I can't recall exactly when I first became
interested in steam but it was some time in my childhood, may be when I
was about 10. Our farm at Brunswick Junction Western Australia backed
on to what then was a large shunting yard for the W.A.G.R.( West
Australian Government Railways ). I still live here but unfortunately
the shunters and steam era is long gone. I used to walk to the shunting
yards and a beg a ride on the G class locos that did all the shunting
and worked 24 hours a day, and occasionally if I was real lucky I would
get a ride to Collie and back . Collie is a coal mining town about 35 Ks
east of Brunswick'.
A few years ago 1 purchased a seven and a
quarter inch model steam loco which I ran In a club at Bunbury. It was
in every way but for size the same as the real thing with a 50 litre
boiler and weighed almost a ton. However there was no opportunity to
go anywhere other than round and round in circles but the steam part was
great. I sold the loco to a wild life park in Perth where it still
operates daily taking people for rides
A steam boat seemed to have all the answers
so I purchased the SL Robin Gordon from Peter Uskinszky in Brisbane .
This is the most magnificent piece of engineering as well as a great
boat. I have never seen better .
Subsequently my wife and I went to Hobart
for a holiday and met up with some dyed in the wool steam boaters. I
was fortunate to meet Wally Munster and cruise down a river with him
(can't recall the name of the river ). However I was taken with the idea
of the mono tube steam generator in his boat . At the same event I met
Don Parker and was very impressed with his boat and the idea of a steam
generator that runs on gas and can raise a full head of steam in about 4
minutes. After I retuned home I found Don's number and had a
conversation with him and subsequently he posted me some great photos
and a lot of information .
I guess the photos talk for themselves
Winding the coils what not as easy as I had expected but so far the
rest has been no trouble. The unit has been pressure tested to 300
psi. and I expect to put some heat under it soon .
I have built an engine using Peter
Uskinsky's castings. It is a 3 by 4 inch stroke runs great on air but is
to big for what I want. I was lucky to purchase a small compound
engine from Roger Barker from Adelaide and am looking for a hull to put
the lot in
The Robin Gordon is now owned by my friend
Rob Balfour of Adelaide . I was lucky enough to spend a few days with
Rob and we took the opportunity to steam all around Hindmarsh Island for
a few hours.
My ambition is to complete the project and
come to the Echuca Steam Festival next year. I will send more pics as
the project progresses
