Roundhouse Atlantic

 Atlantic - Part 1

Peter Rohde and Dave Mees fitted the SCGP1 Summerlands Chuffer to the new Roundhouse Atlantic. This is very complex, and not for the faint hearted or inexperienced! Here are Peter's notes:

 "The position of the origional chuff should first be measured From the top rim of the chimney to the top of the Roundhouse chuffer on our example measured 20.5mm.

 Now turn the locomotive up side down with the smokebox end towards you. Two sets of pipes can be seen which take the live and exhaust steam to the cylinders. The four nuts on the two tee pieces should  now be undone. Note that the seal on these connections is made with four "O" rings.

 Now remove the screw holding the front buffer inplace and remove buffer from body. This gives access to the four cap screws that hold the two cylinders to the frame two cap screws per side. These four cap

screws need only be slacked off enough to allow the two cylinder blocks to move out enough to touch the outer valance.

 On no account remove the cap screws entirely as the cylinder will touch the valance long before they come out of the cylinder block, they are a pig to put back, you have been warned!

 Now comes the technically hard bit.

 With two strong hand and two good snipe nosed pliers you now need to remove the top Tee piece from the locomotive. This is done by twisting one or both of the top set of pipes so that the Tee is no longer

 captivated between the two pipes. This connection is going to be remade so try to be restrained in your violence, there probably is a trick to this process only it's yet to be discovered (see below!).

 Once you have the Tee piece and its soldered pipe out of the loco and on the work bench it now remains to work out where you are going to cut it. Our Tee piece had a bit of pipe that looked very second hand attached to it with multiple kinks in it.

 After a lot of discussion and debate we removed 32mm from the top of the original exaust pipe on the grounds that we could take it off but not put more on. This resulted in the new chuff pipe distance of 7mm when re-assembled in our case.

 The resulting cut down chuff pipe will now have to be rubbed down so that you new Summerland chuffer is a tight push fit over the pipe.

 Our Summerlands Chuffer did not have a slot cut in the top, so you will now have to experiment with the resultant chuff pipe down the Atlantic chimney and by reattaching one of the nuts to the tee to give your

 self an idea of the position of the new chuff pipe in the chimney. This has to be off set with the chimney such that the cut out in the chuff is not muffled by the chimney wall. It is a good idea to mark the top of the chuff such that the chuff opening can be ascertained when looking down the chimney from the top. When the position of the pipe is to your satisfaction, reattach the second half of the Tee. Check that this has not moved the chuff pipe position so that the opening is not muffled by the chimney wall. Tighten up the nuts on both tee's, making sure that the "O" ring are still in position. The live steam joints should be tightened up more than the exhaust joints and then the four cap screws that hold the cylinders to the frames.

 Finally refit the buffer to the front beam.

 You can now steam up you loco and listen to the results."

Atlantic - part 2

Neil Simpson in Canada has added the following which makes it sound a little less daunting:

"Thursday night I fitted the chuffer to the Atlantic with ease, and may have discovered the ‘trick’ that Peter Rohde and Dave Mees referred to in paragraph 5 of their notes. I needed no pliers, the fit is perfect and the sound is excellent. I am running in the Atlantic on static bearings, so am able to put drag on the drivers as the engine is running and the increase in sound and note as it slows down is incredible.

I followed the Peter Rohde and David Mees instructions carefully up to paragraph 4 being sure not to undo the cap screws more than necessary which requires a 2mm allen key. It seemed obvious the tee fitting was not going to come out very easily. I removed the two red screws either side of the front buffer – they hold a retainer which keeps the chassis rails in place. With the chassis rails free it was not hard to ease them apart by hand to release the tee fitting. It is best to release the right side first as the exhaust line sits right of the live steam line. The tee fitting slips off the other side and out it comes.

