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Restoration – January 22, 2011

 

We removed the tender’s trucks in order to rebuild them…and temporarily replaced them with Rio Grande freight car trucks. 
truck_1 truck_2
An essential part of the restoration process is replacing the boiler tubes. They have to be cut out, front and back, and then pushed and pulled out through the holes. It requires 3 men and is time consuming, dirty and difficult. We’re about 70% finished.

tube_1  tube_2  

The boiler shell must be tested for thickness and strength…and must meet very stringent standards. The first step in the testing process is graphing out the boiler shell in one foot squares.

 

graphing
Finally, we are going to have to replace defective staybolts (the bolts which position the inner shell of the boiler in relation to the outer one). We didn’t get around to it this time…but we will soon.

 

staybolt
Particpants were Dave Mull, Randy Babcock, Forrest Newman, Rick Eckhardt, Charlie Cross, Gerry Mulryan, Patrick Garland from Virginia City, Marty Westland and Bob Babcock (Hope I’ve got everyone).
Meanwhile off site work is continuing; about half of the air brake valves have been rebuilt (by Chris) and are operational, Charlie Cross reports both injectors are nearing completion, Gerry Mulryan is creating a second set of water glass valves, and John LePrince has completed one of the classification lamps and is set to begin work on the second one.