February 12, 2011 Work Session

009

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

AL AT THE SHAPER: These forged chunks are the beginnings of new connecting rod straps. Al is roughing them out, simply to remove the forging and heat treatment scale, and to give them flat and straight surfaces that can then be mill finished. Using a high speed steel cutter on scaly material spells death to a tool steel cutter. The next step is to use a poke bar to clean up the inside surfaces, like has been done to the outsides.

Photo by Rick Brigger

022

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

INSIDE GEAR: Ground hog or squirrel view of Al running shaper. How artsy!

Photo by Rick Brigger

031

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

PAT ABOUT TO MILL BOLT RECESS ON SWIVEL PLATE: Pat bolting the center plate to the table of the vertical milling machine, in preparation for the milling the 5/8 inch deep bolt recesses around the four bolt holes, already drilled in the plate. It is difficult to imagine, but the round portion of the original center plates were worn flush with the rectangular portion of the plate. By installing these new plates the entire locomotive will be raised up almost 1 1/2 inch.

Photo by Rick Brigger

101

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

PAT GORDON AND THE 'INSPECTOR' DRILLING THE SWIVEL PLATE: The first of four holes for the 7/8 inch retaining bolts has just been completed in the last of the center plates. The crudely machined round section has yet to be domed. This will be done upon the completion of the gear shaft.

Photo by Rick Brigger

016

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

TEST FITTING SWIVEL PLATE: Finally the new center plates are being installed on the frame bolsters. They went on TIGHT, but that is how they MUST fit if destructive wear between plate and bolster is to be prevented. The first attempt to install this plate under the tender frame was a "no go". A smidge of grinding was required to even up the left and right corners, both fore and aft, of the bolster, which was slightly worn from forty years of slamming and banging. Aided by a bottle jack and bolts, the second application attempt was successful. The rectangular fabrication, with the truss rods passing through, was created by our crews to replace cast iron pieces that were ruptured by ice and rust build-up. A rather good shot to examine a great deal of Climax tender frame details.

Photo by Rick Brigger

061

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

BILL LOOKING......THOUGHTFUL: Bill caught in the headlights, while the rest of us attempt to coerce the center plate into place under the tender frame. After some slight tweaking, it went, but tightly, as it should.

Photo by Rick Brigger

129

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

PAT CHECKING GORDON'S MEASURING: Gordon and Pat measuring the front frame bolster for bolt placement and vertical clearances. This bolster is way different than the other two. Note the angle iron attached by the four bolts. This replaces a cast iron lip that was ripped off eons ago, most likely in a derailment that peeled the front truck from its proper place under the locomotive. The old center plate was very likely sprung, and ceased to be a tight fit to the bolster. Over the years this center plate "working" around trashed the seat for any and all new center plates that were to ever be placed there. This is the scenario that forced us to remove this bolster from the frame, and send it out for corrective machining. Consequently, the center plate for this location is a bit larger than the other two. The yellow numbers are for the plate width (between the arrows) and jaw opening (fore and aft, A&W).

Photo by Rick Brigger

087

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

LOU MAKING DRILL TOOL FOR SWIVEL PLATE: The reason for this shot relates directly to the new center plates that are beginning to be installed on the frame bolsters. There are two weirdly angled holes in each of the three frame bolsters into which oil-pipes are to be inserted, and these pipes must also telescope into the new center plates that we just installed (but as yet have no oil holes drilled in them). Lou is going to turn a solid bar for a slip-fit into the bolster hole, and then drill the middle of it out so a quite long drill bit can be inserted for support and guidance. This drill sleeve simply aims the drill bit into the correct spot on the domed surface of the center plate, so that the oil holes/pipes will align properly and allow proper lubrication to occur.

Photo by Rick Brigger

091

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

CHRISTIE ACTION PHOTO: Christie is machining the first of three new pinion gear shafts. The originals were 4.500 inch diameter, but this one is to be 4.550 inch diameter. The size increase, less than 1/16 inch, is to compensate for the larger than standard hole in our gears. All of our gears require boring to correct tapered and egg-shaped holes.