The next bit requires the most amount of thought. There is a lot of bending in the Roundhouse exhaust as it has to negotiate it’s way around the live steam line and up the chimney. The only part that was straight was the top 43 mm. My original pipe measured 19mm from the top of the chimney. I cut 32.5 mm from the top of that pipe leaving only 10 mm of straight pipe to play with, trying to maintain the original curves. I then cut 13 mm off the brass tube on the bottom of the SCGP1 chuffer, cleaning up both cut ends well. It is important to note the original orientation of the tee pipe and it’s copper tube as it will only go in one way. When re-fitting, there is no side to side movement once the tee nuts are started, but there is front to back movement possible. Therefore, orient the chuffer at 90 deg. to the tee fitting with the opening (and slot) facing the front of the engine, and carefully tap it onto the copper pipe. 

Since the new pipe with chuffer is fatter than the original, start it in place from the bottom and turn the engine over to ease it up the chimney with a long thin flat-head screwdriver. Once in place insert the left copper pipe into the tee fitting first, then the right, easing the chassis rails apart again. Start and loose fit the nuts on the tees, replace the two red screws either side of the front buffer, then tighten the cap screws to the cylinders, then tighten the nuts on both the tee fittings (in that order). Before the last step, I made a doughnut of pipe cleaner with a 10mm tail and slid it down the chuffer to hold it dead centre as it was tightened. Refit the buffer and remove the pipe cleaner and you are good to go. The chuffer can be tweaked into position as it is following the original curve of the pipe and the copper is fairly soft. My final position was 4mm from the top of the chimney and a little flat black paint made it blend in nicely.

 Steam up and listen to the wonderful sound!”

Russell

Both Chris Haley and Iain MacLean reported back that the Russell chimney is shorter than other Roundhouse locos and that in order for the sounding slot to be well inside the chimney (for maximum sound), the Chuffer needs to be mounted with the top nearly flush with the top of the chimney. In order to achieve this, we are recommending that the pipes are cut at 66mm rather than the 72mmfor most twin exhaust locos.

Dave Watson was new to dismantling 16mm locos so enlisted a more experienced enthusiast to advise and it turned out to be quite simple. Dave's fitting notes are as follows:

  "To fit the Chuffer to a Roundhouse Russell you first need to remove the two bolts that go down vertically behind the front buffer beam. (On mine the heads are painted black on these). This allows you to remove the front platform/front saddle of the smoke box. Next remove the brass bolts that hold the smoke box itself in place. There are two on each side of the loco, easily visible below the dummy tanks. On each side the bolt nearest the front of the loco also holds the bodywork in place.  The smoke box and chimney can now be removed and lifted off the twin exhaust pipes without any force.

Bertie

Peter Clarke discovered the need to fit Bertie's Chuffer low due to the long chimney. He also wrote the following note on removing Bertie's smokebox:

"Simple to remove the smokebox, just undo the bolt on the front, slide out the running plate, slacken the boiler band that grips the smokebox lugs, and then simply slide the smokebox off the boiler and over the top of the exhaust pipes. " Here is a video I made which shows the process in detail:

Dave Mees of Abbey Bach loco Works was the first to tackle fitting a Chuffer to his Darj and using his method, owner Ralph Pitcher and I fitted a Chuffer to his loco. I have added to Dave's notes in the light of our experience. If in doubt please check out our Chuffer Fitter's services!

The smoke-box on the darj is in the form of a wrapper which is clamped together underneath by two 8 BA screws and bolts. This clamps it to the boiler and to the smoke-box front. The awkward bit is that the dummy steam pipes straddle the real one, meaning that the boiler must be lifted at the front to clear this.

Right then - put the loco on something soft and have something to store the bits in safely - and here goes!

1) Remove front sandbox by undoing the single screw inside.  

2) Remove Saddletank by undoing the two srews holding it to the frame.

3) Undo the two 8BA clamping screws/nuts beneath smokebox and remove and store.

4) Using a pair of long nosed pliers, ease the unclamped wrapper apart and remove the smoke-box front.

5) You now need to be able to lift the front of the boiler. Undo and remove the front brass boiler band which clamps the boiler to a spur on the frame spacer.

6) Undo and remove the single brass screw and nut inside the front of the coal bunker.

7) Loosen but do not remove the single screw holding the burner to the footplate - this is central under the cab in a slotted hole.

8) Now remove smokebox /chimney assembly by springing it apart and wriggling the dummy steam pipes past the live steam feeds to the valve chests. Two pairs of hands are useful here!

