Customer Reviews

So You Want to Build a Live Steam Locomotive

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The only book I've seen of it's kind available in the USA....it is a highly detailed composition from a steam engineer's point of view.....not for the pure beginner...written in the 70's....some knowledge of metal working and model live steam engines helpful.....best part about book shows how to make steam whistles and laying track...however, the deep theory about how steam actually flows and the workings of the pipes inside the boilers was not very clear.....but a good book for hours of reading enjoyment.....worth the price for the serious or junior modeler.

The information in this book makes up a great reference for building a locomotive, but doesn't give details on important topics. I would recomend anyone considering building a live steam locomotive have this book, but don't expect it to be the only reference at hand.

All in all, this was a good book. The general info was very abundant, but the specific information was either sparse or non-existant. For example, he gives a wonderful nomenclature diagram of a locomotive, but when it comes to frames, he doesn't explain how to build them very well or where the critical points are.
This is definitely not a good book for a beginner. On the contrary, the chapter on whistles was very good, although still lacking some detail.

This is a must have for evey Live Steamer. Joseph Nelson has provided a great resource for anyone who wants to build a Live Steam Locomotive and an important resource for every workshop.

Nelson obviously knows his subject. I have some experience with restoring full size steam, so I understood some things that might mystify a newbee. At the same time, he answers questions like "how much does it cost?" "What tools do I need?" This isn't a plan book, but will help you understand the basics of how things go together, and make some basic choices of how YOU would like to build your loke. It helped me understand how small scale and full size are constructed differently. Be prepared to spend some time *studying* the drawings - very well done, but sometimes rules of orthographic projection are intentionally broken to show certain aspects of an assembly.
I think the chapter on valve gears could have been reworked, too many types covered briefly, and he seems to have a notion that Walshaerts gear with piston valves is the way to go, and so covers this in detail, slide valve with Stephenson gear is the best choice for a first engine I think, much simpler. He does cover these items to some degree.
You will want to buy other books if you're serious about building, but I wouldn't want to be without this one. I've found "Shop Wisdom of Jesse Livingston" a good companion book.

All in all, this was a good book. The general info was very abundant, but the specific information was either sparse or non-existant. For example, he gives a wonderful nomenclature diagram of a locomotive, but when it comes to frames, he doesn't explain how to build them very well or where the critical points are.
This is definitely not a good book for a beginner. On the contrary, the chapter on whistles was very good, although still lacking some detail.

On the other hand, (I also wrote "well...") the graphics are very good. The photos are all very nice and the drawings are exquisite.
Note: I was in a bad mood when I wrote "well...", and that is why I gave it a lower rating that time.
Trevor