February 2024

Something I could not resist

I was wondering around Facebook and found a group that features parts for steam cars for sale.  In there I saw a pressure gauge listed: 

So how could I pass this up?  I didn't.  

I did some additional digging and found that in theory a pressure gauge works best when the system is setup to read about mid range on the gauge. So since the Lyka is setup to run around 250 PSI, this gauge should fit the bill quite nicely.  

When it came in I felt that it would need a good cleaning and re-calibration.  I searched the inter-web and found that there were very few people that would service the gauge.  Finally as I was checking out links on Grier's blog, I hit upon:  http://www.steamcatalogs.com/  and a gentleman named Terry Jones in Wisconsin.  We corresponded and I sent him the gauge to work on.   You have to be patient,  he is busy and also 87 years old,  but a couple of months later I got it back.  

According to documents on the British Car website,  the gauge was made in 1903, close enough for me. 

I am not sure exactly where I am going to mount it,  again - just waiting for the rest of the kits to show up. 

Thanks for reading,

Poppapope

Denver, CO USA

January 2024 -

And so it goes - or so it seems -

Early days of the Stanley's and Steamers:

As the time continues to pass without being able to make real progress on the build, I decided to do additional research on the early days of the "company". There are a couple of sources on those early days of the automobile.  The one I think of as contemporaneous is the weekly newspaper called the "Horseless Age" that was published in New York. I also have been able to find a number of references to the early days of the collaboration via the advertising campaigns that took place.  By looking at the dates of publication and also skimming the articles and columns in the paper, I find that the initial startup was named "The Automobile Company of America" in Spring of 1899.  Evidently, there was a challenge to the use of the name "Automobile" and by July 1899 the name was changed to Locomobile.  The initial advertising featured the Stanley Brothers in the "Model 1" which was actually built in 1898 (seems like only one was produced, but 100-200(actual amount unclear) were on order before the brothers sold to Walker and Barber.   The initial factory was known as The Stanley Factory in Newton, MA.  Soon after the factory was moved to Bridgeport, Ct.  

The published history of the Locomobile Steamers goes on to layout all the permutations of the various models and details the changes in size and shape.  

We all know the Lykamobile is at best a "Tribute" replica of the Locomobile Steamers.  I have chosen the original "Model 1" as the source of my "inspiration".  As such, I have used the Newton, MA address on the nameplate I had created.  

Here are examples of the early advertising: 

The name badges have also evolved,  again the first showing Newton as the location.   Here is an image of the one I found in an archive: 

This is the style I have modeled my plate after.  

Of course, I have to have my own plate for the final reveal of the finished buggy. 

Cabin Fever

Late last year I received a couple of emails from STW.   The first were listings of the parts yet to come and an inventory of those on hand.  Then came a general apology for the delays in production with a promise that the backlog should be closed up by late January.  The actual "Boiler Inspection" schedule is still a bit vague, but I am hopeful that by mid February we will have a plan in place for shipping in the remaining kits. 

During this delay period, I have been reading, again and again, the build logs of the previous builders I have found on the web.  Grier in S.C. has been an invaluable resource,  and there have been a scattering of other logs and videos from other models going back to the original company.  

As a result I have determined some modifications and additions I will want to make once the build is under way again. 

1.  Add a semi-automatic oiler for cross-heads and valve guide bearing surfaces.  Using a Leukenheimer oiler, attached to a manifold and distributed via 1/8" copper tubing.  

 

2.  Follow Grier's advise and secure the inner guts of the water-pumps to keep the check-valves from getting out of wack.  

 

3. Finalize the design of the lighting on the rear of the Lyka.  Colorado DMV will have a requirement for Brake Lamps.  I decided on adapting the Dual Lamp models from a Model A to my use. 

 

4. Finalize the rear driving lamp circuit to include a LED modified lantern and License Plate bracket. 

 

5. Add a powered horn.  I decided to use a foot switch in the future floor section, and picked up a little beep-beep horn for a moped.   I will also have a full sized Rubes Air-Bulb Horn,  Bermuda Carriage Bell, and Steam Whistle.   Colo DMV requires the powered horn, the rest are just because. 

 

Here are the bits and pieces I have acquired, the actual install will come later. 

 

OILER SYSTEM

 

 

 

 

 LIGHTS 

HORN

 

Once the weather clears a bit and I can schedule a couple of days in the garage, I will get the wiring harness extended to add the lamps and horn.  

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Poppapope

Denver, CO USA

October Activities - Small Projects

Report from STW

I heard last week from Dean at Steam Traction World (STW). He is the Director or General Manager of the company.  I suspect he is also the owner, but I do not know for sure.  The UK has quite a number of different terms for everyday things.  

Dean and I have corresponded and talked over the past two years during my association with STW. I have been somewhat frustrated over the extended time the production is taking and Dean wanted to set the record straight.  

STW has been affected by the last 3 years in much the same way as other industries.  Suppliers have been unable to meet schedules, a number of the foundries they deal with have closed,  people retired or moved on, and production has suffered delays.  

Dean has assured me that the Lykamobile production is getting back on track and he feels that the remaining kits will be produced by the end of the year.  Over the past month I have seen reports and inventory lists for the various kits and I am feeling comfortable with the promise that my investment is not at risk.  Which is good because I am not sure what I could do with a 1/2 a steam buggy. 