9) Cut and fettle both exhausts as per the instructions - approx 82mm from top of chimney. (note that this is a lower cut than others (except Bertie) as the Darj has a longer chimney and the adapter must be at least 4mm clear of the bottom of the chimney to allow clear passage for the gas - check this and check again befor cutting!)

10) Fit Chuffer. We had to ease the pipes apart and tap it gently into position.

11) Reverse 1 to 8 - making sure that the boiler is pushed firmly up against the smokebox before tightening the burner screw under the cab. And before fitting the smoke-box front, check that the Chuffer slot is well away from the chimney wall. If necessary, bend the copper tube a little.

David Turner tackled the fitting of a Chuffer to his Roundhouse Charles Pooter. This is more complex than many as this loco is a "pot boiler" and the chimney flue extends down through the boiler. Here are his notes:

1. Turn loco on its back. Dismount the meths burner by unscrewing a single

screw at the rear and pulling out the split pin from the middle. Note that

the 'V' mounting that held the split pin has a screw to hold it on to the

chassis. This screw will need to be removed to release the boiler band and

allow the boiler to rise.

2. Remove the body shell. This is effected by unscrewing two screws on the

front footplate and two on the rear floor of the cab. If like mine your Pooter

is radio controlled, you may find access to these screws is restricted by the

R/C receiver if it is mounted on the cab rear wall. It probably will be since

this is the obvious place for it.

3. Before lifting the body shell you need to remove the dart handles from the

smoke box door . They merely pull out. In addition, if radio controlled, you will have to release one servo activating link from the regulator.

4. Now the body shell may be lifted off but may still be connected by an

umbilical cord of wire between the receiver and reversing servo. This should be

long enough to stay connected and still allow good access, since whoever fitted

it in the first place would have needed a good length to enable fitting of the

R/C.

5. Turn chassis upside down and unscrew single screw to release the boiler

band. In my Pooter, the superheater pipe is long and double coiled so that it

was not necessary to disconnect any pipe work. You may find in your model that

this is less easy and therefore you may have to disconnect one junction of the

lubricator at this stage.

6.The twin exhaust pipes are combined by a single thin walled sleeve that

rises up the chimney. This is lightly crimped at the bottom but releases easily

enough with a little squeeze side to side with pliers and pulls off. I found my

pipes set at different levels but soon realised that they could be levelled

without cutting. I was able to fit the Summerlands Chuffer without a problem and

it was easy enough to replace the boiler. While the two to one adapter fitted to

the chuffer is wide, it still fits up the chimney stack leaving reasonable room

around it. Note that in the Pooter,. the chimney pipe extends right through the

smoke box so from a sound point of view it ought to work as long as the 'organ

slot' is within this. Theoretically therefore, it could be better to cut the

exhaust pipes so that the adapter was lower, causing less obstruction in the

chimney stack. (The position will not be crucial as this is a pot boiler - probably best to aim to have the top of the Chuffer between 5 and 10mm from the top of the chimney CB)

1. Early type.

Here the smoke-box casting is riveted to the front footplate and the exhausts and superheater pass through a hole in the bottom of the casting. This means that even if you drill out the rivets (to replace them thith screws) you cant remove the smoke-box. David Turner's account on the Argyll page (above).

You can check if yours is this type by looking at the back of the smoke-box saddle to see if there is a gap. If you can't see then investigate with a bit of bent wire. If there is no gap - then it is the early type.

2. Mid type.

Here the difference is that the superheater and exhausts pass through an open backed slot in the base of the smoke-box casting. You can look or probe for this as above. If it is there, it means that drilling out the rivets will allow you to remove it as Chris Haley

 describes in the Argyll section. Again the exhausts are likely to be cut short. If you can't access the rivets, then proceed as for the early type.

3. Late type

Here the slot is there as in the mid type, but the smoke-box casting is screwed on and can be removed -  if you can get at the screws. If you can't access the screws, proceed as for the early type.

4. New Type

These have been produced from Autumn 2011 with the intention of making them more "Chuffer Friendly"! The smokebox can be removed by taking out four screws - though it does require some skill and nerve! See the bottom of the page.....