Photo by Rick Brigger

125

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

REMEMBER DON'T TOUCH FILED SHAFTS: File finishing the gear shaft for the tender truck. This is the first long piece we have turned on this machine, and things did not go exactly as planned, but nothing was fatal to the shaft. Filing is lots of fun!

Photo by Rick Brigger

083

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

STEVE PREPARING SAND BOX FOR RIVETS: The first of four butt straps being bolted in prep for riveting. In the foreground is the rim of the cast iron top of the sandbox. The top of the box fits over the outside of the sheet metal, and the bottom casting projects up into the interior of same, to help shed water so the sand stays dry. after riveting, the bottom rim of the sheet metal needs to be flared a bit to slide over the bottom casting, and compensate for draft on the un-machined casting (this ought to be fun!).

Photo by Rick Brigger

019

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

PAT AND STEVE WATCHING SOMETHING: Steve is supposed to be working on the butt straps that will join the rear sandbox halves together. The two "U" shapes are not mailboxes, but the sandboxes that will adorn the rear of the tender tank . Iron castings make up the top and bottom of the units, and are to be viewed in later shots.

Photo by Rick Brigger

112

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

JON AND STEVE FITTING THE SECOND SANDBOX: Jon removing burrs from the inner surface of a sandbox half.

Photo by Rick Brigger

064

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

STEVE TEACHING JON TO OPERATE A 'C' CLAMP: In all fairness, the guys are in the midst of making a test piece for riveting the butt straps onto the sandbox components. The test piece is to determine the correct length of rivet required to produce a nicely filled-out round head. Once the correct length of rivet is determined, a jutting jig will be produced to facilitate the cutting of about 200 rivets for the job.

Photo by Rick Brigger

093

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

- SANDBOX TEST FIT: The sandbox won't slide over the bottom casting, but we KNEW it would not go. The upper and lower ends of the oval tube are the same, and built to slip tightly into the interior of the lid casting. The bottom 1 1/2 inch or so must be flared to slip over the top lip of the bottom casting.

Photo by Rick Brigger

096

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

SANDBOX TOP CASTING: The repaired top sandbox casting. The salmon color was caused by heat from the weld repairs to the hinge-pin boss. The boss was broken through the pin-hole, with both the boss piece and lid MIA. The boss was repaired by placing a round graphite rod of the correct diameter into the saddle of the old pin hole, and covered over with torch-placed cast iron. The area painted blue is the sculpted weld repair. The lid shown is original, and it was used as a foundry pattern to cast a second lid, so we do have a matched set. The four vertical holes in the top casting are for draw-bolts that hold the assemblies together. The two holes in the large ears are for bolting the completed boxes to the back side of the tender tank. Moore and Kepple had these boxes mounted on the coal bunker, but Climax would place them on the back end of the water tank, if so desired. In fact, some firms elected to apply sandboxes to both the coal bunker AND water tank .

Photo by Rick Brigger

121

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

PAUL SET/UP WELDS ON WATER OUTLET: Welder Paul ready to apply the root pass on a filter sump for the tender tank. Two of these fittings will bolt up under the water tank, and the injector lines will attach to them.

Photo by Rick Brigger

137

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

FINISH WELDING WATER TANK OUTLET: Paul has the root pass in place.

Photo by Rick Brigger

146

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

AL & BILL FINISHING CYLINDER LAPPING: The lapping is winding down to the finer grits.

Photo by Rick Brigger

025

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:01:10 -0400

PAUL WORKING ON LAST WATER TANK BAFFLE: Paul removing the flux from the beginnings of the T-shaped baffle that sits smack in the middle of the tank to tie the tank floor to the tank lid. This is the last of the baffles to be made, and will not be installed until the tank is in the upright orientation.

Photo by Rick Brigger