Illinois Railway Museum Blog

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!