1. Fitting Notes - Early Type

It is worth reading how David Turner dealt with his early type Argyll (see above) - but below is how I tackled the boiler-off method

In the notes provided by Roger Loxley, he said that to get inside the smoke-box on the Fowler, you need to remove the boiler. When I came to tackle the job – I looked for shortcuts in the way that David and Chris had done for Argyll – but then I decided to tackle it as Roger suggested and it was a lot easier than I expected. I have since checked with Roger and he has confirmed that all Fowlers are built the same way – the boiler is fitted after the smoke-box – so the principle applies to all, though details may differ a little on later models. Please note that this is still a quite complex task so please take advice if you are in any doubt about your skills. Oh yes - and have small containers handy for the parts and a safe plce to put the big stuff.

Dismantling

1)  The dummy pipework and sanding lever look very complex, but are, in fact, very easy to remove. First remove the two screws holding the sanding lever to the sandboxes. These were self-tappers on mine. The sanding lever can then be removed.

2)  Unscrew the large screws in the top of the sandboxes and lift them clear, together with their dummy pipes. (note that on later Fowlers, the tops of the sandboxes unscrew to remove). Put them somewhere very safe!

3)  You will now see that the rest of the dummy pipes can be lifted off as a unit. Do this and put the whole lot in a safe place. Also remove the water filler dome.

4)  Now remove the cab roof by undoing the four screws holding it to the pillars. When these screws are out, the roof will be held in place by the gas pipe union. Carefully undo this union using the correct sized spanner – not pliers! The roof can now be removed. Next unbolt the cab front sheet from the side sheets and put this and the roof somewhere safe.

5)  Now, if you have a digital camera handy – take a few photos of the plumbing in the cab – just in case. They might be handy if the re-assembly is a couple of days later.

6)  Undo the screw holding the jet into the burner and remove the jet and gas pipe.

7)  Now undo the steam pipe unions at the regulator and at the superheater pipe. Use two spanners for the latter to protect the superheater from twisting. Remove the lubricator and pipework.

8)  Next, carefully undo the two screws holding the burner into the boiler and withdraw the burner.

9)  Underneath the boiler flue – you will now see one screw holding the boiler in place. Remove this and the boiler can be freed from the smoke-box and withdrawn backwards – lifting it up to clear the cab back-sheet and sliding it over the superheater pipe. (Note that on a newer Fowler, I needed to ease the bend in the end of the superheater pipe so that it would pass down the flue. I did this very carefully with a tight fitting spanner on the nut and then twisted the spanner with a pair of pliers. On re-assembly, you need to be just as careful to bend it back to meet the steam pipe union.

10) Now you can see the inside of the smoke-box. But before you continue – replace the screw that held the boiler to secure the cab to the frame. This will avoid damage while you are dealing with the smoke-box.

The Chuffer

Now there are three possible scenarios when you look into the smoke-box.

You might see two 1/8” exhausts running up into the chimney – crimped at the top and cross drilled. If this is the case you need to measure down 72mm from the top of the chimney and, after protecting everything with cloth or cardboard, cut them with a cutting disc (remember the essential eye protection). The ends will need to be cleaned up with a file and then the Chuffer pushed on.

You might see a 1/4” tube – either open or crimped at the top – pushed over the exhausts. This needs to be removed and you will be left with two 1/8” exhaust stubbs.  Now on mine these were too short for the Chuffer to be in the chimney. The copper tube on the Chuffer needs to be extended to bring the top of the chuffer to 5mm below the top of the chimney. This can be done by sleeving in a section of 5/32” brass tubing – but it is better to contact us and we will swap your Chuffer for a longer one.

Or you might just see the stubs as the 1/4” tube had a habit of dropping off if the loco is inverted. If this is the case – proceed as above.

Please note that if you look down the chimney before you start – you should be able to see which exhaust you have.

2. Fitting Notes - Mid Type (also see the Argyll notes)

Here the smoke-box is removable, but it is rivetted on so it is necessary to drill out the two rivets holding the smoke box to the footplate - if these are accessible (a big if!). If they are not accessible, then see the notes for the late type or contact a Chuffer Fitter who will sort it at reasonable cost.

