roundhouse RUSSELL User guide

RUSSELL
Owners Handbook
For the Russell 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 oil See '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.
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CONTENTS
Tool kit Page 4
Running in Page 4
Access to controls Page 4
Identification of parts of the locomotive Page 5
Preparations for operation Page 6
1. Filling the Gas Tank Page 6
2. Filling the Boiler Page 6
3. Lubrication Page 7
4. Lighting the Burner Page 8
Running the locomotive Page 9
Driving manually Page 10
Driving by radio control Page 11
Storage between operating sessions Page 12
Altering wheel gauge Page 13
Trouble shooting & maintenance Page 14
Gas system Page 15
Boiler and Gas Tank Certificate, Pages 17 & 18
(EC Declaration Of Conformity).
Service and Parts. Page20
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Russell Instruction Booklet

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 set of spare washers and ‘0’ rings.
One spare gas jet.
One Allen key for cylinder socket cap screws.
One pair of protective gloves.
One cleaning duster.
One wheel setting (back to back) gauge and key.
RUNNING IN
All locomotives are extensively test run before leaving the factory, but
they will still require a certain amount of running in when new, to
overcome initial tightness and allow valves etc. to ‘bed in’.
ACCESS TO THE CONTROLS
For normal operation, all controls are accessible without the need to
remove any part of the locomotive, however, to give access to the gas
tank when filling, and the batteries on a radio controlled model, the cab
roof hinges up from the side. Care should be taken when opening the cab
roof. Gently grasp the front and rear of the roof hinge and firstly lift the
hinge vertically upwards. This will lift the hinge clear of the cab, and allow
the roof to then tilt to the side. Batteries are not included.
The gas regulator is accessed by hinging up the roof. 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 switch for the locomotive r/c equipment is under the right hand
footplate. The radio control receiver is housed in the right hand side tank
and is accessed by removing the body as follows.
First hinge up the cab roof and disconnect the battery clip and aerial wire.
Next, remove two fixing screws under the front corners of the footplate.
Then, remove the two screws under the rear of the footplate.
Finally, slacken off a couple of turns but do not remove, the two screws
just above and to the front of the cylinders (one each side).
The body can now be lifted up to remove, manoeuvring slightly to pass
round the lubricator drain screw.
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IDENTIFICATION OF PARTS OF THE LOCOMOTIVE
Radio controlled version illustrated
1) Plastic battery holder. 2) Brass battery box. 3) Battery connector.
4) Reversing servo (this is replaced by a reversing lever on manual models).
5) Safety valve. 6) Boiler filler plug. 7) Gas filler valve. 8) R/C switch.
9) R/C receiver. 10) Gas tank. 11) Gas regulator. 12) Gas burner.
13) Steam regulator servo and linkage (not fitted on manual models).
14) Lubricator drain screw. 15) Lubricator filler cap. 16) Pressure gauge.

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 ‘Gas System’
in the ‘Trouble Shooting & Maintenance’ section for more
information on this subject.
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 tank under the
cab roof. 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 filler plug under the
brass dome on top of the boiler. The brass dome is a
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substantial and heavy item, being turned 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 plug by
unscrewing it with the knurled body. 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.
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.
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.
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
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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. The gas and steam
regulators will require periodic lubrication. See the
troubleshooting section for details.
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.
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
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the problem persists and it is not possible to ignite the burner
correctly, then a dirty jet should be suspected and cleaned as
detailed on 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 vaporized 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 cab. 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 a little 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
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seen to gradually drop until the loco comes to a halt. Should
the 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.
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 full 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 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.
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