 10
Driving by radio control Page 11
Water top-up system page 12
Trouble shooting & maintenance Page14
Storage between operating sessions Page14
Steam leaks Page 14
Regulator not shutting Page 14
Radio control Page 15
Gas system Page 15
Service and parts. Page 20
Boiler and Gas Tank Certificate, Pages 17 & 18
(EC Declaration Of Conformity).

TOOL KIT
The following items are included with your locomotive.
One 60ml bottle of special steam oil for use in the cylinder lubricator.
One 60ml syringe with plastic tube for filling the boiler with water.
One water top up pump bottle.
One set of spare washers and ‘0’ rings.
One spare gas jet.
One Allen key for cylinder socket cap screws.
One wheel setting (back to back) gauge and key.
One pair of protective gloves.
One cleaning duster.
UN-PACKING THE MODEL
To prevent damage during transit, the model is packed in a polystyrene
cradle, and certain items removed and packed separately in the top of the
cradle. Carefully lift out the locomotive and fit the loose items as follows,
using the photographs on the front cover and referring to the ‘Un-Packing
The Model’ section.
1) The centre buffers fit through the horizontal slots in the front and rear
buffer beams and are fixed by a shouldered pivot screw into the tapped
hole on the underside of the casting.
2) The dummy re-railing pole has a groove on the rear end that fits into
the slot on the front right hand side of the coal bunker. Lift out the dummy
coal load and sit the pole in this slot and the support on the saddle tank,
and then replace the coal load. The two dummy fire irons hang on the two
hooks attached to the pole.
3) The dummy steam dome sits over the safety valve/filler plug on top of
the boiler
4) The cab roof hinge fits into two holes in the top of the cab frame.
Lightly spring the two ends of the hinge rod together between your fingers
and insert the ends into the holes. The headlamp should be to the rear.
RUNNING IN
All locomotives are test run before leaving the factory, but will require
several hours of running in, when new, to overcome initial tightness and
allow valves etc. to 'bed in' completely. Also, the loco will waste a
proportion of it's water and steam until 'run in' due to leaking slide valves,
4

a tendency to prime more, and simply overcoming the initial tightness of
the moving parts.
As the model heats up and cools down each time you raise steam,
screws and nuts have a tendency to stretch and loosen a little so you will
also need to make regular checks and 'nip up' any that become loose.
Most are quite visible and easy to get to however if there is any steam
leaking from the valve chests on top of the cylinders, refer to the Trouble
Shooting section.
IDENTIFICATION OF PARTS OF THE LOCOMOTIVE
Radio controlled version illustrated
1)Pressure gauge. 2) Lubricator filler cap.
3) Batteries - R/C version only (batteries not included).
4) Safety valve/filler plug. 5) Gas burner. 6) Steam regulator.
7) Water top up valve. 8) Gas regulator. 9) Gas filler valve.
5

ACCESS TO THE CONTROLS
For normal operation, all controls are accessible without the need to
remove any part of the locomotive, however, for ease of servicing, the
cab roof hinges up. Lift the roof vertically, then it will hinge over to the left
hand side of the cab. The gas regulator and water top up valve are
located in the right hand cab doorway. The gas filler valve is located on
the top right hand side of the coal bunker. On manual control engines, the
steam regulator is accessible through the right hand cab doorway, and
reversing lever through the left hand cab doorway.
The displacement lubricator is positioned in the front left hand side of the
cab.
The switch for the locomotive R/C equipment is on the underside of the
left hand coal bunker.
The batteries that power the radio control are housed under the dummy
coal load which simply lifts out to allow access to the battery holder.
Refer to the instructions supplied with the Radio Control equipment as to
the correct batteries required.
The radio control receiver is in the dummy firebox ash pan beneath the
cab floor.
PREPARING FOR OPERATION
The locomotive must be serviced before being operated. It is important to
perform all the following operations.
1) FILLING THE GAS TANK
The filling of the gas tank should only be carried out in a well-ventilated
area, where there are no naked lights or other lighted locomotives close
by. Ordinary Butane or Iso-butane gas (as used in gas cigarette lighters)
is the preferred fuel, though for economy, the larger canisters as used for
blowlamps or camping stoves etc. are better. The larger canisters have
an EN417 threaded self sealing valve on top and require a special
adapter to couple up to the filler valve on the locomotive. A special brass
gas filler adapter is obtainable from your local garden railway supplier or
direct from ROUNDHOUSE.
Mixed gasses are also available and may be used if ordinary butane or
iso-butane are not available, but see the 'Gas System' section for more
information on this subject.
6