First remove the sand domes and dummy pipework (see 2 above) and it then just needs a light touch with the drill (about 1/8") and the top of the pop rivet comes off. The smoke box can then be removed. You will then need to either tap the existing holes (after punching out the remains of the rivet) to take bolts or drill and tap new holes.

If you have screws hidden by the pipes, John Battersby reports that by loosening the steam pipe unions, he managed to just get a screw driver to them.

3. Fitting Notes - Late Type (also see the Argyll notes)

If you are lucky, the screws holding the smoke-box casting from underneath will be accessible and easy to remove. The smoke-box then just lifts off. If they are difficult to get at then John Battersby reports that on his model, loosening the pipe unions gave him access. If that fails then

Richard Bailey reports on his fitting experience below - please note that Richiard is not recommending this method - and neither are we! If in doubt contact a Chuffer Fitter who will sort it for you.

UPDATE - I have now fitted a late type Fowler where the screws were inaccessible. I followed the instructions for the early type above but then when I got to the smoke-box, the pipes were too difficult to access. I detached the front footplate by removing the coupling and the single screw behind. Then I waggled the whole thing to access the two screws. With the smoke-box right off it was much easier to cut the pipes.

Richard writes:

"I have fitted the chuffer pipe to my Fowler!!! Quite a task. I did it on Monday Bank holiday and spent most of the day on it. At that time I had not read your latest website instructions so went straight in to remove the smoke box. My fowler is the very latest design (now superceded - see below) being made only last July so the first thing (in hindsight) is that I cannot see how to remove the two top domes and pipes as no screws or removable caps are present on mine? (the tops of the sand-boxes unscrew - CB)

However, I managed it by the following method.

1- Removed front buffer beam

2- Disconnected piston shaft from connecting rod and also removed screw to valve rod.

3- Removed allen screws securing cylinders to frames.

4- Removed cab roof to gain access to disconnect super heater steam pipe at connection from lubricator.

5- at this stage the cylinders and steam pipes can be wiggled around to gain access to the screw heads thro the top of the side frames just behind the top of the cylinders on each side. These screws hold the top 1/4 sq frame cross member to which the plate under the smoke box is screwed by one central screw from above and not removeable without removing the boiler first.

6- The smoke box is now released with the bottom plate attached and can be wiggled around and this together by wiggling the cylinders allows the two verticall screws that secure the bottom plate to the smoke box to be removed. These screws are obscured by the steam pipes when everything is held down .This allows the smoke box to be separated from the bottom plate and the smoke box pulled off the front providing one of the dummy steam pipes that plugs into a hole in the smoke box is sprung/Bent up? a bit.

7- The steam pipes are then exposed just as they are in Katie and can easily be cut and the chuffer fitted.

8- Put it back together!!!!  

I am pleased I managed it without any damage other than a couple of dabs of black required to the slotted screw heads.

The result GREAT."

First - here are Dave's notes:

1/ Remove  buffer beam and vac pipe stand,only held on by to slotted screws,nuts are behind and easy to reach,this makes it easier to remove two screws holding smokebox on.

2/ Remove 2 8BA screws and washers holding front of smokebox and lower plate to chassis.

3/ Under chassis remove 3 8BA screws and washers holding exhaust pipe flange to valve block assembley to allow smokebox to lean forwards and clear sand boxes on tank front. (see top left photo)

4/Remove smokebox and measure exhaust pipes to detrmine length for cutting.chuffer needs to finish about 5mm from top of chimney [I removed 60mm from top of pipes]

5/Use a small cutting disc in a Dremel type tool,clean cut ends and open steam pipe hole of debris,trial fit chuffer to pipes.Pipes may need slight bending to achive good position and bring chuffer to correct height.

6/Fit chuffer to loose ends and make sure fully seated,if in doubt mark line at bottom of chuffer mtg boss and remove to inspect depth of engagement.

7/Refit smokebox to frt of chassis leaving exhaust pipes loose on flange to allow them to swivel into postion,slight lifting of tank and sand boxes will help to ease in smokebox as its moved into place.

