I'm surprised that you didn't take the opportunity, while the front end was off, to lag the space between the boiler and the outer casing to improve heat retention. Warm up time and gas useage is reduced and run time is significantly improved. I just happen to have some heat resistant 'rope' from a previous project that will do quite nicely here when I get my own Rocket.
For me I didn't see the need. It's not something I use enough to worry about heating or running times. I've also found that when the lagging of a loco gets wet the steaming is quite poor until it's dried so it's a double edged sword. I brought this one because I liked it and wanted it to run but it's more a display item. I haven't steamed it since this video was made. I run in the bigger scales more often. I'm currently rebuilding a large 3.5" West Country.
Thank you very much for the great video. My Hornby G100 Rocket hasn't been used for 40 years. The left and right pistons are stuck ... Please give me some advice on how to fix these. I don't know how to disassemble the cylinder. Is the cylinder lid soldered?
I would make sure everything else is free just incase something is jamming the unit somewhere else. If it all looks good flood the cylinders with wd40 through the oil filler hole. Old steam oil becomes very sticky over time. The other thing to try is actually filling the boiler and heating it to get some steam through. Your not aiming to run it, just to soften the oil and get things moving. The caps on the end are a sort of press fit with some sort of retainer. I tapped mine back on with a little loctite 542 for sealing.
Thank you for your prompt reply! Both pistons have been released from sticking! However, the movement of one piston is not smooth. I feel like the piston is stuck inside the cylinder. Do I need to open the cap of this cylinder and polish the inside? How did you take off the cap of the cylinder?
Great job. What I do not understand, is how changing from a 'low gear' to a high gear can improve performance!? Unless those spurs are so loose and ineficient they undo any good the gearing does? Also, did you consider the position to set the eccentric in for optimum steam delivery in the cylinder out of interest?
Oliver King I did the gear change out of necessity as I was missing one of the gears which I didn't mention in the video. I checked feebay and couldn't find a replacement so I decided to mod the setup. From what I have read the friction loss in the gears is quite high though and some are poorly fitted and don't make good contact with each other. The way the system works there is no real way of setting the timing. That is set by the flats in the axle being 90 degrees offset to each other and the pin in the eccentric setting its position relative to that. The only way to change it would be to change the pin position and that would be a big job.
Hi, thankyou for your fast replies. I have bought a Rocket as a non runner. She steams up with no leaks. But she will not run righ, she switches between forward and backwards. Can timming be wrong?
Mine actually did that as well. I think it may be water hydraulic locking the cylinders and causing them to bounce back. They can also be difficult to start if lifted off the ground. I never tried mine on the track but I feel like if I had been able to keep pushing it in the correct direction it would have cleared out the water and kept going. Mine would do a bit of bouncing and then take off, usually in the opposite direction I had set it. From memory the wheel or the valve eccentric can only go on one way so the timing shouldn't be the issue.
I tapped them back on with a little loctite 542 for good measure, if I remember correctly. It's a good sealant and has an ok holding capacity even on a smooth surface when used on something running low pressure like this. It's technically a hydraulic sealant used for threaded fittings and is one of my go to's for my bigger steam locos fittings.
Yes I see no issue with that but just use one of the lower strength ones as your not trying to stick it there forever or need heat to remove it etc that could damage the screw. My low strength is loctite 222.
Im not sure on where to find replacement parts. There are a couple of places in the UK that do stock second hand item for these but i can't remember the names currently. The actual part is quite simple to make so anyone with a lathe and the correct tapping die could make one relatively quickly.
Yes I agree. It would be nice if these were still made. I also wish they were true 3.5" gauge so that they could be run at a track for a bit of fun but sadly they are a bit narrow.
@@jefferyfarrell Ah, ok, I'd always thought they were true 3 1/2 inch gauge. Bit shortsighted of Hornby then, reduces its usefulness to those playing on 3 1/2 inch. There are plans around and this would be fairly simple build...
@@logotrikes yes I was the same but the wheels on this fit inside the back to back of my 3.5" Blackmore Vale I'm rebuilding. There are videos of one online running on a track but the owner had widened it slightly to work but it was still a bit narrow.
