Live Steam D50725 by Kimura

Description of 5 inch Live Steam Locomotive
D50 725　of Japan National Railway

＜Presented by Hideoki Kimura from July 2006 in JAPAN and USA＞

This engine has been completed except for number plates in 14 years. It has moved to Muroran, Kamaishi, Kimitsu in Japan and Indiana in the U.S. 　I made all parts from steel bars, plates, pipes and cast irons. Some parts such as a boiler are made of brass and copper.

Type of D50 Engine in Japan National Railway.
Only tow of 380 engines made in Japan are stored now.


In Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum(July 2006)	Sanji Park in Kitami City (29 Apr. 2008)

Dates	Titles	Topics	Photos	Total Hours
3 Sep 2020	Coupler	Couplers were the last parts I made. It was difficult to make due to the complex shape. They were made by brazing several parts. The parts I got from my friend (right side photo) was very useful to design it.		5,888
7 May 2020	Seat	My first skin work! A driver's seat was made of deer skin with woods and cusions.		5,838
12 Apr. 2020	Painting	COVID-19 came suddenly. I stayed at home to work. I got an enough time for D50. I used it to paint D50 body. Every part of the body was disassmbled and painted. 　I remained pipes and parts made by brass without paints. It is looked like prewar Lionel models I like. 　 Lionel 262E		5,824
26 Feb. 2020	Compressed Air Cooling Pipes	They are made of 4 mm steel bars. they look good.		5,729
19 Jan. 2020	Plumbing	These pipes are all dummies made of copper pipes of 5mm and 8mm in diameter.		5,714
22 Sep. 2019	Ladder	This shape is easy to make, but I needed some hours to cut plates. 　I spent a lot of time to visit railroad spots and purchase train models this summer.		5,668
6 May 2019	Water Heater	This water pump is not a general round type of Japan National Railway. I made an original restangle type.		5,605
3 Mar. 2019	Feed Water Pump	This feed water pump is not a general type of Japan National Railway. It is an old original type. Becuase I don't know its exact shape, I imaged it to design. This shape might be different. 　I didn't have enough time to make it at my garage. This winter was very cold in Indiana.		5,540
11 Oct. 2018	Compressor	It took three months to make a dummy compressor which had complex shape. It fixed by a bar between front and rear running boards. 　　　The compressor has a hole at the back side, because the brake bar (only model) interferes with it.		5,466
23 Jun. 2018	Sand Dome	It was very difficult to make round parts on the corner. I made them finally by hammering sheets on a dent block, after I failed three times. The sand dome was soldered by silver from 12 parts. It took 44 hours. 　　 A portable air conditioner I bought is very useful for too hot garage in Indiana		5,351
15 Apr. 2018	Cab	The cab was completed in nine month after begining. The roof can be opened for driving. Designed hinge mechanism has good performance. The removal roof has suitable shape without big distortion made by solder burner.Rear walls can be removed by screws in order to drive the engine. 　Name plates and number plates will be attached finally.		5,297
10 Jan. 2018	Whistle(Dummy)	The whistle made by scale of 1/8.4 becomes delicate form. It may be broken by hitting in the future.		5,217
22 Dec. 2017	Boiler Cover	The cover on the boiler is completed. It is attached to the inside of cab front with M2 screws. I made some accesaries on the cover. 　Quenched ribbon steels bought in Japan bound the boiler covers. It looks better.		5,202
9 Oct. 2017	Cab	The front plate of the cab is t3 thick and the side plats are t2. As I cannot round t2 thickness near roof, it was used a pipe of 44mm diameter cut 60 degrees. It looks good. Main parts were soldered with silver. The roof is not made yet.		5,157
25 Apr. 2017	Boiler cover Steam Dome	The boiler is covered by the left and right rounded sheets of t1 thick. They are separated three parts in the longitudial direction. They have flat bars on the top of boiler to fix the sheets by screw. 　The steam dome has two parts. The upper part was shaved from a round bar and the lower part was hammered from a round sheet.	紐で縛ってあるのは仮止めで、焼入れリボン鋼で絞める予定（アメリカでは手に入らず、一時帰国時に調達してくるつもり）	5,006
11 Apr. 2017	Smoke Box (inside)	Some sheets cover holes above the cylinders in the smoke box. Removable inner stack is attached from outside.		4,970
26 Mar 2017	Draft Pipes	Draft steam pipe goes from steam distributer & draft valve to under of smokestack though the reinforcing pipe of boiler. 　　Compressed air for draft is taken from a coupler (lower left side of the boiler) and connected to draft pipe via below and right side of boiler.		4,951
