Two Milwaukee Streetcars

A lot is happening very quickly on this project.  As reported previously the next step is to do repair and rebuilding work on the dismantled truck now in our shop.  The immediate focus is on the pins and bushings which hold together brake rigging, the slack adjusters, etc.

Pedestal Liners

Before we get into the details of that work we were pleased to note that an entire set of new pedestal liners has been fabricated and delivered.  These are wear parts to allow the journal boxes to slide vertically as needed, when the car is in motion.

Engineering

Jeff Brady has been busily engaged for some weeks as the truck is dismantled, taking careful measurements, and tabulating the needed new parts.

Schematic

Jeff created this schematic to help keep track and identify the complex connections and pieces.  Note that there are 78 bushings and 26 pins, needed for EACH truck assembly!

Pressing Task

Greg Kepka was pressing out the old bushings from the various rods and levers.  It was somewhat disconcerting to hear screeching and clanking like breaking glass as the rusted old bushings broke free and became loose.

Links

Here are some of the links, old bushings, and newly loosened bushings that Greg was working on.

As the Rod Turns

Rod Turner was turning new alloy steel rod to size in the small lathe.

Some Like It HOT

Here is the new small furnace/oven for heat treating newly fabricated pins and bushings to case harden them.  Four of the new pins are on the bench in front of the oven, having undergone their particular version of a trial by fire.

Truck Work

Gerry Dettloff works on fabricating new rods for the rebuilding of the truck on TM 972, and my camera tagged this image as number 972!  Work continues on a regular basis for this truck.  Most of the dismantling is done and now the hard part is to fabricate pieces to reassemble it.

Pins

New ground for us is to fabricate and heat treat the hardened pins needed to replace time worn pins in the truck assembly.  Gerry is set up to cut some new rod, and Rod Turner has a new small furnace for doing the required heat treating in stages.  Very impressive for our restoration specialists!

Work continues on this exciting project, with the hope of having TM 972 back on its trucks and operating at IRM this season.

Truck Work

Norm Krentel and Jeff Brady are working on one of the trucks from beneath this car while the wheel and axle sets are out at a shop.  This is a golden opportunity to do what amounts to a substantial rebuild of the truck, while the wheels and motors are out for work.  The frame is inside our shop, so winter weather is not an issue.

Unlike a model railroad truck consisting of three molded pieces, there are literally over one hundred parts and pieces.  Over time, some of those become worn.  They may still work for a while yet, but the clock is ticking with every additional service mile logged.  So the prudent decision is to the repair or replacement of items showing substantial wear and which are badly out of spec.

Current efforts involve still more dismantling of the many pieces, but right now we are focusing on "pins and bushings".  The brake rigging in particular involves several levers, rods, and assemblies which must pivot and move when the brakes are applied.  Each of those joints usually is held together by a hardened steel pin which rides inside a hardened steel bushing.  The bushing is a press fit into the respective casting it resides in.

All of that work is well along the way.  Remember this an active project, and as with any project, unforeseen work may become apparent along the way.  In this case we have made the decision to replace many of the pins and bushings, assuring decades of relatively trouble free operation.  But that also means purchasing many of those parts, those we do not have as spares in inventory.  And this is the first truck, the other awaits the same treatment.  So we are not at the final cost and donations are still appreciated.  The restricted fund is  RTMS  and your generous donation and support guarantees you are PARTICIPATING in this progress.

WOW!  Lots to see and report on this project!

Truck Repairs

Gerry Dettloff works to weld up some of the surfaces on the truck pedestals.  With the truck totally dismantled for painting, repairs are being made along the way to renew worn areas and breathe new life into the truck.

Pedestal Liners

Several of the pedestal liners were worn, cracked or missing.  These should be replaced with new, and we feel we can fabricate new ones to suit.  The problem is with sourcing the manganese steel plate used for these wear parts.  So, if anyone has a shop willing to part with a few square feet, it would save us the prospect of having to buy an entire sheet, a very expensive sheet at that.

New Tires

We said things were moving fast on this project, and were not kidding.  Here is your FIRST LOOK at the new tires, now delivered to the machine shop for mounting.

Old Wheels

Also in the shop, here are two of the old wheel and axle sets, with the old tread turned down and ready for the new tires.  The new tires get heated to a substantial temperature to expand their diameter, are placed on the wheel hubs, and then shrink and grip as they cool.  This is a technique and proven process that has been used in the rail industry for over a century.

Every day you may find something new has been done.

Truck In Kit Form

Frank Sirinek continues painting the parts, and some of them are very LARGE parts, indeed.  The sideframes are now finish painted and look very good.

Bolster

Mike Stauber shows off the primed truck bolster.  That and the main truck assembly are now moved into the shop addition, after being steam cleaned and needlechipped outdoors.  Just in time, as it is really turning cold out there.

I happened to stop by our site in Union and found a lot of activity.  As mentioned previously, every day brings changes and progress on this project.  Mike Stauber was out early and began doing more cleanup and needlechipping on the disassembled number two truck, and was helped by Frank Sirinek.  (It was windy but certainly above normal temps for late November)

Moving Day

The sideframes for this truck are in the shop area and previously primed.  Here, Mike and Frank are moving them to a different area on the floor.

Like New

In short order, Mike and Frank had some finish paint on them, and they looked like new.  You might see the new steam cleaner sitting behind then in the shop, brand new, and kept out of the weather.

Spring Forward

As usual, Henry Vincent seems to be the 'go to guy' whenever any job or project needs some help.  Here Henry and Frank Sirinek are sitting down on the job, as they apply the first finish paint to the springs and other parts dismantled and cleaned up, then primed, for the second motor truck of 972.  You will note it is reddish brown which has been determined the appropriate color for the era of this restoration.  Long time visitors to IRM may remember seeing the trucks under the car a dark green, not so this time around. 

It is really an amazing amount of work going on for this project, almost every day in the shop you see activity and progress.  Also yesterday, the new steam cleaner was in action, after the bolsters and other truck parts had been disassembled.  And we can confirm that the new tires and old wheelsets all arrived safely at the machine shop.  Stay Tuned!!!