@@RCassinello I have also tried mine at the local club. The rocket needs re-gauging to run which isn't easy to do on this model. The wheels actually fit between the flanges of my other 3.5" live steamer.
Do you know where I can find replacement brass screws for the steam engine? 1 of the 4 screws that hold the valve part of my steam engine to the cylinder part broke.
I would need to check what they are size wise, but if they are Ba screws as with the tender there are a few suppliers that could provide them. I buy all of my Ba stuff that i cant be bothered making through EKP in the uk. You would just need to get some cheese head bolts. They are quite cheap. If i get a chance ill pull one out and measure it and let you know the size.
@@jefferyfarrell if you find anything could you give me a link please? I wanna do the mods you did here but I don’t wanna run the engine with 1 less screw.
@@bigredbeertrain3522 www.ekpsupplies.com/6ba-x-1/2-brass-ch/hd-qty-10.html The screws are 6ba and are 5/16" long or 7.93mm. The 1/2" will be too long but you can shorten them quite easily.
@@jefferyfarrell ah thank you. Just hoping I can get them here to the US. Found the rocket I own for $75 in like new condition. The screw broke probably when being put together.
@@bigredbeertrain3522 shipping for me to NZ took 7 days and I'm twice the distance of the USA. But I'm sure there will be someone in the US that sells them somewhere.
Oliver King I believe mine is one of the very early ones as the gas tube is nylon without the braided cover it recurved later. Their are also versions with bolted rods rather than the plastic clips so they don't wear out like this one did.
WOW , Thank you for this video I just got this model and not know any thing
I'm surprised that you didn't take the opportunity, while the front end was off, to lag the space between the boiler and the outer casing to improve heat retention. Warm up time and gas useage is reduced and run time is significantly improved. I just happen to have some heat resistant 'rope' from a previous project that will do quite nicely here when I get my own Rocket.
For me I didn't see the need. It's not something I use enough to worry about heating or running times. I've also found that when the lagging of a loco gets wet the steaming is quite poor until it's dried so it's a double edged sword. I brought this one because I liked it and wanted it to run but it's more a display item. I haven't steamed it since this video was made. I run in the bigger scales more often. I'm currently rebuilding a large 3.5" West Country.
Excellent, very well explained,
Thank you very much for the great video.
My Hornby G100 Rocket hasn't been used for 40 years.
The left and right pistons are stuck ...
Please give me some advice on how to fix these.
I don't know how to disassemble the cylinder.
Is the cylinder lid soldered?
I would make sure everything else is free just incase something is jamming the unit somewhere else. If it all looks good flood the cylinders with wd40 through the oil filler hole. Old steam oil becomes very sticky over time. The other thing to try is actually filling the boiler and heating it to get some steam through. Your not aiming to run it, just to soften the oil and get things moving. The caps on the end are a sort of press fit with some sort of retainer. I tapped mine back on with a little loctite 542 for sealing.
Thank you for your prompt reply!
Both pistons have been released from sticking!
However, the movement of one piston is not smooth.
I feel like the piston is stuck inside the cylinder.
Do I need to open the cap of this cylinder and polish the inside?
How did you take off the cap of the cylinder?
@@amajin2 I removed the cylinder and then used a brass drift (a small piece of rod) to tap around the edge to release it from the cylinder.
My rocket has revived for the first time in 37 years.
Thank you very much for your valuable advices!!!!
@@amajin2 great to hear.
Great job. What I do not understand, is how changing from a 'low gear' to a high gear can improve performance!? Unless those spurs are so loose and ineficient they undo any good the gearing does?
Also, did you consider the position to set the eccentric in for optimum steam delivery in the cylinder out of interest?
Oliver King I did the gear change out of necessity as I was missing one of the gears which I didn't mention in the video. I checked feebay and couldn't find a replacement so I decided to mod the setup. From what I have read the friction loss in the gears is quite high though and some are poorly fitted and don't make good contact with each other. The way the system works there is no real way of setting the timing. That is set by the flats in the axle being 90 degrees offset to each other and the pin in the eccentric setting its position relative to that. The only way to change it would be to change the pin position and that would be a big job.