14 Mar 2017	Oil Pipes	Pipes from oil pump(right side on the picture) to main steam pipes through under body. There are check valves before main steam paipes.		4,938
25 Feb 2017	Smokestack	The face of the engine has been appeared. The ring is attached to the tip of the boiler. The smoke box can be separated in order to remove easily. 　　The Smokestack was made from three parts. The upper was shaped from disk, the middle was bent from sheet, and the lower was hammered from conical sheet. It is my first try to hammered metal. I failed to make from cylinder plate at first. Next I tried to hammer conical plate. It was succeed very much. Right side is the conical plate before hammerd.		4,928
5 Feb 2017	Smoke Box	The face of the engine has been appeared. The ring is attached to the tip of the boiler. The smoke box can be separated in order to remove easily.		4,890
2 Jan 2017	Smoke Box Door	My work for the model has been begun from December at last. The parts of the smoke box door were made in the U.S. They were shaped from steel disks of φ215 & φ180. 　　December of Indiana was unusual cold I recognized -18℃. It is too cold to work. The electric heater I prepared is almost useless for the wide garage. I endure the cold during working.		4,842
6 Oct 2016	New house & Work shop	I spent at hotel for one month and moved to a rental house. It has three garages that are two for cars and one for my work shop. The model got no visual damage, but some bolts were loose. 　 Fishers, IN	My new work shop. All desks were made by 2x4.	4,769
31 July 2016	Luggage to the U.S.	Luggage was moved out two days before I depart to the U.S. I bring the models, machines and tools without desks, shelfs, air compressor, compound milter saw, LPG tank, sulfuric asid etc. After the luggage moving		4,769
12 June 2016	Cage for transport	An appointed notification to the U.S. has come to me suddenly. I did not expect it at all. I was hurried to prepare for transpotation of the model. I began to make the cage for the model at first. It was made by steel angles with nuts and bolts. After it was completed, I failed to put the model into the cage. The model fell to the ground floor from the desk. I felt a big fear. However the damage of the model was not big, becuse the front parts played the role of bumper. 　 Damage of the front parts	The front parts was repaired, and the model put into the cage.	4,724
14 May 2016	Tender/Painting	Tender has been completed by painting. It took about one yesr, 321 hours without plannig. They were sanded before painting. The frames are painted to red.	Tender with a lever for a water pump, a lever for break, lebers for feet.	4,693
24 Apr. 2016	Outside plate of Tender	I moved to the head office in Tokyo from Kimitsu works where I have been for two years. I go to new office by highway bus via aqualine. It takes one and a half hours, but I need not to move my house. The plates of the tender have been made for four months. The plates are attached on the frames with screws. It was not used silver solder, because heat deform the plates. Rebets on the plates are hit by my revet hammer from back. My original revet hammer
21 Dec. 2015	Seprator	A separator is in a steam dome for seperating steam and water. Though I did not know whether a separator of a model is useful, it was equipped.		4,549
19 Nov. 2015	Brake handle	The brakes of the driving wheels cannot stop the engine, but can stop rolling. They are like parking brakes of automobiles. The braking power reaches the brake shos of the wheels throug bars, levers and a spring from the cab.		4,498
16 Sep. 2015	Tank frame of Tender	The tank frame of the tender are made of 9x9 6x9 flat bars which were connected by M3 bolts. They are solid enough. Image of Driving	w	4,355
30 Aug. 2015	Brake System of Tender	The brake system of the tender is the same mechanism as the real engines. I brake by the handle of the central right.		4,313
20 July 2015	Bogies of Tender	Nine years passed from tthe start. The wheels, the axle boxes and the springs were assembles in the bogies of the tender.		4,221
7 June 2015	Drain	The drain bars under the cylinders are operated by the cab through rods and levers. Their movements are good.		4,160
7 June 2015	Painting	Whole of the frames were painted. All parts were taken to pieces and painted. Before they were painting, they were pickled, or washed by hot water. Any rust-preventing paint was not used. The kind of paints was the emulsion of ASAHIPEN. It took about one month to assemble them.		4,160
5 Apr. 2015	Bogies of Tender	The bogies have a lot of prats of same forms. It took many hours to make them. Such parts were pre-painted, and connected by 384 sets of bolts and nuts. (M2.6 & M3) These parts are 16 pieces to the two bogies.		4,045
