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Sunday, March 25. 2012Steam Department Update 3-24-2012Hopefully this is only a partial report on progress this weekend at the steam shop. On 1630 we were not able to progress the sand blasting on Saturday as our critical volunteers (i.e. those who can fit thru the inspection hole and work inside !!) had other commitments. However, Collin and Jason are able to work Sunday so this vital job is being progressed as I write. Update - Collin and Jason did indeed make major progress on Sunday. The front of the barrel and tube sheet are now complete and the equipment moved to the rear ready to complete that end on Saturday. Good job guys. Mike and Stu made considerable progress drilling the holes for the rivets that will hold the firebox corner patch. In addition we started to plan the process of safe ending and testing the super heater flues. Those of us too large to fit thru the manhole did however make substantial progress on the Shay. The truck was again shunted out of the South end and steam cleaned, first with the steam shop equipment and then using the far more powerful machine kindly loaned by the car shop. With several of us taking it in turns over about 5 hours the truck is now probably clean enough to inspect. It was an interesting job. Hard grease, softened by steam and blasted by high pressure tends to fly in all directions - including back at the operator. Cleaning yourself after several hours of this is not a trivial exercise !!. This makes an interesting comparison to last week. Now we can now needle chip the frames for final inspection and painting. Nigel Sunday, March 18. 2012Steam Department Update 3-17-2012A very strange day at the steam department. The temperatures were more like May than March but one of the "isolated thunderstorms" seemed to take aim at Union. I have rarely seen rain and hail like it and a significant part of the morning was spent clearing drainage as water building up between the shop and barn 9 started to flood into the shop. However, when the storm had passed it became a beautiful day and we were able to carry out the shunt to move the Shay truck out of the shop for steam cleaning. This was rather a "rush job" as no one had expected conditions to be good enough for this so soon. All the equipment started well after the winter so it proved possible to get everything shunted by 1:30. So several hours of steam cleaning were done, removing probably 30 lbs of caked grease and muck. This area of the truck frame was previously completely filled with hardened grease and muck. This had to be done using the old steam department machine as the more powerful car shop one was not yet serviced. Hopefully we can borrow that next time the weather is favorable. Now that all the equipment is set up it should be much quicker to shunt the truck outside next time. Nothing is ever as easy as you hope. The roof of the wheel drop is a bear to remove and replace, requiring use of the Bay City crane. As darkness falls, Phil and Cameron demonstrate the gentle art of removing the lifting hook that became wedged in the hoisting eye of the roof !! Also on the Shay, Dennis completed welding the crack on the front surface of the cross beam so that repair should now be complete. Unfortunately the weather was much less kind to work on 1630. The target was to complete the interior sand blasting. Eric and others managed to completely clear the blast medium from the boiler and work was started on cleaning the belly section. However the humidity after the storm proved disastrous. Moisture in the compressed air caused the equipment to clog repeatedly and only about a third of the work was done before the equipment became completely useless. The rest of the day was spent removing the buildup of damp medium from the equipment and adding additional moisture collection points to the air feed. With these in place it should be possible to complete next weekend even if we do have similar conditions. Bob and Paul prepared the cab for sand blasting the back head. To allow this, we needed to seal all open pipes and valves. This sandblasting should be a quick job once we can pull the locomotive into the open. There is no way of containing the medium when we do this so it must be done outside the shop. At the same time we will plan to lift out the throttle body for inspection. Glenn and others finished painting the remaining super heater flues so they are now all ready for safe ending. Work continued on machining various parts of 428 including the axle box plates, connecting rod ends and bushes. Nigel Tuesday, March 13. 2012
L&N 2726: Its flowing again Posted by Roger Kramer
in Passenger Car Department at
15:03
Comments (4) L&N 2726: Its flowing againWe last operated the L&N diner in 1995. It has been a s-l-o-w job of upgrading the diner to meet the McHenry County food service code. All our efforts have been focused in the kitchen. We met one of our the goals last August by achieving a successful test of flowing water through the newly installed plumbing system. Most of the work has been accomplished by Gerry Boguse and with assistance from Roger Kramer. Here are some pictures leading up to and including that event. Next project, testing freezers and refrigerators. We need freon. Won't you help with a donation to the L &N 2726 diner? Fund R2726 Long term project; purchasing and installation of a STATCO generator.
