| Archive for Freesteam For collectors and enthusiasts of all steam engines |
| fcrammond |
The Mark II APS Pool[img]
I am sufficiently confident that the new MarkII pool will be up and running for our steam day on Sunday April 6th. Technically this is our Model Engineering day but Roger is organising a Vintage Tinplate Gauge One layout (Marklin, Bing etc.) and the Fredfleet will be mobilised for the pool. I would like to extend an open invitation to anyone with anything that floats and is powered by steam to attend with the proviso that anything scratchbuilt has a valid boiler certificate. I am hoping the weather will be closer to STIA than Tilford. 
If things go well we intend to repeat the exercise at the two day Urban Rally on 28/29 June. Incidentally the beam engines will be steamed for both these events but we hope to run all three working engines together for the Urban Rally. Fred |
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| fcrammond |
Well things are looking good for the weekend. I spent most of Monday attaching the liner to the framework and it's beginning to look quite effective. As you will remember the original pool was based on a railway sleeper framework with the liner held in place by a selection of 35 lb flat bottom rail segments.
[/img] 
The new version uses a framework of scrounged scaffold planks [img] 
[/img] 
I've bolted the planks together with angle brackets at the corners [IMG] 
The liner is bolted to the frame through the eyelets 
And the whole thing looks quite shipshape 
However that is on a nice flat tarmac surface. We could have it there for most of our Steam Days but for STIA we need this space for the Marquee so we are going to have to find a reasonably flat surface somewhere on the grass. This could be interesting. We only have 9 inches of freeboard and we need at least two inches to float boats (or six if we want to have sailboats). I can see a summer of moving around the site looking for somewhere flat. Anyway, come Sunday, I shall be steaming at least some of the fleet. Stay tuned and see how we get on. Better still, turn up with a boat or two. Fred |
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| MFSteam |
Are you sure that is big enough?
t bloody huge. 
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| newts |
Great ingenuity Fred
The weather recently would almost fill it by the weekend. Are you going to put sleepers/straw bales around the perimeter to stop the planks moving with the weight of water:?: |
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| fcrammond |
It came out a bit bigger than expected because I calculated on 10 foot planks and they are actually 13 footers so the pool is abour 30 per cent bigger than expected.
My limited knowledge of hydrostatics tells me that the sideways force of a six inch deep pool should be fairly negligible. However I may well be wrong but even so the sideways resistance of a standard haybale should also be pretty negligible. Could be some interesting photos of the Great APS Disaster here on Monday. Good job the River Soar in adjacent
Stay tuned Fred |
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| Spokesmann |
Thats a small lake!
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| John Chapman |
Very impressive Fred, should be a lot of fun. | ||||
| MFSteam |
you now need a nice boat to run on it jc 
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| John Chapman |
Now there's a thought
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| MFSteam |
I wonder how FC is fairing at Abbey. We have 2" of snow in "Sunny" sussex and it is still falling.
The kids love it, What I cant understand is where they have all got their sledges from? |
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| Spokesmann |
I got snowed on during my Sunday cycle ride . . . 
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| John Chapman |
We have had snow in Cornwall today and you don't see that very often. Fortunately it hasn't settled. | ||||
| fcrammond |
Well, the day started on a bit of a low note
[img] 
But by the time I got to APS things had improved a bit. The pool had filled....  [/img]
And I soon launched the Fleet. Sadly the mooring arrangements were not a success 
But once Mark turned up we were able to get things running 
Seahawk proved a reliable performer 
And Mark's Swallow went well all afternoon 
Meteor was her usual reliable self 
And Peter Pan (?) proved unexpectedly useful after an early conflagration 
All in all we had a good day and proved the pool in its new form Mark's RC Duck was very popular with the younger element 
The pool depth on its present site varied from three inches to nine inches with the greater part being about six inches deep. Next time I shall dig out a few small Star Yachts to compete with the little one Mark brought . With the water level raised above ground level the sailing boats seemed to go well. Roll on June. fred |
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| Spokesmann |
That looks terrific Fred, hopefully spur me onto finish my Arrow . . . . 
Great to see all the different sizes and designs in one pool!
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| Spokesmann |
Still not as bad as this....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7334816.stm
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| newts |
Great pics Fred, glad to hear that the pool performed well & a splendid flotilla on display.
How long did it take to fill,how many gallons ? |
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| John Chapman |
Looks like you had a good day Fred. Some super boats (& ducks) there. |