28 Feb. 2014	Connector	It connects the engine and the tender. The buffer uses two coil springs of φ2.5 wire, external φ15, heiht 22mm.		3,970
9 Nov. 2015	Air tanks	Air tanks were made of φ63.5mm pipes and suspended by steel ribbons.		3,864
28 Sep. 2014	Covers of cylinders	Covers of the cylinders were made from t1mm plates. The air valves and the drain valves have the original function. The cylinder safety valves and the eye holes are dummy. 　 Air valve　　　　　　　Cylinder safety valve	Covers of the cylinder　　　　　　On the cylinder block	3,818
30 July 2014	Fire doors	For the opening and shutting the fire doors, the gears are used.		3,763
26 June 2014	Fire grate	Fire grates were made from t3x13mm flat bars and M5 bolts. They were divided into three parts to diposit and withdraw them from the fire hole of the boiler.		3,723
16 May. 2014	Transeferd and Moved	I was transeferd to kimitsu(Chiba) from Kamaishi(Iwate). I looked for a house with the space for my workshop, and I moved to the new house. My workshop was dismantled and carryed by the truck. It was very hard work.		3,712
24 Jan. 2014	Running boards	The running boards were made from t3mm plates with the hemming of t2x8mm flat bars. The checkered plates made by eching will be on them.		3,651
19 Jan. 2014	Oil pump	The mechanical pumps are moved from the valve gear. The ratchet gear was bought. It was hard to make 29 small parts. I tried to express details of the box surface. Plan view		2,882
9 Nov. 2013	Whistle valve Draft valve			2,882
21 Sep. 2013	Boiler connection	The boiler was put on the frames. The regulator, the pressure gauge and water gauge were installed to it. It connected to the cylinders with the tubes. The pressure air into the boiler moves well the cylinders and wheels through the regulator. Safety valve		2,882
2nd Sep. 2013	Superheater	They are four tubes in four large boiler tubes.		2,882
1st Sep. 2013	Regulator valve	It is slide type.		2,882
10 Aug. 2013	Ashpan hooper	Opening of the covers is hand-operated (not remote from the cab) and shutting is moved by the springs.		2,882
14 July 2013	Completion of the third boiler	The third boiler was compeleted at last ! It took three years since I began to make the first one. I could not clear the low pressured air test by repairing with silver solder. After I tried several times. I changed it to soft solder of hidf temperature melting point. It was very useful. At last, the boiler was tested by high pressured water and cleared more than 0.9MPa. I improved following points mainly. 1) Copper was changed to oxygan-free. 2) Rivets and bolts pitch was shortened to 8mm 3) Copper plating bolts(M3) were used.		2,882
15 Apr. 2013	Third Boiler	The third boiler was made for nine month. The water in boiler leaked from about 20 points. It is much better than the former failed boilers.		2,882
19 Aug. 2012	Boiler(remade)	I tried repairing the boiler again and again with acetylene burner. But they were not success. At last , the reinforcing bars in boiler were bending much. I gave up repairing the boiler. I think that the temperature of acetylene burner is too high for silver solder. I was shocked very much. I do not have any idea how to improve it.		2,882
6 May. 2012	Boiler (remade) Water Guage	The remade boiler is not completed yet. Though I repeatedly re-solder the place where air leaks, leaks of air do not decrease. I try to use acetylene burner instead of liquefied petroleum gas(LPG). Because flame of acetylene burner is strong and thin, it is suitable to re-solder small place only. 　 I made the water gauge, while I repaired the boiler.	Acetylene Burner　　　 Water Gauge	2,882
10 Mar. 2012	Boiler(remade)	The form of the remade boiler was finished. I begin to test by air instead of water.		2,810
12 Oct. 2011	Boiler(remade)	The boiler body were made from 3 piece of pipes. I bent the 3mm thickness copper plates by hand and made the pipes. The plates were joined with rivets of 10mm pitch and soldered with silver.		2,583
20 Aug. 2011	Water compartment(tank) and Handy pump	I tried welding with tungsten inert gas to make a water tank. The result was not good. It is not better than solder for me.		2,489
11 June 2011	Boiler	The pipe of body was made by stainless steel, because of strength. But it was too difficult for me to solder stainless steel and copper with silver. This boiler was failure. It cannot keep water of the inside.I decided to remake it.	The failure boiler	2,327
18 Mar. 2011	Tsunami	My town Kamaishi suffered great damage by the tsunami in 11th march 2011. All of my family were safe. I must work to save our co-workers and restore our workplace for several months.
