Illinois Railway Museum Blog

It was a week of very hard work leading to a huge milestone.

As described last week, we had reached the frustrating point of chasing leaks around the tube ends and a small check list of other minor issues requiring correction in order to get the boiler fit for the formal hydro test.

Brian Davies is staying at Union for three weeks to help with the work and he put in long hours with some of us who were able to spend a day at Union during the week.  Several important tasks were achieved.  With Jason, he was able to largely complete the cleaning and checking of the air brake valves.

However the key focus was the boiler.  As the number of leaking tubes decreased, they became more frustrating and more inclined to cause an adjacent tube to leak when you rolled them.  The final session on Saturday had many of us involved during the  day and lasted until 11 at night but by the end, we were down to one super heater flue that has a small leak around it that we expect will seal itself when the boiler is fully heated, although it drips very slowly under hydro pressure.

Brian and Jason examine for tiny leaks

Then carefully fix what you have found!

So, Brian, Jim and I were back in the shop at 8:30 on Sunday, unfortunately not to assist with the last day of Thomas but to meet with the FRA inspector for the formal hydro test.  I am glad to say that the old lady passed !.  Aside from the tube end and a few drips from tri-cocks and blow down valves she held pressure very well with no sign of leakage.

So Saturday was rather a frustrating day.  Very little on 1630, aside from the tubes, could be worked on until the hydro was completed.

Cameron and Phil worked with Tom on the bolster for the Shay.

Cameron and Phil set up to machine the bolster

Richard and Ed continued to work on preparing the cladding for lagging in the cab.

Bob finally received a suitable breaker to link the planer into the supply panel.  So he was able to continue work on running power to the planer.

However on Sunday, after the test, a great deal of work opened up.

The tubes can now be beaded so, in preparation for that, I spent quite a while in the smokebox grinding tube ends to the exact 1/4 inch required to form  good bead.  Later Brian took over and, by the time that I left, we were close to the point where he can bead all flues and tubes in the smokebox that are to be beaded.  Ideally we want to get this done in the next couple of days so that the beaded tubes can be tested for leaks by Wednesday.

On Wednesday we hope to take off the dome cover, drain the boiler and start drying it out so that the inspector can carry out the internal inspection on Friday.  This is a Federal requirement.  When a boiler has been over pressured, as it is for the formal hydro test, it must be inspected to ensure that nothing internal, such as the brace attachments, has been damaged or loosened.  After this, any pressure testing is strictly limited to boiler pressure (180 psi).  If any pressure beyond this is applied a further internal inspection is required.

Beading of the smokebox end is essential before a lot of work starting with refitting the super heater elements and then moving on to the rest of the smokebox equipment can be undertaken.

In the cab, work will now start on lagging the firebox and fitting the cladding so that all the controls can be finally refitted.  With the hydro complete, we can now start covering the boiler again.  Up until today, none of this could be started as a clear view of all the surfaces of the boiler was required for the inspection.

In the firebox, Jerry applied the protective paint to the patch and rivets below where the grates will fit.  Once this is dry, the grates that have been removed while we worked on the patch, will be refitted.

One key thing about the milestone today is that, while she may currently look less complete than she did in 2011, we have actually passed the key inspection step for which we were preparing in Spring 2011 when we hit the problem with the firebox.

So overall a very successful week.  While not too much visible has changed, but we have removed the barrier to a whole lot of tasks that will make 1630 look much more like an operating locomotive again in the next month.

Nigel