Monday, March 12. 2012News and Views - March 10, 2012Lazy me - or just short of time this week. But I am going to report on several different projects in this single BLOG ENTRY. I would be embarrassed to chronicle the time spent on this project but suffice it is longer than 3 years. And no, that time was not consumed by delays and wasted time at IRM. But here is the first sample new brake shoe created for Chicago Surface Lines 3142. This is a special design produced to a pattern made in our IRM wood shop by Buzz Morisette. A sample shoe was immediately tested for fit on the car, sitting over the inspection pit in Barn 4. It fit almost perfectly, so good that we were pressed to find something to correct in the geometry. Victor Humphreys is smiling at the two new windows made for Norfolk & Western 2050. Smiling with satisfaction at completing them, but also at the prospect of not having to tackle those again! Progress continues to made on the rebuilding of the TM 972 for our ongoing TMS project. New pins and bushings are completed every week and assembly has progressed to where cleaning and painting of the truck was started. Here, Dan Fenlaciki, Frank Sirinek, and Mike Stauber are on their hands and knees applying primer. And by the end of the day all the parts were substantially completed, looking good in fresh primer. Buzz Morisette continued on his work to restore two doors for one of our Illinois Terminal cars. Once you do a 'pretty good' job there is always the urge to take the next step to get closer to perfection. So a 'quick patch' has turned into a more significant effort. Three fellows from the Michigan Electric 28 work team made a rare Saturday appearance. Here, Ray Schmid works on another of the fancy upper sash windows, cleaning and showing off the prismatic cathedral glass. Some more of the salvaged sash are at the bench beside him. What is that??? It is a nickname for an electrolytic process that is fairly effective at removing paint and reversing the oxidation process that results in rust. Some simple washing soda and a 12 volt battery booster are the major items for trouble free rust removal on convoluted and elaborate pieces, not easily stripped by any other process at IRM. Tim Peters is putting the finishing touches on such a rubber lined wood tank at the east end of Barn 4. The SPOOGE? Soon you may see the frothy curd like foam that consists of the removed coatings and rust of the piece that serves as the 'victim', ceiling grills from the interior of CRT 1797. Also on the 1797, Tim had to pull these two glued up window frames from the press as another project was waiting for the machine. Do not worry - plenty of time overnight for them to set up and have sound joints. Sunday, March 11. 2012Steam Department Update 3-10-2012Yesterday was a productive session at the Steam Shop. On 1630: Collin did most of the remaining sand blasting while Phil did a great job getting sand back out of the boiler, supported by a number of us who spent the day either pouring 50 lb bags of sand into the equipment or collecting it out of the chute as is was removed !!. We should now be at the point of "tidying up". The back tube sheet, parts of the belly and dry pipe need to be done but, aside from that, it is a case of inspecting and "touching up" any areas that are not clean enough to allow a good inspection. This should be done next weekend. Collin took a few shots inside the boiler where Nigel does not fit. This one shows the critical seam between the rear tubesheet and the firebox crown. Now largely clean, we need to clean back as far as the crown stays next week to allow the complete inspection of this area. This is the front tubesheet, still closed off by the ply sheets. The cleaning is now done. The area where the sheet joins the barrel has been subject of particular attention as this is an area where there is a particular risk of cracks. Glenn and his grandson completed the cutting of the super heater flues. A coat of paint on those not already done and this job will be complete. Work was also progressed on making good the mud ring ready for the firebox patch. Dennis has built up a number of the rivet holes with weld and Mike was grinding the welded areas to allow these to be drilled to provide accurate holes for riveting. Over the next few weeks we expect to carry out the thickness testing and, as soon as the weather looks suitable, pull her outside to sand blast the cab back head. This will also allow much of the accumulated dust to be removed. On the Shay there was a lot of activity: Dennis has been welding during the week and on Saturday. What was initially just the rebuilding of the smoke box has become a much bigger job that demonstrates the joys of inspecting old steam engines!!. We have always known that #5 had a major accident many years ago in which it fell on its right side. As a result of this the motor was replaced and other repairs were required. Possibly as part of this, the transverse beam which carries the locomotive on the front truck was cracked and strengthened with steel plates on both front and back faces. Inspection revealed that this repair was not very well done (although I guess you can say that, having lasted 75 years, it was probably fit for purpose). The plates were not heavily welded to the beam in the center so the plates themselves have now cracked. Clearly this is not good as the weight of the boiler rides on this cracked area. This view clearly shows the patches attached to the beam many years ago and the area where Dennis has cut back thru both the plate and the beam to get to the root of the crack. The repair involves extensive cutting back thru the plates to the beam where they are cracked and then building up again with a solid body of weld metal. The cutting out has been done on both sides and, by end of day, the rear face had been completely rebuilt. Once the beam is fully rebuilt Dennis can move on the smoke box. Phil made good progress on the truck cleaning. He has now removed much of the dry muck. With the improving weather we will plan to shunt the truck (and 428) out of the South end as soon as possible to use the steam cleaner to blast off the greasy material. On 428 forming of the steel plates that will be used to rebuild the axle boxes is well under way. Attaching these will be a major job for Dennis once the Shay smoke box is done. Tom discusses the shaping operation with Cameron and Phil. Nigel |
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Comments
Mon, 03-08-2021 13:33
Hey, as this concerns passenger cars, but what is the current status of the CBQ dome coach Silver Pony? It was last updated on in 2016, and is not [...]
Sun, 02-21-2021 21:12
Hi Ethan The 428 has been worked on recently but the focus now is on the maintenance and repair on the 1630 and the Shay. This Spring we will [...]
Sun, 02-21-2021 15:10
How is the UP 428 Steam locomotive engine is most done being fixed. OK Roger.
Sun, 02-21-2021 13:18
Hello Max The answer is Yes, the Dover will be used along with our other Pullman cars only in special event operations. When not in use [...]
Sun, 02-21-2021 12:30
Hello Jim We will be operating the Dover this year depending upon its mechanical condition. I hope to use the car in display venue as well as in [...]
Sun, 02-21-2021 12:24
Hello Kirk Hello, Yes the Dover is now in great shape. There are a couple of little projects to accomplish when the weather changes. I am [...]
Sat, 02-20-2021 18:55
Will the DOVER STRAIT be operational for Museum trips
Sat, 02-20-2021 17:06
I’m really impressed with the wonderful job your volunteers are doing to restore this historic passenger car. Once the restoration is complete, does [...]
Sat, 02-20-2021 14:02
It is great to see the work that Bob Hunter and Gene Macowiak started in the 1990’s. Great work done in finishing the two bedrooms and the buffet [...]
Fri, 02-19-2021 18:41
Very good article. I definitely love this website. Continue the good work!
Tue, 02-02-2021 10:15
I know it is wintertime, and the Virus is making getting people in to do work is difficult, so in a few months, when it's warmer, would someone please [...]
Sun, 01-31-2021 14:37
Hello Jack Thank you very much We in the coach dept are working very hard to have these trains restored Thanks Roger