18 Oct. 2010	Guide pipe of Cylinder bar	These are just decorations in a dummy.		2,033
12 Sep. 2010	Reversing Gear	It is a rotary type of reversing gear.		1,983
13 Aug. 2010	Running performance	Bravo! It is good performance to run at test of air. I feel that it was good decision for me to use piston valves and piston lings. 　　　　I am sometimes a little hurt at my fingers. I did a little big injury to go to hospital this time at last.
18 July 2010	Valve Gears	It has finished to assemble the valve gears. They were revised to make the traverse of No.1 driving wheels bigger. (The quantity of traverse is +-5.5mm.)		1,884
16 May 2010	Links	Combinatiom links and Union links. To the completion of valvegears, the remaining parts are slide bars, Cross heads and valve bar's cross heads.		1,818
3 May. 2010	Cylinders	It has finished to assemble the cylinders. they are good performance at test of air. 　　 Piston Valve		1,788
2 Apr. 2010	Valve Bar Guide	They are dummys. My mind is easy for making dummy parts, even if they are complex form.		1,753
14 Feb. 2010	Cylinder Blocks	Cylimder Brock have almost finished making at last. It took 110 hours added 50 hours for the former mastaked ones. It was difficult to process 12kg iron blocks(150x115x100mm). And it was more difficult to do honning. Though honing is usually to ask an expert, I tried it. I do not make sure about that result.		1,689
19 Dec. 2009	Return crank Eccentric rod Curved slotted link	While I have a hard fight for making cylinders, I made these parts. They have brass bushing on rotation places.		1,583
13 Sep. 2009	Main Rods	They have length of 400mm and thickness of 9mm. They have bent easily after cutting the ditches with the millimg machine. It was difficult to remake straight. .		1,466
3 Aug. 2009	Coupling Rods	It took many hours to make six coupling rods, but it were not very dificult with my new milling machine. I tried seven times last time when I made C58's one of gage 1.		1,428
14 June 2009	Whistle	The model of this whistle is the woodn whistle that I bought at Durango railway museum in the U.S. I am satisfied with the sound of five musical scales. It will be put in the air tank. (four musical scales)	Click : Sound of this Whistle (MP3)	1,368
29 May 2009	Feed pumps	These pumps work in the thied driving wheels. The sylinder bors are diameter of 8mm. The piston strokes are 22mm.		1,357
16 May 2009	Break System	This break system moves four axes together. (Real engine moves by tow axes.) This will work when the engine stop.		1,316
12 April 2009	Driving Wheels	It took 139 hours to make driving wheels from the castings.	Without counter weights	1,199
25 Jan. 2009	Bearing for Driving Wheels	Needle bearings were adopted.		1,097
18 Jan. 2009	Trailing Truck	The trailing truck was finished eight months later since I began to make it last June before I moved.		1066
6 Dec. 2008	Wooden Forms of Driving Wheels	I had to remake them after I found a mistake of the driving wheel’s design.		984
14 Nov. 2008	Pilot Wheels	I had a hard time to cut the wheels with the lathe. Cutting surface was very course, because I made a mistake in setting of rotary speed of the new machine.		955
19 Oct. 2008	A New Workshop	My family moved to Kamaishi. We live together again. I built a new workshop on the garden of our new house. It was a kit made in the U.S.A. I added thick inner walls to the shed for soundproofing. 　　　　　　　　　The new shed was named “DECO”. D50 was called “Deco-maru” in Japanese.		926
4 Oct. 2008	Ｎ Gauge	Making the scenery of N gauge layout was completed with a little more in my dormitory.	It was completed in 31 Dec. 2008.	902
25 Sep. 2008	Pilot & Trailing Wheels	Casting of the pilot and trailing wheels was finished in Tanaka industry co. The castings are good. Especially their skin looks fine.		883
3 July 2008	Transefered	I have been transferred to Kamaishi works of Nippon Steel. I have to live alone for a while at my company’s dormitory without my family. While I cannot make the model of D50, I will make up the scenery of N gauge layout.		835
14 Jun. 2008	Pirot Truck	These are the pilot truck with the needle bearings and the side control. The design of side control was modified by me in order to curve more than the real.		809
28 May 2008	Suspensions	I have used whole May to make the suspension system. There are lots of elements in them, such as 144 leaf springs, 64 links, 8 saddles and 8 equalizers and the other parts.		780