8/Refit 3 8BA screws and washers to exhaust pipe flange under loco chassis,carefully bending exhaust pipes to help in ftg to valve block,keeping flange square to block and tighten.

9/Refit buffer beam and vac pipe stand,you may need a pair of neadle nose pliers to hold the 2 .brass nuts whilst you tighten the screws

Fitting a Chuffer to the new Roundhouse Jack Special Edition is very straightforward - but is slightly more complex than for Katie, Billy or Lady Anne. I have fitted one to Mike Jackson's smart new loco and here are a few notes:

1. The sandboxes on the front of the tank make it very difficult to access the two screws behind the smoke-box - so it is best to remove the bodywork.

2. The bodywork is held on with two screws - one in the dome and one in the centre of the rear buffer beam. Remove these carefully and put them in a safe place.

3. Place a rag under the lubricator outlet and remove the drain screw. Now you will be able to lift the bodywork up and ease it past the lubricator outlet. Put it to one side in a safe place.

4. Remove the three screws from the smoke-box and note which one came from the front hole so it can be replaced. (They all look the same, but the front screw wouldn't go into a side hole on Mike's loco ......).

5. Now follow the instructions and fit the Chuffer. We needed to bend the exhausts a little to allow them to clear the steam pipe. The Chuffer slot faced backwards.

6. Replace the smoke-box, using the three screws and then replace the bodywork. The tab at the rear of the cab fits behind the buffer beam overlay and the cab needs to be pressed down to locate the screw. Finally replace the lubricator drain screw.

Rob, the Roundhouse designer has gave me instructions for removing the smokebox from Karen. When Tag Gorton, editor of Garden Rail magazine tried to follow them, he foud it more difficult than it appears from my notes. Indeed he though that extra screw needed to come out and so phoned Roundhouse. It turns out that it needs a firm hand and confidence, but the instructions are correct. I have amended the notes, to reflect Tag's experience, and if you wish to ask him, then he is happy for you to email him on tag@atlanticpublishers.com

1.  Remove the two screws holding the front buffer beam and remove it.

2. You will now see two cheesehead screws holding the smokebox to the chassis crossmember. Remove these and put them somewhere safe.

3. Now ease the smokebox and the complete front footplate forward until it stops. Then it needs a firm pull to release it and lift it up to clear the boiler and exhaust. 

4. The Karen is fitted with a simple chuff pipe "enhancer". This needs to be removed to fit the Summerlands Chuffer as follows.

5. Place the smokebox on the footplate next to the exhaust and measure down 50mm down from the top of the chimney. Mark the exhaust pipe at that point. Protect the boiler and cut the exhaust with a Dremel or junior hacksaw, then clean up the end of the pipe with a fine file. 

6. Push the SCGP1 Chuffer on to the exhaust - if at all loose, the slightest bend in the copper pipe will make it grip. 

7. Now replace the smokebox/footplate and check that the chuffer is about 5mm down from the top of the chimney. Check also that the sound slot is away from the chimney wall (it is marked with a scratch on the top).

8. Replace the screws and buffer beam and you are ready to steam up and enjoy the sound!

Leek & Manifold

1. Undo the two screws on the front buffer beam - which is part of the front footplate.

2. There are two screws under the valance behind the cylinders - one either side and difficult to see. Loosen these but do not remove.

3. The front footplate is a tight fit and must be withdrawn forwards, easing it up and over the cylinders. It slots into the rear footplate and can take some effort to break the paint seal. Use fingers behind the buffer beam and thumbs pressing against something that doesn't move.This is a bit of a fiddle, but slow and careful and beware of sharp bits is the advice!

4. You will now see two countersunk screws either side of the smokebox. These hold the wrapper in place. Remove these and the smokebox wrapper will spring out slightly.

5. The smokebox is now removed forwards from between the tanks. Carefully release the blower pipe from the front of the cab and be careful not to scratch the boiler. it might be worth protecting it with masking tape. Again care is needed and as it comes forward, it must be lifted to clear the exhaust.

