Steam Department

As expected, the completion of the spraying last weekend opened up a frenzy of activity.  Work got under way Tuesday and Wednesday once the paint was thoroughly dry.  Almost all activity was on 1630 and she now looks a very different locomotive from last weekend.  Even so, much of the critical progress is not visible.

On Tuesday and Wednesday work focused on preparing the boiler for hydro testing.  This involved fitting the various water connections, valves and gauges to allow the boiler to be completely filled with water and then pressurized. 

A full set of gauges installed

In addition the large copper pipe, that connects from the top of the firebox to the water column in the cab, had to be refitted.   Once all this was done, the boiler was filled and water circulated thru the pool heater to bring the boiler up to around 100F for the pressure testing.

While this was being done Jerry and his son made huge progress in fitting the banding that secures the edges of the sheet metal on the barrel and firebox.

Banding in place

On Wednesday a pressure test was carried out.  People have asked why this was necessary as #1630 was hydro and steam tested last year.  What is happening now is not a full hydro test of the boiler shell (which requires testing at operating plus 25%) but rather checking for any leaks that may have developed as connections have been separated and remade over the Winter.  For this we test only at operating pressure.  The test served its purpose!.  On Wednesday we found leakage around the connections of the pipe to the water column at both the first test and an attempt to re-seal it.

However, while this was going on, Phil and I made progress in refitting the injector starter valves.

Clearly on Saturday the first priority was to fix the connections of the offending pipe.  Eric, Brian and others spent a lot of time thoroughly cleaning the seats and pipe ends of the connections, annealing new copper washers and then carefully re-fitting the pipe.  It is a bear to fit as it is long, bent to fit around other equipment and fitted between two rigid seats.  So, if it not exactly aligned, the seals at one or both ends do not seat correctly and leak.

Water column joint of the problem pipe

Other end on the fire box

Anyway, all the effort paid off and, during the afternoon, she was successfully pressure tested at 180 psi.  This allows us to go ahead with the final steps to remove the hydro connections and install the remaining parts needed for operation (safety valves, brick arch etc.).

A lot of other work progressed in parallel with the pressure testing:

The biggest and nastiest job was refitting the two big air tanks under the walkways.  These tanks weigh about 300 lbs and are each suspended by three “U” shaped steel  rings the open ends of which pass thru the walkways to be secured by nuts. 

The fitting is a “masterpiece” of the pipefitter’s art.  The tanks must be squeezed into a confined space above the valve gear.  The tanks are wider than the walkways so the supports are not simple “U”’s that could be passed around the tank .

Installing the ES air tank

Then change in a few days since the picture further up in this note is substantial.

Working from all directions

The shape of each support is unique to its location and mixing then up can lead to the need to pull back the tank and start over again!.  By evening they were both in place although the frustration during the day had reached considerable heights!.

ES air tank in place

FS air tank also in place

The job of spotting and making good areas missed in painting continued.  A lot more of this will hopefully happen next weekend when we expect to move the locomotive at least a little and reveal areas of the wheels that have so far been hidden.

The fireman’s gauge glass, that has been thoroughly cleaned and rebuilt, was refitted and showed no leakage under pressure.

The injector starter valves and their large connecting pipes were largely re-installed.

Front sander discharge pipes were re-installed.

Work progressed steadily on the smoke box.  This is probably the area that most threatens our target to run on May 17^th.  Dennis, assisted by Christian and Jason completed the adjustment of the new steel sheet sections around the blast pipe.  By end of day the sheet sections were being finally installed on to the mountings that had been welded into the smoke box and work was progressing on the mesh sections and the welded mounts that will attach these to the smoke box and complete the spark arrestor assembly.

Substantial progress in the smoke box

The unexpected task that may cause a delay is in the smoke box front casting itself.  Close inspection of this has indicated hairline cracks between the studs that secure the bell mounting.  These will need to be weld filled, ground down and then  the holes for the studs re-drilled and tapped before we can remount the front of the smoke box.  It will be a busy two weeks.

So, we are close.  A couple of key tasks will determine if we can steam in two weeks as planned.

I am away next weekend so will follow the action with great interest!.

Nigel

It was a very successful weekend in the steam shop.  Although strictly not many of us were “in the steam shop” for very long on Saturday!.

Dennis and his son Keith, assisted by Jerry, Rick and others as required, occupied the shop to do the long awaited spray painting of #1630.  The rest of us kept well away while this was going on.

