Entries by Chris C

Greetings all,

Apologies for the delay in posting.  I just started a new job and haven’t had much time to write.  Fortunately, the steam department is full of people who like talking about trains and volunteering to do things.  Accordingly, I am pleased to provide you with an update on the end-of-season maintenance process that was graciously written by Conn McCarthy.  

-Chris

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The operating season may be over, but the work continues as the Steam Department prepares the locomotives for the winter storage and maintenance season.  Here is a brief look at what’s involved in putting a steam locomotive to bed for the winter.

The process starts by removing any leftover coal from the tenders.  Usually we plan the last day’s coal load to minimize the amount that must be removed.  This year due to an unplanned schedule change we ended up with a full load of coal, 9 tons, all of which had to be shoveled out by hand.  The water is then drained from both the locomotive and tender and the water lines between the two are disconnected.

The firebox gets attention next.  The arch brick is removed and stored.  The metal grates that support the burning bed of coal get clogged up with ash and cinders which must be chipped out by hand.  Using a broom, built up soot is cleaned from the sides and top of the firebox.  The tubes and flues are flushed out with water to remove accumulated soot.

Turning attention to the front of the locomotive, the smokebox door is opened, and the netting removed to allow access to the smokebox.  The inside of the smokebox, front tube sheet and superheaters are thoroughly washed out and inspected.









After everything is washed out the boiler is filled with compressed air and the locomotive is run back and forth along the steam leads several times to dry everything out.  After that all of the air and steam powered accessories are run individually on compressed air to remove any remaining moisture.  All the valves are then left open to completely dry everything out.

Next is the boiler wash.  Federal regulations require the interior of the boiler to be washed out every 31 operating days.  Washout ports sealed with threaded plugs are strategically placed to allow the interior to be cleaned out with water.  Working from top to bottom and front to back sludge and scale are flushed from the boiler.

After the inside is clean, it’s time to wash the outside.  A clean locomotive is a happy locomotive!  After the exterior is washed the frame and running gear is steam cleaned to remove accumulated grease and grime.

Now the locomotives are ready to be moved into the steam shop.  Over the winter the steam crew will be busy putting in many hours completing the annual inspection of both locomotives and making sure they are in top condition for next year’s operating season.

This year the steam crew got called upon to perform a task that isn’t part of the usual winterizing process.  A visiting family heard meowing noises coming from one of the locomotives on display in barn 9.  It was discovered that a baby kitten was trapped inside the frame of the GG-1.  A quick rescue mission was dispatched and the kitten was successfully rescued.  







-Note from Chris: the Kitten was taken home by  a steam department volunteer  and is reportedly in excellent health.  Many of you have been asking about the status of the inspection pit.  Work is progressing, track is going in, and I hope to have a much more detailed update for you in the next few weeks.  

And, as always, if you like steam locomotives but are watching from afar, I would encourage you to come volunteer with us.  As Tim and Logan show, you don’t need prior experience, just enthusiasm.  We also have a number of projects, such as research and exhibit design, that can be performed remotely.  Thanks for reading!

First, a short story:









We only have two more concrete pours to go before the pit is completed!

In other news, work has finished on the auxiliary tender, which successfully completed test runs Sunday and will be entering service this weekend following some work on the brake system.  

Congratulations are also in order.  In the past months, our department qualified two new engineers on 1630, a new fireman on 1630, and two new firemen on the shay, and one of our volunteers qualified as a conductor.  Almost all of those involved are 30 or under, a testament to our commitment to training the next generation of steam railroaders.  



Speaking of the next generation, we have welcomed several new volunteers this summer, and we are looking forward to teaching them about the joys of steam railroading come boiler-wash season. 

Watch this space for updates on the coming concrete pours.  And remember, we are always looking for more volunteers to help in the shop, car host, or assist the museum with administrative tasks.  No prior experience is necessary!

Sorry for the extended radio silence: things have been busy in the real world and in the steam shop.

As I’d imagine everyone knows by now, for the first time in many years IRM has two operable steam  engines!  Shay 5 entered service over Memorial Day weekend.  





But there is more good news.  It is not enough to preserve the machines; we also have  to preserve and teach the skills needed to run them.  To that end, I am excited to report that already this year we have qualified two new steam locomotive firemen and one new steam locomotive engineer.  Congratulations to Ken, Don, and Eric.  







But today, I am not here to talk to you about locomotives, I am here to talk to you about holes.  Pits, to be specific.  The IRM steam department has long been hampered by the lack of  an inspection pit, which makes a lot of work underneath  the locomotive very inconvenient to perform (especially for those of us who are not as skinny as we once were).

Last year plans for an inspection pit were drawn up, and work began this summer almost as soon as the Shay and 1630 were out of the shop.  















Stay tuned!

The absence of posts is a clear sign of progress, or so I will keep telling myself.

It has been a busy month in the shop.  Work has primarily focused on the beginning of the end of 1630’s annual inspection.  













Our concerted efforts over the past month paid off, and I am excited to report that last weekend 1630 passed its federal hydrotest, which is the first of three major steps towards entering service each year (those being the hydrotest, an internal inspection, and a steam test).  

It is not enough to have a working locomotive, however.  You need to have people who know how to run it.  A few weekends back, the steam department held a training class on locomotive firing  and train handling  for all of our operating crew members.  Steam Department  Assistant Curator Jason Maxwell and experienced steam locomotive operator Ken  Ristow lectured on locomotive firing, while Ray Weart and Phil Hehn  addressed air brake and train handling.   







Although many of our efforts recently have focused on 1630, work on other projects has also continued.









Other exciting projects have also been in the works, so stay tuned for an update about everyone’s favorite Union Pacific consolidation.  

Work has continued to progress on 1630’s annual inspection.  Over the past few weeks, a number of tasks necessary to having a water-tight boiler have occurred, including the installation of washout plugs.

We also reinstalled the arch tube caps.  The arch tube caps must be removed every year so that the interior of the arch tubes can be cleaned.  

A few weeks ago, I showed a picture of Don repairing a defective patch on the front of the auxiliary tender.  That patch had been installed to seal two holes in the tender tank.  Last week, Don and Sam cut out the bad section of tank from the interior and patched it to prevent further deterioration.  

During preparations to recoat the interior of 1630’s tender a minor hole was also discovered.  Further investigation revealed a small section of bad metal which Don and Sam cut out and repaired.  

In the past few weeks, work has also continued on 428’s spring and brake rigging.  

Finally, for the past two weekends the track department has been conducting its annual track inspections.  Several steam department volunteers joined them to assist in this important task and to gain familiarity with our railroad.

Steam Department Mid-Winter Update

Despite the Polar Vortex, work in the steam shop has continued unabated.  

Our shop crews have been hard at work on 1630’s annual inspection.  













Work on our auxiliary tender, which we are hoping to place in service this spring, has also continued.











Surface preparation on the tender is almost complete, and we are hoping to be able to begin painting in the coming weeks.  

Our machinists and welders, meanwhile, have stayed busy working on projects to support Union Pacific 428’s eventual return to steam.  







Although I do not have any pictures to prove it, work has also continued on the Shay.  Following the successful steam test this fall, we are continuing to make minor improvements and we look forward to public operations this summer (dates will be announced on the IRM website once finalized).  

As a reminder, you can also follow the steam shop on facebook at facebook.com/irmsteam.