6. You will see a single 1/8" exhaust. This needs to be supported and cut so that when pushed fully into the chuffer, the chuffer body is inside the chimney. Aim to have the top about 5mm down.

7. Fit the chuffer so it is a firm fit, putting a slight bend in the copper if necessary.

8. Re-assemble in reverse order.

Lilla

 Mountaineer and Alco

Thanks to the kind assistance of Rob, the designer of this Roundhouse loco and John Hancox who acted as "guinea pig", I have the following fitting notes for fitting the SCRH6 Chuffer. Please note that it is necessary to remove the tanks and smokebox and to cut the exhaust to fit the chuffer. If in doubt, please seek help.

1.Undo the two retaining screws on the front buffer beam and remove the beam. As with all the parts removed, put them safely in a container.

2.You will now see that the front footplate is held in place by a lug on either side of the frame. Loosening the screws on the frame spacer will allow the front footplate to be slid forward and removed.

3.This reveals a screw under the smokebox wrapper which secures the smokebox front in position. Unscrew this screw and you will be able to slide the smokebox front out to reveal the single exhaust which is curved to one side before entering the chimney.

4.Next remove the tanks (which is easier than it looks). First unscrew the chequerplate ‘bridge’ between the tanks by removing the M2 screw. Next locate the two fixing screws, one either side at the rear of the tanks. Remove these and the tanks can be slid backwards towards the cab and lifted clear.

5.Before moving on, look carefully at the exhaust. We need it it be straight and vertical where it enters the chimney as it has to be cut and the 8mm deep fitting on the Chuffer has to be fully pushed on so that the bottom of the chuffer is about level with the bottom of the chimney in the smokebox.

6.It may be necessary to bend the exhaust to achieve this, either by gently increasing the angle of main curve so that it lowers the top of the exhaust, or  by simply straightening the pipe, where it is inside the chimney (when the smokebox has been removed). (See * note below)

7.Next you will need to remove the smokebox. First remove the two M2 screws (one either side). Then remove the nut holding the dummy blower tube onto the smokebox and remove this by sliding it out from the front of the cab.

8.Now raise the running plate slightly so that you can unclip the right hand cylinder cover to give access to the clamp screw and nut at the rear of the smokebox (underneath). Remove the screw and nut completely. You can now ease the smokebox forward and slide the rear clamp tags past the superheater pipe. The smokebox can then be moved up around the exhaust tube and lifted clear. If necessary, you can remove the screw holding the front pony truck to make this easier.

9.Now decide what bending will be necessary to give about 8mm of straight vertical exhaust inside the chimney. When pushed on to this, the Chuffer will be level with the bottom. If necessary hold the smokebox in position and double check before marking the pipe, protecting the boiler with some card or wood and cutting the exhaust with with a junior hacksaw.

10.Clean up the end of the pipe with a fine file and push the chuffer firmly on.

11.Replace the smokebox, but before going any further, look down the chimney to see that the slot, indicated by the scratch on the top, is clear of the chimney wall. Either turn the chuffer or bend the exhaust if necessary.

12.Now reassemble in reverse order. The rear clamp screw is awkward to replace so it may need some ingenuity*! When all is back together, steam up and enjoy the sound.

*Mike Maguire has sent the following note on this:

I've just fitted a Chuffer to my Mountaineer. With the help of your fitting notes, it all went pretty well. I found it easier to straighten the exhaust pipe than bend it even further.

In para.12 (last) it’s noted that re-fitting the rear (boiler-end) wrapper nut-and-bolt presents a tricky access problem. I thought you might be interested to know how I solved it.

I cleaned and tinned the outside face of the nut-side lug and soldered an 8BA brass nut to it, using an 8BA steel bolt through both lugs to hold it in place during soldering.

I then removed the last 2mm or so of thread from a 1/2 inch steel 8BA bolt to create a guide pin.

Using a dab of blu-tack and a long screwdriver, this bolt can be easily inserted  (chassis lying on its side) – the guide pin ensures proper alignment and freedom from cross-threading.

