They'll have quite an archive! Before, and after views. I wonder if others have done this much photography in detail of their project? Boxcab E50
Wends Sept 21,05 To day we worked on the strainer basket that sits in one of the two oil fill ports in the oil bunker. one of the fill baskets is in orignal condition and needed no work except cleaning, but the other had a place where a crowbar or something was forced through the mesh breaking the wires. Repair involves cutting the mesh and folding the wire to make an even and reinforced opening and then riveting a mesh patch over the hole. The hole has been cleaned up and the patch is beeing fabricated. Also we worked on the water outlet valves of the tender, both of the water feed valves were in good condition, with little or no wear on the brass valve (the moving or stopper part of the valve) but with pitting on the cast steel valve body and seat. A tool was fabricated that we are using to grind the valve seat back to the orignal profile, this tool is a grinding wheel that has been formed with a dressing tool to the valve seat profile and put on a mandrel with a centering "plug", much like a router bit. The valve seat is a 45 Deg. angle, running from 3.75 to 4.5 inches. the first (of two) valve body has been ground (and lapped). Also the never ending needle scaling of the tender trucks (prepretory to painting) continues, the size of the surface area of a 8 wheel buckeye truck is amazing. The lesson plan Education package was finalized and edited to day 3 copys will be produced for display at an educators fair at UNM this week the "Box" includes a 85 page manual of lesson plans and information K to 12 with the associated bench marks, two rail history books, the safety coloring book, a 2926 poster, a set of CD roms Showing the history of the 2926 and work to date, and an evaluation form. We have a grant to produce a large number of the "lesson in a box" kits and will have 50 of them at our open house next month. Photos are coming tomrrow, (forgot to Dl the camera) more to come, Gunns
Ok here are the photos, This is the oil fill port strainer ready for a patch, http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afd?full=1 This is the tender valve body and valve, http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afc?full=1 This is some of the welding on the tender trucks, http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aff?full=1 This is the injector water feed connection, http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afg?full=1 And here are some of the new steps for the tender, http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afh?full=1 More to come, Gunns
We will have to see, the other parts have been in very good condition, we may just settle for a funtion test. Gunns
Sat. Sept. 24, 05 Today we finshed up the valve seats on the water supply valves on the tender. This involved making a new mandrel to mount the grinding wheel on, and reseting the angle on the wheel. Also we patched the strainer basket that was holed during the park years, this is one of two baskets that fit in the two fill openings we have in the oil bunker. The effort to remove the last of the oil glop on the bottom of the oil bunker continues, we have a hand sandblaster thar seem to (finally) be doing the job. I would be easy if we could just turn the tank over (Grin). http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afi?full=1 We also added enough panel track to allow us to roll the tender trucks back and forth for testing now that work on them is nearing compleation. http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afj?full=1 Work on the tool boxes, is allmost compleat, with only some latch hooks to be made. This is a photo of the shop area. http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afk?full=1 And here is a photo of the brake beam that is being repaired http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afl?full=1 The dip is an area where the beam was riding in the bracket, and is beeing built up with arc weld metal and ground back to profile. More to come, Gunns
Kevin, it remains fascinating to watch your step by step progress on the enormous restoration effort. I sure hope I live long enough to see your ultimate success (that's not a slam, I'm getting old). To see a 2900 in steam (would be first time for me) would be wonderful.
Fritz 6 years tops! maby as few as 4 years, depending on money, the actuall Loco is in Very Good condition, except for park damage, and we are contiously finding parts to fix that. Our estimated cost should be under half a Mill, and as a club we will scrape it together somehow. By Xmass I should be able to show Ya'll the compleated tender. Gunns
Hi All I'm Back, I just spent 9 days crewing a german balloon, (photo as soon as I get every thing d/l from the little box thing) so I havent forgotten Ya'll I just been flying.... at the work site we are preparing for our open house this weekend, so lots of cleaning and putting stuff away, after next Sat and Sun, work begins. Last Sat I got some photos of our "Layout", (BNSF main line to Raton Pass) so I will put them up so you can compaire them to the model work you may be doing. The fiesta went well, I got two flights, both about an hour long, had a great time. more to come, Gunns
Wends 12 oct 05 Preprations for the Open House continued, cleaning, site preperation, ec. Also the brake cyl grease has arrived, and the 9 in brake cyls are being cleaned and assembled. One down and 7 to go. more to come, Gunns
Will winter weather interfere with progress? Or do you have a sheltered area where work can continue? Boxcab E50
I havent worked a winter here on the Loco yet, but we only get snow 2 or 3 times a year, and it melts off fast. I will just get some insulated coveralls. (Grin) The Brake cylinders are 9 inchers, the driver cylinders are 14s..... Gunns
Hi all, I'm back after the ABIF and our open house. 15-16 Oct,05 This was our open house, well attended with live music, free hot dogs, and lots of looking at the 2926. Here are two of our brake cylinders, the closed one is finshed. http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afp?full=1 A photo from the gate, http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afq?full=1 Here is the Rail Runner table, not the Ahern models. http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afr?full=1 Another one made 1944. http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aft?full=1 Free Food http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afu?full=1 The Territorial Brass Band http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afv?full=1 Our opperating steamer http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afw?full=1 Rolling posters http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afx?full=1 The fuel that keeps us going http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/afz?full=1 more to come, Gunns
Well, that would definitely keep me busy. Mild or not. But I don't think what I'd be doing, is any working on the steamer! Boxcab E50
Hi all, Wends. 19 Oct, 05 Today we had a saller turnout, mostly cleanup / pickup from the Open House. Howeever we did do some more work on the brake cylinders, Here our CMO is honong a Cylinder. http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/aga?full=1 This is a rebuilt piston awaiting reinstallation. http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/agb?full=1 this is a stack of pit covers. http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kevinevans/agc?full=1 Work continues at a steady pace. More to come Gunns (inspecting the bell ringer)
You periodic updates and postings are a breath of fresh air. I wish that I lived nearby to your shops....that would give two positives: 1) I could help restoring your "toy"; and 2) I would be far away from the results of Hurricane Katrina...! Forgive me, but after a week of hanging, taping, floating, sanding, and painting new sheetrock, I think a couple of weeks working on a steamer would be WONDERFUL!!!! [ October 21, 2005, 07:44 PM: Message edited by: Hytec ]
Kevin, please keep posting your progress. It is inspiring. I think I asked once before if Karl Rethswich is involved with you guys. He was working hard on the 2912 at Pueblo.
