If I want to run Willi on our club track at public events, it needs to pass a boiler test, and the problem with that is that the gauge showed around 10psi, even when the boiler was empty and loco cold! It seems that one of the first checks is that the pressure gauge works, and this one didn't.
A new guage was £22 from Gardenrailways.co.uk and I've finally go around to fitting it. Well, Boxing Day was to see some steam action in Rowington. An event that will sadly mean me missing the annual visit from my cousin. Don't worry, we'll both get over it...
Anyway, fitting the new gauge was simple enough with the aid of a small spanner (6mm I think) and a touch of liquid PTFE on the threads. Somehow, on the final tightening, I managed to get it wonky. I'll fix that later.
I wanted to make the best of the late afternoon sunshine for a quick test. Very quickly, it became apparent that the gauge worked fine. Winding the gas up a bit, the safety valve fires off at around 3 bar, which seems a little high, although it's slowly venting steam a bar below that. Working pressure is 3 bar apparently, so I'll stop worrying. You have to get the burner to very loud to get that anyway, and I prefer these things to be a whisper.
The loco steamed well on blocks, and no leaks around the pressure gauge, so I'll call that a success. Not that impressive I grant you, but then I am still new to this live steam tinkering.
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