Steam Department

What a difference a week can make.  The Winter still clings on - we left Saturday evening in falling snow and the shop water supply is still frozen.  However, even a couple of days at near normal temperatures during the week has had a remarkable effect on the snow and ice around the museum.

A very different scene

For the first time in months, strange parallel lengths of steel have started to appear from the snow banks.  The sound of a diesel locomotive was heard again as Jamie worked with the track gang to plough key lengths and start the Spring inspections.  A lot catch up is required on track work delayed by the weather.  Aside from the normal inspections, a large part of the steam collection is still out by the depot and cannot be moved back until work is completed on the track and switch leading to the steam lead.

Now we can move outside the shop

On 1630 work continued steadily

One important effect of the thaw was that we were able to get to the box car and retrieve the dome cover.  While this will not be fitted until the last minute when the locomotive is outside the shop, we urgently need to prepare it and spray it at the same time as the boiler so that the finish is the same.  Thanks to Phil who grabbed the camera and provided a rare shot of Nigel actually doing something as opposed to standing behind the camera!.

Dome cover heads for the shop

People with paint brushes were all over and around #1630 and her tender.  The walkways are now largely complete.  The tender truck frames have been done and the sander lines were being touched up.  Irregularly shaped parts like this generally take about three shots, paint one way up, turnover and paint the other side, then stand back and spot / touch up the small areas that somehow did not get painted in either of the previous shots!.

Christian finishes the sander lines

Truck frames now painted

The tender wheels still need to be cleaned and painted but that is an area which will is seriously impacted by the loss of water supply, as these need to be pressure washed.

And an update from Jim on Sunday morning!.  The pilot is now completely painted!.

 Pilot now completed

We are getting close to the point where the large areas of sheet metal can be sprayed.

Dennis was hard at work welding the weak spots on the corners of the cab so that these can be finally prepared.

Dennis repairs the cab

Large areas of the sheet metal have been rubbed down ready for spraying.  After some thought, areas where bare metal has been exposed are being treated with sprayed primer.  While the epoxy coating is self-priming, we are finding issues with the bare metal developing a rust tarnish when left exposed for a week and more.  Since the area is far too large for us to rub down in one day, covering the areas we have done seems preferable.

Sheet metal prepared for spraying

In other areas:

Bob continued work to make the planer fully operational.  He was working primarily on a pressure switch system that gives the operator an illuminated warning when the hydraulic system is pressurized.  The picture below gives a much better idea of how this huge machine operates.

Planer cutting assembly

The massive “L” shaped cutter assembly can move vertically on the tower to the right of the moving bed. 

At present the cutter assembly is relatively low.  In this position, tools mounted on the horizontal arm of the cutter assembly would cut the top surface of the work, while the threaded shaft would advance the cutter horizontally after each movement of the bed.

The assembly can be raised substantially, allowing tools mounted on the vertical arm of the “L” to make a vertical surface on the work.  Again a threaded shaft advances the cutter head after each pass.

I will now be travelling to the UK for a couple of weeks so will be watching progress with interest from a distance.

Nigel

Oh well, we are into March.  You would not have guessed it at Union yesterday as we gingerly picked our way across thickly ice encrusted roads to get between the shop and the amenity block.  The day was then somewhat shortened by the development of a steady snow storm as darkness fell.  However, there was a reasonable turn out and steady progress continued.

On 1630 it was very much “more of the same”, which is exactly what we need at this point.

Painting continued on the frames and running gear.  Christian joined the team for the first time and, by afternoon, was fitted in between the frames and top coating the cylinder casting and adjacent areas.  There is a lot of variety in the steam shop.  As a new volunteer, you cannot be sure if you will be handling a paint brush or a 20 pound hammer!.

Christian paints the cylinder casting

Meanwhile Jerry worked between the frames ahead of the firebox.  So most of the lower areas of the locomotive have now received top coat and attention moved to the tender.  Jim and Jerry painted most of the tender frames during the day.  (The positioning of the bucket is unfortunate.  Honest, we are not painting it with driveway sealer!!).

Jim paints the tender frames

There are a few more weeks of work on the lower areas of locomotive and tender that will not be obvious unless you are standing next to the locomotive.  A number of pipes and the under sides of the walkways need to be cleaned, primed and painted.  In addition there is a major review and touch up exercise.  Whenever you shine lights and look from different angles you spot areas that are not fully covered.  So there will be a significant exercise of inspection, with a brush in hand, to touch up these spots and finish the job.

Dennis had welded some areas of the cab last week and identified further areas on the fireman’s side that needed grinding out and clamping so that he could weld.  I cleaned these up so they are now ready for welding.

This weekend Dennis was cutting the new mesh sections for the smokebox spark arrestor.

Jason located another steam heat gauge, very similar to the existing one.  He was able to exchange the face of this one with the damaged face of the existing gauge so we now have a good looking gauge to fit.

Dennis cuts the new mesh

Rick removed the sander discharge pipes as these would be in the way of spraying the cladding sheets of the boiler. He then wire brushed these ready for painting.

Rick prepares the sander lines

On 428:

Ed worked on the sander manifolds.  He showed me an interesting feature.  The inspection plugs of the sand channels are filled with lead.  Apparently this wears better under the force of steam driven sand than does iron or steel.  One of the plugs needs a new lead filling.

Ed works on the sander manifold

Dennis and Phil worked on one of the brake rods.

In other areas, a major milestone was reached last week on the planer.  I understand that, after much investigation and adjustment it is now effectively operational.  Critically, it was adjusted so that it now moves on the cutting stroke at an adjustable speed and then returns for the next cut at a surprising speed for such a large machine.  In addition, features that were not previously understood are now seen to operate.  For example, a small hydraulic cylinder actually lifts the cutting head at the end of the cutting stroke so that it is positively lifted above the work as the table returns.

The planer is working

All of this is second hand from the team as the machine was not operating this weekend.  A number of leaks were identified in operation so a couple of seals will be replaced and some connections remade to bring it to readiness for routine.

So a week of steady progress.  Now what we need is the Spring!.

Nigel