I even bought a cheese cutter type wire saw that I thought I could pass behind the pipes and cut them that way. In fact, the wire saw was too stiff to attempt this, and so I was back to square one. After practicing on a piece of spare pipe, I decided to use a fine hacksaw blade - minus the handle! With padding for surrounding areas, and my long-suffering wife holding the pipe steady with a pair of pliers, I attacked it. After a few minutes the pipe was cut, and after a clean up with a fine file and finishing paper the job was done. I attached the chuffer by pushing it down the chimney and after a few attempts managed to snugly push it onto the exhaust pipes. Success! I took it straight out to try on my rolling road. I was absolutely delighted with the end result - it sounds fantastic

Terry Keep has also fitted the Chuffer to his Sandy River No.24 and adds the following:

"I followed Ken Wright’s method on the Fitting Notes page of the website, but working single-handed found the following helpful:

I made a fitting gauge out of a piece of plastic tubing and a clamp. I pushed the tube down the chimney (sorry – stack) so that it enclosed the exhaust pipes and the bottom end gave a cutting guide. A simple clamp on the tube rested on the top of the chimney to hold it in position - it did squeeze the tube a bit - but it works!

Holding the top end of the tube enabled me to steady the exhaust pipes while cutting with a fine junior hacksaw blade. A metal pipe might be better and I did need a bit of help with a pair of snipe-nosed pliers towards th

The cutting height worked out at 71mm, (not 72 as in the Lady Anne instructions – maybe I measured it wrong). The clamp squeezed the pipe a little but the arrangement worked:

The pipes were cleaned up by inserting a flat swiss file down the stack, and then through the smokebox door hole.

While cleaning up the pipes I found it useful to try each pipe in turn in the holes in the chuffer fitting, by rotating the chuffer through 180 degrees:

Terry has now added the following note:

A better method than using a clamp would be to drill through the tube and insert a piece of rod (or the drill that you used) to form a cross-piece that would sit on top of the stack.(Make sure that the 71mm dimension is correct)

You can see Terry's loco in action here at the bottom of Video Page 6

Lindsay Newton followed the notes on this page - and here are his own notes and photos - in his own special Pine Tree Junction style!

"I followed Ken's and Terry's instructions from the Summerland Chuffer website and found it much easier than I expected. I had successfully fitted a Summerlands Chuffer to our Roundhouse Jack Special Edition and our Silver Lady, but was full of fear and trepidation at tackling our magnificent Sandy River. I don’t mind taking a hacksaw to most things, but our Sandy River is something very special.  After the dramatic transformation that a chuffer made to Jack and Silver Lady, Sandy River was sounding very deficient in the sound department so the deed had to be done! With my printed page beside me, and some email encouragement from Chris Bird, I assembled the tools and in true Pine Tree Junction style, brought the camera along as well. If I was going to mess this up, I would need photographic evidence!  Anyway, all went well and I successfully fitted the Summerlands Chuffer to Sandy River without any problem at all.  What a fantastic sound she now makes. You can check this out for yourself by clicking the video below. Many thanks Chris and Nigel for inventing a great little addition to our superb Roundhouse locomotives!    

Here are my step by step instructions.  

   1. Unscrew the small nut and bolt under the smoke box.

   2. Gently pull out the smoke box door to reveal the two cooper steam pipes.

   3. Drill a small hole in a scrap piece of copper pipe, 71mm from the bottom

   4. Slip a small piece of wire into the hole to rest on the top of the chimney/smokestack  

   5. Lower the cooper pipe into the smoke stack so the piece of wire rests across the top

   6. Mark the two steam pipes with a file across the bottom of the copper pipe.

   7. Place a piece of thin wood behind the pipes against the boiler to act as a guard.

   8. Hold the two steam pipes with a pair of pliers or a small clamp.  

   9. Using a small hacksaw blade, slowly begin to cut the pipes. Take your time - slowly does it!

  10. Remove the off cuts from the two steam pipes.  

  11. File the top and inside of the remaining steam pipes.

  12. Slip the chuffer down the smoke stack.

  13. Gently fit the chuffer onto the first steam pipe.

  14. Pull it off and try the chuffer on the second steam pipe.

  15. When both fit, gently tap the chuffer onto both steam pipes.

  16. Replace the smoke box door.

  17. Job done!