Hi, thankyou for your fast replies. I have bought a Rocket as a non runner. She steams up with no leaks. But she will not run righ, she switches between forward and backwards. Can timming be wrong?
Mine actually did that as well. I think it may be water hydraulic locking the cylinders and causing them to bounce back. They can also be difficult to start if lifted off the ground. I never tried mine on the track but I feel like if I had been able to keep pushing it in the correct direction it would have cleared out the water and kept going. Mine would do a bit of bouncing and then take off, usually in the opposite direction I had set it. From memory the wheel or the valve eccentric can only go on one way so the timing shouldn't be the issue.
Hi, did you glue cylinder caps back on and what with, please.
I tapped them back on with a little loctite 542 for good measure, if I remember correctly. It's a good sealant and has an ok holding capacity even on a smooth surface when used on something running low pressure like this. It's technically a hydraulic sealant used for threaded fittings and is one of my go to's for my bigger steam locos fittings.
Can you lock tight axel screws as mine keep coming lose. Thanks
Yes I see no issue with that but just use one of the lower strength ones as your not trying to stick it there forever or need heat to remove it etc that could damage the screw. My low strength is loctite 222.
Hi I accidently broken the banjo bolt which feeds the steam into cylinder.I tried finding a replacement but could not any alternative
Im not sure on where to find replacement parts. There are a couple of places in the UK that do stock second hand item for these but i can't remember the names currently. The actual part is quite simple to make so anyone with a lathe and the correct tapping die could make one relatively quickly.
@jefferyfarrell thanks a lot for the info ,will look around.
It's a shame this live steam Rocket is no longer available, Hornby would sell shed loads....
Yes I agree. It would be nice if these were still made. I also wish they were true 3.5" gauge so that they could be run at a track for a bit of fun but sadly they are a bit narrow.
@@jefferyfarrell Ah, ok, I'd always thought they were true 3 1/2 inch gauge. Bit shortsighted of Hornby then, reduces its usefulness to those playing on 3 1/2 inch. There are plans around and this would be fairly simple build...
@@logotrikes yes I was the same but the wheels on this fit inside the back to back of my 3.5" Blackmore Vale I'm rebuilding. There are videos of one online running on a track but the owner had widened it slightly to work but it was still a bit narrow.
@@jefferyfarrell I have the double problem at my local club, as their 3.5" track is actually 3.75"! Rocket's 3.25" doesn't stand a chance.
@@RCassinello I have also tried mine at the local club. The rocket needs re-gauging to run which isn't easy to do on this model. The wheels actually fit between the flanges of my other 3.5" live steamer.
Do you know where I can find replacement brass screws for the steam engine? 1 of the 4 screws that hold the valve part of my steam engine to the cylinder part broke.
I would need to check what they are size wise, but if they are Ba screws as with the tender there are a few suppliers that could provide them. I buy all of my Ba stuff that i cant be bothered making through EKP in the uk. You would just need to get some cheese head bolts. They are quite cheap. If i get a chance ill pull one out and measure it and let you know the size.
@@jefferyfarrell if you find anything could you give me a link please? I wanna do the mods you did here but I don’t wanna run the engine with 1 less screw.
@@bigredbeertrain3522 www.ekpsupplies.com/6ba-x-1/2-brass-ch/hd-qty-10.html The screws are 6ba and are 5/16" long or 7.93mm. The 1/2" will be too long but you can shorten them quite easily.
@@jefferyfarrell ah thank you. Just hoping I can get them here to the US. Found the rocket I own for $75 in like new condition. The screw broke probably when being put together.
@@bigredbeertrain3522 shipping for me to NZ took 7 days and I'm twice the distance of the USA. But I'm sure there will be someone in the US that sells them somewhere.
hmm also I think your burner different to mine!
Oliver King I believe mine is one of the very early ones as the gas tube is nylon without the braided cover it recurved later. Their are also versions with bolted rods rather than the plastic clips so they don't wear out like this one did.