Illinois Railway Museum Blog

It was one of those days when a lot of effort was required to overcome unplanned events.  However, the key objective was achieved.

The main objective was to hydro test and then fit the last super heater flue.  By 9:30 we had the Sullair running and linked up to drive the test pump and were nearly ready for the test ....... when the Sullair started spluttering and died !.  After about 30 minutes trying to understand what was clearly some sort of fuel supply problem, we decided to cut our losses and use the house air to test the flue, although this would not have the power to test the elements at 1000 psi.  Good plan, aside from the fact that the house air compressor, which had been running earlier, would not restart as air was drawn !!.

Luckily Bob Olson was able to lend us the track department compressor and, by late morning, the hydro testing could begin.  Many thanks Bob.

During the day teams worked on the errant compressors.  After some hours trying to trace a stream of tiny air bubbles, that appeared in the fuel filter, Jerry, Ed and others found and replaced a small brass union nut in the fuel line which had developed a crack, needless to say out of sight at the back !.  Richard and others worked thru the control mechanism of the house air compressor.  This seems to have been a case of pure bloody mindedness as the pressure switch worked perfectly well after having been opened, examined, adjusted and found to have no apparent sign of any problem !.

Maybe it was an air compressor vacation day as the operating streetcar also suffered a compressor problem.

So, while teams sorted out the air compressors, the rest of us got back to 1630:

·         The flue was successfully pressure tested;

·         We then tested the two super heater elements that failed last year and have been repaired.  Both passed the pressure test at 1000 psi.  The ball ended mating surfaces, that will be installed into the header, were all cleaned and polished.  Dennis completed a couple of additional repairs were to the protective sheets and the elements are now all ready for fitting once the tubes are proved to be water tight;

Element protector sheet now complete

·         Eric fitted the copper ferrules for the flue and we then loaded the last flue into position.  It was then trimmed to length and rolled into first the rear and then the front tube sheet with no significant problems.  ALL THE TUBES ARE NOW ROLLED INTO BOTH SHEETS AND READY FOR TESTING .......... !!.  With over 180 small tubes and 16 large ones, all 17 feet in length, we have now re-installed significantly more than a half mile of tube.

A full set of tubes in place

 In celebration of this event there was a major clear out of the firebox and smokebox, which no longer look like storage racks for tube fitting tools ...... but that was after the picture!.

·         Ed has been continuing the job of cleaning and inspecting fittings from the backhead.  One assembly formed of 2 inch heavy pipe and valves, that controls the blower, looked suspect due to pitting in the pipe.  We took advantage of having the hydro test system working to pressure test it.  This detected a bit of seepage thru the pipe, which also did not sound good when hammer tested.  So we decided to make a replacement.  Ed, Dennis and Richard were well thru this by end of day;

·         The main focus now is on the riveting:

o   Jerry and Mike worked with Dennis to plan and fabricate a steel structure to brace the bucker inside the firebox.  There is a considerable trade off here as the frame must brace a very substantial air hammer but must also be man handled onto the footplate and thru the fire hole door into position.  There was considerable cussing as this was done but it is now in place;

Bucking frame in position

The bracing is designed to support the bucker both front to back (for the rivets in the front of the box) and side to side, when the plate nearest the camera is removed.

o   We also set up and tested the furnace to heat one of the rivets.  Tom had obtained a heat indicating stick (this is wiped on the hot rivet and turns liquid at the required temperature).  This seemed to indicate that the small furnace can successfully get a rivet of the required size evenly to the target temperature (although it had cooled substantially by the time I took the picture!);

Rivet test heated (and cooled)

o   So the next stage should be to get together the team that will do the riveting and practice the process to ensure that everything can be done smoothly and quickly before we do it with hot rivets.

So we have reached one major milestone.  While focusing on the riveting, so that we can get the boiler water tight and carry out the first tests, we will now work on a whole bunch of new tasks to start fitting as many parts as we can ahead of the initial hydro test.

Work in other areas (aside from the errant air compressors) was limited.  However, Mark provided an update on recent work on the CNW #6323 wrecker:

·         Andy repaired the lower radiator piping and cleaned out cinders and coal from under the deck plates.  Since she was converted from steam in 1961, those have been there a while!.

·         Bill worked on freeing the outriggers;

·         Nick helped in clearing rigging from the idler car so that the deck can be replaced;

·         Mike made a new door and doorway;

·         Phil crawled into the depths to change grease fittings in areas that no one else could get into;

·         Tom has been working on getting a custom spring made for the boom dog pawl (which stops the boom from lowering unless released).

Unfortunately Mark's inspection under the wrecker reveals 2 axles from 1925 and 2 from 1960.  The wheels on the 1960 axles are good but those from 1925 are cracked to varying extents.  So a search for replacements is now under way.

Nigel