Go over every soldered joint to see if any small hole is left, and re-solder where necessary, as a hole in the boiler not larger than a pin’s point would prevent you getting any adequate pressure of steam, as the water would all blow out.
When so far complete, you can either lacquer or paint the boiler as suits your fancy, and whilst it is drying there will be time to make the lamp (Fig. 18).
It is simply an oblong box made of tin or any piece of thin metal you may have, and should be one inch and a quarter wide by five inches long, and about three-quarters of an inch deep. To make it, cut say a piece of tin four and a half inches by five inches, and bend it to shape, then solder the two edges together and cut two ends to fit. Push them in and solder in place.
Then cut three pieces of brass quarter-inch tubing into three quarter-inch lengths, drill holes in top of lamp and insert them, allowing about a quarter of an inch to project, as at A (Fig. 18); then solder them on four pieces of bent wire (C C C C), by which to hang the lamp by means of two wire pins run through them and small holes drilled in sides of projecting piece C (Fig. 10).
The screw-filler B (Fig. 18) will have to be soldered in also, and when complete the tubes A may be filled with cotton wick, and the lamp about three parts full of methylated spirit, which will give a clear smokeless flame.
You can now start your locomotive by filling the boiler about three parts full of hot water, and then hooking the lamp underneath; you will soon get a good pressure of steam up.
See that all the taps are turned off; and if there is no leakage from careless workmanship, you will find, on turning the steam-tap on, the locomotive will run beautifully, and will travel at great speed either on a smooth oil-cloth or wood floor.
I will presently explain how to make a set of rails, on which she would run much quicker still; but for this engine, if you make a small tender of the shape shown at Fig. 19, and fasten it at any angle by the set-screw on the foot-plate of the engine shown at N (Fig. 2), the model will run in any sized circle you may wish, without lines, according to the angle at which you fix the tender to the engine.