The results are impressive.  It took a little while to set up and test the new sprayer and the epoxy medium. 

Early stages

However, once this was done, progress was remarkable rapid. 

Rapid progress on the boiler

By mid-afternoon everything was done.  All the loose parts, tanks, dome cover and the banding strips were done.  We are spraying only the back of the tender.

Nearing the end

She really looks good.  A great job by Dennis and Keith.

Unfortunately it is very clear that a plain shiny black locomotive does not photograph nearly as well in an enclosed shop as does one with all sorts of different colored patches!. 

What a transformation

On Sunday, Jim and a small team removed all the masking so she is now looking much more like a finished locomotive.

Now we wait to confirm how long it will take for the epoxy medium to get thoroughly hard so that we can fit the plugs and valves into the top of the boiler to do the hydro test.

The rest of the team concentrated on getting a supply of water and proving the pool heater ready for the hydro test.  The water car was switched to the front of barn #9 and filled using a very long run of pipe.  (It cannot be located to the steam lead as the switch is being repaired and that area of track is out of service).  However, this worked well and by afternoon the water car was full and back in front of the shop ready for use.

A temporary arrangement was set up to run water from the car thru the heater and back to the car to test the heater.  Clearly Jerry did a great job last year!.  The heater has traditionally been a bear to start up after the Winter.  This time we simply started the water flow, switched it on and 30 seconds later it fired up and ran smoothly.

So we are all ready to put water into the boiler and heat it up for the testing as soon as we are confident that the paint is hard enough to allow us to access the boiler and make the connections.

We can now begin a whole lot of activities needed to refit all the small items removed to allow painting and make her ready for operation.  It will be a busy couple of weeks!.

Nigel

Another short blog this week and some nervousness!.

Despite significant progress this weekend, the key activity of spraying #1630 was not undertaken.  This means that the timetable for planned first steaming on the 17^th May is now tight.

The painter identified a number of areas where  the preparation was not sufficient and there was furious activity on Saturday to ensure that all the additional rubbing down, screwing down of sheet metal and masking made us ready to paint next weekend. This was done and we now wait with great anticipation for next Saturday!.

Aside from the preparation for spray painting, good progress was made in other areas:

The steel work for the spark arrestor was fitted into the smokebox.  It now fits and the welding to the smokebox sides can now be carried out.  The sheet metal may need to come out one more time for final adjustment but we are on the final leg.  There was much muttering and cursing about the weight of the new steel that has to be hauled around and carefully positioned in the enclosed space of the smokebox.  It is a LOT heavier than the old steel work …….. which was 50% corroded away in many places!!.

Christian and Jason did most of the steel fitting.  Christian is actually taking a break in this shot.  The main work requires crawling up behind the new sheet metal to fit bolts into the assembly from high up and behind the platework.

No one said it would be easy

Stu, Ed and a team successfully recommissioned the water supply.  This is critical as we must move forward to hydro test as quickly as we can once the paint is applied.

Jim rubbed down the bell mount and headlight on Saturday then painted them on Sunday.

The connectors were successfully removed from the ends of the old (and seriously corroded) steam supply pipe to the air pump.  This was a job with considerable concerns as the connector at one end is a very old and unusual type.  Separating it, so that it can be repaired and reused on the new pipe that has been professionally formed to the correct series of bends, is essential.  There was a significant exposure had this connector been damaged during removal.  However, Tom and Dennis, with careful use of the “blue wrench”, separated it without damage.  This will actually allow it to be considerably improved as long standing damage can now be corrected by building up and turning the connector in the lathe.

So. Good progress in several key areas.  However, the road to operation will not be open until the spraying is complete.  Then one helluva lot of jobs will need to be carried out quickly.  My fingers are crossed!.

On a different note – Time to start making plans for this year’s Steam Department Benefit at Sanfilippo.  This year's benefit event will take place on Sunday, June 29.  There will be door prizes, as well as a 50/50 raffle during the benefit event.  Time to tour the magnificent Sanfilippo collection, a concert on the Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ, and a silent film accompanied live will once again be a part of the benefit event.  New this year will be a special raffle for a CAB RIDE ON 1630!  This will be the only chances to ride in the cab of the restored steam engine! 

Tickets (same price as last year, $69.99 per person) are now on sale and can be obtained by going to www.irm.org or by calling the Illinois Railway Museum at (815) 923-4391.

We thank you for your past support in attending a previous benefit event at the Sanfilippo Estate, and look forward to seeing you again this year!

Nigel