7
Before attempting to fill the gas tank, make sure that the gas control valve
is closed by turning it clockwise.
The filler valve for the gas tank is on top of the coal bunker on the right
hand side and is accessed through the hole in the dummy coal load.
Invert the gas canister and place its nozzle over the gas filler valve.
Support the tank from underneath and press the canister down. The gas
will be heard hissing as it enters the tank and a small amount will escape
around the valve. This is quite normal and is the tank venting as the liquid
enters.
After about 20 to 30 seconds, liquid gas will emerge from the valve
showing that the tank is full. Remove the canister immediately.
2) FILLING THE BOILER
A syringe and plastic pipe are supplied for filling of the boiler.
The boiler is filled with water through the safety valve bush, housed under
the dummy steam dome on top of the boiler. The dome is a substantial
and heavy item, being machined from solid brass. Care is needed when
removing the dome, especially when the engine is hot, as the dome itself
will be hot. Take care not to drop the dome onto the locomotive, as the
weight of it may damage the model. Lift off the dome then remove the
safety valve/filler plug by unscrewing it with the large knurled ring around
its base. Fill the boiler right to the top with clean water. Distilled water is
recommended if available.
As an alternative to distilled water if this is unavailable, clean tap water
can be used in soft water areas. Also, rain water or water from a
dehumidifier can be used provided that it is adequately filtered. Many
people now use rain water passed through a paper wine or coffee filter to
remove any particles or debris in the water.
Do not use deionised water as this type of water may cause long term
damage to the boiler and fittings.
There has to be a space above the water to allow steam to be raised so,
insert the end of the plastic pipe into the boiler and withdraw 30ml of
water with the syringe. Replace the safety valve finger tight then place
the dummy steam dome over it.

3) LUBRICATION
Regular lubrication of all working parts is important and should be carried
out before each operating session. There are two types of lubrication
required: The external moving linkages and bearings are lubricated with a
medium oil such as motor engine oil, and the internal steam mechanisms
such as cylinders, pistons and valves are lubricated with a special steam
oil that is mixed with the steam. Infrequent external lubrication will allow
parts to run dry, and over oiling can form pools around operating parts
that attract dirt and grit. If too thin an oil is used it will evaporate very
quickly as the loco gets hot –leading to dry running. We recommend the
use of a 20-50 motor oil for external lubrication. When carrying out
general lubrication, do not forget the regulator spindles (see Trouble
Shooting section for further details of oiling the regulators).
Internal lubrication is achieved by steam oil that is mixed with the steam
in the displacement lubricator, housed in the left-hand side of the cab.
Remove the knurled cap from the top and slacken the drain screw two or
three turns at the bottom but do not remove it. Any water in the lubricator
will run out through the drain screw. Tighten the drain screw and refill with
the steam oil supplied, then replace the cap. Take time filling the
lubricator, especially when cold, as the oil takes time to run down and
may trap an air bubble. Both cap and drain screw are fitted with ‘0’ rings
and need only be closed finger tight.
NOTE: Only special steam oil as supplied should be used in the
lubricator and under no circumstances should ordinary oil be substituted,
or damage may result.
4) LIGHTING THE BURNER
WARNING: Before lighting read the section on gas system
troubleshooting and be aware of potential problems. If the gas system is
not operating correctly, shut it off immediately or damage may result.
Move the locomotive to another location before lighting. Butane is heavier
than air and small pockets of gas can collect around the locomotive
during filling.
To light the burner, hold a lighted match or cigarette lighter over the top of
the chimney and slowly open the gas regulator by turning it anti-
clockwise. The gas should ignite almost immediately with a pop as the
flame travels down the chimney and into the boiler tube. The burner
should be audible but not too loud.
8

