Steam Department

What a year!.  Another Saturday somewhat disrupted by the Winter weather.  There was a reasonable turn out at the shop but a lot of people left at lunchtime as the rate of snowfall increased.  For those of us that stuck it out, the snow did cease by evening and the slither down US20 to the expressway was what we are becoming used to.

It was definitely a day for work inside the shop and the absence of some key people and parts meant that testing of the paint sprayer could not proceed.  However work progressed in a number of other areas.

On 1630:

Brian did a great job in cleaning out the rust scale from the tender tank.  The treatment applied a few years ago has not proved successful and a layer of rusty metal has largely scaled off the bottom of the tank.  During the test steaming we had some issues with blockage of the water flow to the injectors.  From Brian’s handiwork it is clear why this happened.  As the rust and muck lifts it tends to be drawn forward to gather in the area from which the water is being drawn by the injectors.  After several hours of work in the tank he had extracted a couple of gallons of rusty debris.  This was a foul job.  We can use the ducted fan to circulate air but you still have to work in clouds of rusty dust;

The reverser reservoir is now back in place so that the valves can be moved using air pressure;

Small reservoir back in place

Jim continued the job of masking the lettering and this is now largely complete.  After all this effort we are wondering if we should stay with blue lettering !;

Lettering masked ready to paint

Matt primed the area of the engineer’s side walkway that was cleaned off last week;

On the Shay:

Phil is progressing well with the bolster for the truck.  With the lugs for the springs now completed, it has been primed and now painted on one side at least.  Now we just have to turn it over and do the other side, once it is dry.

The bolster part painted

We made good progress on the bolts that fit thru the frame and truck pivot casting.  We had been working on the misapprehension that these simply secured the pivot into the frame.  Jeff reminded us that some of them also secure the large fabricated draw bar that runs down to the wooden front beam and on which the coupler is mounted.  Having made that connection, we found that new bolts were acquired a few years back and stored with the drawbar.  Each hole needs to be cleaned and reamed slightly to allow the bolts to be fitted.  However, with the parts in hand I was able to fit the first of them by end of day.  Looking at the front of the frame member, the bolts in the 4 outer holes secure the drawbar while the 2 in the middle (which are currently occupied by locating pegs) only secure the pivot casting to the beam.  The drawbar fabrication has a recess that fits around the nuts of the two center bolts.  The first of the new bolts is in place in the lower left hole and the holes for the remaining five can now be reamed to allow the bolts to be fitted.

First bolt fitted

In the shop in general, some significant reorganization was achieved:

With the swager gone, we were able to relocate the air pump for #428 so that it can now be worked on while allowing free access thru the door.  (It does not look like free access in the picture but the forklift is actually standing in the exit with a pallet of parts ready to drive out to the boxcar ……. Once there is not 6 inches of snow and ice in the way !!);

Work area and way out

Phil did a great job sorting and cleaning the steel stock storage area.

So overall a successful day despite the weather.

Nigel

A rather more normal weekend allowing quite a lot to be done in the Steam shop on Saturday.

All credit to the team that made it to the shop.  The main roads were fine but the local roads toward the site were rather icy in places and the museum site is a nightmare.  Although the air temperature was above freezing, the ground is still frozen.  So, despite efforts by B&G, large areas, including all the roads and walkways around the shop were thickly covered in smooth wet ice!.  The team cautiously slithered their way from cars to the shop and stayed inside !.

I spent the morning at the Board meeting but the team got to work and a lot was achieved.

On 1630:

By the time I got back to the shop the small air tank was already back in place on the locomotive.  So we are now able to power the reverser with compressed air to allow the measurements of the piston valve rings to be made;

Eddie and his sister made good progress in preparing the walkways for painting.  Jane is setting up to prime these next weekend;

The paint sprayer has arrived but unfortunately the correct nozzle for the material we have to spray was not available until next week.  Anyway, we have the machine and will hopefully be able to do the first test run next weekend;

We are hoping to avoid having to reapply all the main lettering so Jim was hard at work masking the cab lettering;

Jim masking the lettering

Phil and Jane removed the blower ring from the smokebox so that Dennis can start on fitting the new plate work for the spark arresting system;

Phil at work in the smokebox

Phil and Jane remove the blower

The pressure hose for the injector overflow / cab wash down (what I as a Brit would call the slacker pipe) arrived and was fitted;

New cab wash hose in place

Jim and Jane primed the first of the main air tanks;

Eric loosened the nuts on the smokebox front and hand rail.  We are preparing to add more gasket material to this joint as the seal was not as good as we would like during the test run;

Jason and Collin finished cleaning and reassembling the steam regulator for the air pump.  Jason decided not to refit it but rather to duct tape the pipes to which it is fitted.  Having produced this nice clean brass regulator he seems a bit sensitive about it being in place when people are spraying paint around it!.

On the Shay there was quite a bit of activity:

Phil finished caulking the rivets, both below and inside the smokebox.  This was a lot of work but the result is a very neat job.  Well done Phil.  Another big benefit to completing this is that the rest of us can now work around the shop without our teeth suddenly starting to rattle in our heads as he uses the air hammer;

Result of much hard work by Phil

Jason and Eric made good progress on reaming and threading the holes for the crown stays that are being replaced and were able to test fit some of the new stays.

With no further swaging planned for some years, I finally took down the swaging machine for storage.  This will allow much easier access thru the doors at the South end of the shop.  The machine and the mounting timbers were marked with paint to provide a clear pattern for reassembly when next required and then it was taken down for storage.

Swager marked for disassembly

With a bit more reorganization we will be able to fully use the door again.

and the space is clear

So a good day of progress.  Hopefully if the weather remains moderate we can get the painting under way next weekend.

Nigel

Well the first weekend of 2014 proved to be a virtual wipe out (or maybe white out) in the Steam Shop and probably most other areas of the museum.  The forecast made it clear that snow and brutally cold temperatures can be expected Sunday thru Tuesday but I had hoped that the snow was not to arrive until afternoon / evening on Saturday.  This looked plausible on the drive out from Chicago but, once I left the expressway, the last 8 miles to Union was an unpleasant surprise.  Wind was whipping drifts across US20 and it certainly looked as if new snow was falling even at 9 a.m.

The museum site was challenging.  The few who made it had to break thru a drift at the gate and dig their way thru a drift at the trolley loop crossing by barn #9.  5 of us made it to the Steam Shop and I found a similar hard core at the Car Shop.

At least we reached the shop

and a few reached the car shop

An arctic view of Main Street

We did a number of jobs to prepare for testing of the paint and spray equipment next weekend:

The small air reservoir was moved back beside the locomotive ready for fitting;

Jane painted the walkway and supports so that we can refit this tank next weekend;

The two large air tanks were moved to the South end ready for painting.

However the major task turned out to be the response to a phone call from Phil who, in attempting to be the 6^th shop volunteer had ended up in a ditch on US20.  Luckily Eddie has a 4WD pick-up so he, with Collin, Rick and a couple of sets of shop chains, went to the rescue.  Having got Phil back on the road they were also able to pull out at least one other driver who had encountered a similar problem.  US20 was deteriorating rapidly.

So, having completed the jobs above, we headed out at 11:30.  There was little sign of improvement and a definite forecast of much worse late in the day.  Much as we love the museum, I do not think anyone liked the idea of being stuck there for a couple of days that threaten record low temperatures.

So we can only hope that the weather next weekend is more helpful.

Nigel