29 Apr. 2008	The other D50	There are only two D50 engine in Japan. One is No.140 in Umekouji museum in Kyoto. I have been there. And I went to Kitami city of Hokkaido to meet the other D50 (No.25) at last.		716
20 Apr, 2008	Under-Frames	The under -frames have been almost finished. they are bigger than I expected. I have realized the size of 5 inch model. There are only two D50 engines in Japan, now. One is No.140 in Umekoji of Kyoto. I have been there. And I went to Kitami city of Hokkaido to meet the other D50 (No.25) at last.		702
5 Apr. 2008	New Lathe	A long-awaited lathe came at last! It is able to shape the driving wheels of φ175. It is 100kg in weight.　 Under-frames have been almost finished. They are bigger than I expected. I have realized the size of the 5inch model.		664
23 Mar. 2008	Rear　Frame	The rear frames have been finished with no trouble. It was well to bend t4.5mm plate with accuacy.		636
20 Jan. 2008	Main Frames	1.Deformation The main frame bent after I cut t10 plates. I could not believe it. I made straight them unwillingly with burner and long hours. 2.Mistake Though I was very careful of cutting the main frames. I did make mistake. I cut 48mm width against the correct 45mm width. It was repaired by t3 plate and bolt with Loctite. 　Production time : 52 hours		501
8 Dec. 2007	Motion Plates	It took 39 hours for the motion plates. I feel it was too long. How many hours dose it take to finish the whole model? I have become afraid of it. I tried a new burner and silver solder. They are easy to use for me.		430
15 Sep. 2007	Convex Glasses	Because I have grown farsighted, I have often taken off my glasses. So I prepared new up-down type of convex glasses to make the model. I use my own eyes without the glasses when I see fine parts. My progressive nearsighted eyes are very useful to see precision parts.		310
9 Sep. 2007	First Parts	I do not know the name of this part, this is one of the parts that connect the main frames between 1st and 2nd wheels.		300
28 Aug. 2007	Bearing	Needle bearings will be used for all wheels. I judge that needle bearings are better performance than metal bearins in real locomotive.		282
14 Aug. 2007	Short Break	My family (my wife, a daughter, two sons and I) traveled in U.S.	Travel's Photo. on Private Page	280
28 July 2007	Milling Machine	The milling machine was replaced. A new big machine was made in Taiwan at 155kg in weight. I feel that machine tools are much cheaper than 15 years ago, when I bought the mini-lathe. It was very hard work for me to move the heavy machine from the front door to the workshop.		277
28 July 2007	Start of Product	I have started to make the model, as I was not able to endure only that I designed. My first workshop is a common storeroom of the steel. It is too small to complete 5inch engine. It is temporary workshop, because I may be transferred and move to another house. I will make parts of the engine in this small storeroom.		253
28 Apr. 2007	Observation Again	I visited Umekouji steam locomotive museum again to research the details of D50.		209
15 Jan. 2007	Boiler	The boiler body will be made of stainless steel. The other part will be copper.		135
22 Nov. 2006	Cylinder	The type of Double ports is adopted for the piston valve.		85
23 Sep. 2006	Wheels	I found that shapes of No.3 driving wheels and No.1,2,4 driving wheel are differrent for the first time.		54
21 Sep. 2006	Observation	D50 140 is stored at steam locomotive museum 'Umekouji' in Kyoto which is far from my town. I traveled there to observe it and took pictures.		34
18 Aug. 2006	Start of Design	I bought a CAD software of Photron. It is useful when I design on the personal computer.		17
23 July 2006	Engine Model	I have chosen Japanese engine type of "D50". This type was a first moderate engine made in Japan, which was designed in reference to American type. Mikado type of wheels and stick under-frames were adopted to D50 for the first time in Japan. 380 engine were made from 1923 to 1931.		6
2 July 2006	Start	I prepare to make a live-steam engine of 5 inch gauge, which has been my dream. C58725 of 45 mm gauge engine was a training before I would make a 5 inch gauge engine. However it took 13 years to complete it. I have hesitated to make a next engine. May I really make it up? 5 inch gauge engine will be much bigger (about three times) than 45 mm gauge one. One year passed after I finished making C58725. Now I have decided that I begin to make it first of all.		0

　ＨＯＭＥ Gauge 1 C58 725