NOTE as stated above, the gas regulator should be opened slowly until
the burner ignites. If opened too quickly, particularly when the engine is
cold or if the gas tank has just been filled, it is possible that the flame may
not travel back into the boiler flue but stay in the smokebox. If this should
happen, the burner will sound quite different to normal and the blue flame
will be visible in the smokebox if viewed down the chimney from a safe
height. Should this happen, turn off the gas immediately or damage may
result and then re-light it. If the problem persists and it is not possible to
ignite the burner correctly, then a dirty jet should be suspected and
cleaned as detailed in the Gas System Troubleshooting Section.
For the first couple of minutes keep the burner on low. This is important,
as until it warms up, the flame will be a little unstable and turning it up too
much could cause it to go out. Also, with a completely full tank, liquid gas
could be drawn off instead of vaporised gas, which can also extinguish
the flame.
After a couple of minutes, the gas control valve can be opened more to
speed up steam raising. Open the gas regulator slowly to about one full
turn. The full range of adjustment (closed to fully open) is achieved within
the first full rotation of the gas regulator knob any more is unnecessary.
RUNNING THE LOCOMOTIVE
When full working pressure has been reached (between 35 and 40psi),
the safety valve will start to blow off steam. Steam generation can be
controlled by the gas valve in the right hand cab doorway. If the safety
valve blows off frequently during running, then too much steam is being
produced which wastes water and gas. Turning down the burner will
decrease the amount of steam created. Conversely, if steam pressure is
not maintained during a run, then the burner should be turned up. After a
few minutes of running it may be noticed that the gas pressure through
the burner has increased. This is due to the gas tank becoming warmer
and so increasing the gas pressure. Simply turn the gas down –this may
need to be performed several times during a run. The art of balancing
steam generation to the operational requirement by the adjustment of the
gas control valve will quickly be learned.
The gas tank has a duration of about 25 minutes, though this will vary
depending on gas valve setting. The boiler should not be allowed to run
dry, and the gas tank capacity is such that the gas should run out before
the water. When the gas is fully used up, the steam pressure in the boiler
will be seen to gradually drop until the loco comes to a halt. Should the
9

water expire before the gas is fully used, the pressure will drop rapidly
and the loco will stop. Check the pressure gauge –if this is zero turn off
the gas. No damage will result if the gas is turned off immediately. Never
re-fill the gas tank without first re-filling the boiler.
DRIVING THE LOCOMOTIVE MANUALLY
On manually controlled locomotives, there are three main controls, all of
which are housed in the cab.
1) The gas regulator, which should be used to control steam generation
as described earlier.
2) The reversing lever. This is in the left-hand side of the cab and is
moved fully forward for running in a forward direction and fully back to run
in the reverse direction. It should be parked in the centre (mid gear) when
the locomotive is stationary for any length of time. When in mid gear
position, the valve gear is effectively in neutral and the engine will not
move under steam power.
3) The steam regulator. This is the main steam control valve and
regulates the speed at which the engine will run. The regulator handle is
situated in the right hand cab doorway and is moved anti-clockwise to
open and clockwise to close.
Using the reversing lever, select the desired direction of travel and open
the regulator a little. Initially, there will be a certain amount of water in the
pipes and cylinders, which will exhaust through the chimney and, after a
few moments, the engine will move jerkily, until this clears. Once the
parts have warmed up, the engine will move off steadily and its speed
can be controlled with the regulator. Subsequent starts will be quite
smooth once the cylinders etc. have reached their normal operating
temperature.
To reverse the locomotive, close the regulator to bring it to a halt, move
the reversing lever over and open the regulator again.
The art of fine control will soon be learnt with a little practice.
DRIVING BY RADIO CONTROL
This model is fitted with 2.4 GHz R/C equipment. On a Radio Controlled
model, speed and direction are controlled by the transmitter. . First, turn
on the transmitter and then turn on the receiver in the locomotive using
10