Dean sent me some pictures of more boilers under construction.  If this is all of the Lyka boilers, then it looks like there are 8 other Lyka projects out in the world and underway.  It would be great to hear from the other builders and get to know them.  So if anyone reading this blog is currently building a Lyka please let me know and we can compare notes as we finish over the next months. 

Louvers

The original Locomobile had a body made of wood panels.  Parts were made from or covered in leather, and the side panels on most models had strips of wood running horizontally on both sides.  These strips resemble louvers but in fact are not functional.   Grier, on his blog, showed that he had found a number of drawings relating to the features on the side panels for both Locomobile and also Mobile (offshoot of the original Loco) models of the time.  

Using these drawings as a guide, I started looking for pieces of wood I could use as louvers.  From what I could determine from previous STW production runs,  the body panels are provided smooth so whatever additional features will have to be added by myself.  I could not find the tear-drop shaped (side view) slats of wood already formed as louvers and I have limited wood shop tools.  I decided to buy some slats that were already close in shape from our local wood-working store.   Then I set up a sanding jig to allow me to get them into a shape closer to what we needed. 

A little more clean up and I have a nice stack of "louvers."   Now it came time to decide on the color scheme.   I had already decided to accent my build with "British Racing Green" (BRG) and some of the engine parts have been painted that color.   I started looking for additional sources for the color and find that there are a number of versions to BRG and so I stayed with type I used on the engine.  This is actually Engine Paint that is high heat and has some ceramic of some type in it.  It went on smoothly and too the gloss top coat very well.   I will put it all aside until the body parts actually come in. 

Well, that is about it for this week/month/quarter.   First snowfall is supposed to happen this evening, I guess Fall and Winter are really here.  I will have limited working time in the garage shop.   Time to work on some of those in-side projects I have been putting off.  

 

So - keep an eye out once a month or so just to see if I have gotten anything more from across the pond. 

Here are some pictures of the Lyka as I get ready to store her for over the Winter. 

 

Regards to all - Thanks for reading,

Poppapope

Denver, Colorado USA

Just killing some more time.

 Headlamp Bracket

A while ago I covered the reconstruction of a Solar 800 Headlamp.  

https://poppapope-steamcar.blogspot.com/2023/03/finding-things-to-do-waiting-for-boiler.html 

At the time I decided to electrify it and after shining it up, I put it aside until I could figure out how to mount it on the front of the car.

Taking a cue from Grier, I focused on getting some type of mount that attached to the point where the front of the frame and the front leaf spring came together. 

When I got the frame kits from STW, the studs provided for bolting the frame to the chassis were about 1/4 inch too long.  At the time I took the easy way out and used some larger nuts as big spacers to eat up the slack.  Coming back and looking at it, I decided to try for a bracket that would fit on the front edge of the assembly and was made of 1/8 inch steel. This way it would clamp over the existing plates and I could remove the "spacer nuts" as the clamp would use up the excess.  

 

So - Where to get a bracket?  

I scoured Ebay, Etsy, Model-T sites, Brass Era sites over a couple of months.  I never found an 8" Headlamp bracket that I could use as a starting point.   I studied the blog entries on Grier's blog, 

https://210doghouse.blogspot.com/2018/03/front-headlamp-mount-part-1.html 

where he modified one to mount on his Lyka.  

After assessing my welding skills (none) I went on a hunt for someone to help me out.  I talked with a couple of fabricators here in Denver, and found that unless I was doing a large project they did not have the time.  So I looking into the local "Steel Yards" to see if I could find anyone there.  In the past I have found that many suppliers of material, wood, steel, plumbing, etc have people woring there who are craftspeople and will do small jobs.  

I found a place - Altitude Steel - in Denver that was willing to supply and fabricate my little bracket. 

(Shameless Plug)

 I gave Jake some sketches on graph paper - napkin cad - and he was able to get my bracket built in a very timely manner.   It turns out that my measurement on a crucial portion was off by a 1/2 inch, and he graciously modified the initial bracket to fit.  (no extra charge).   I will use him again for any other steel projects, on the car or off. 

Here is the bare steel bracket, as delivered,  only some minor cleanup on the two rods that insert into the headlamp was needed.  It all fit, but I wanted a little play to make removal easier.  There are a pair of bolts (set screws) in the lamp to lock it all down so I am not worried about it rattling away. 

The bracket - 

Rough Fit - I opened the bolt holes a bit to allow minor side to side adjustment. 

Primer and Paint - Automotive Gloss Black with Gloss Clear Coat.  

Fit to the front mount - I was a little concerned about getting everything tight again, especially the original use of the bolts which was to afix the chassis to the leaf-springs.  However, the bracket was just tight enough to snug everything down.  

 And a fit with the Headlamp - 

Next I dressed the power cable,  and of course - tested the lamp. 

I think that the "focus" on the beam will take a little fiddling to get setup.

 

 

 Well, that's it for this week.   I have not heard from STW about any lights at the end of the tunnel but I know that reports of how busy they are on the production floor mean that mine is not the only project behind the 8-Ball.  

It is the end of September now, and fall-winter here in Colorado means that painting and finishing get more difficult as well as your fingers get stuck to bare metal!  

So - I have set my target "First Steam-Up" for our Memorial Day - the last Monday in May, 2024. 

Unless of course - I get a surprise package before then. 

Regards to all.

Thanks for reading. 

Poppapope

Denver, Colorado USA