Steam & Excursion > .

.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/21 02:59 by F40PHR231.

Thanks Chris for another series of great photos on the men doing the work and the various repairs needed to keep a great locomotive in running condition. Please keep posting these threads as they are very informative to guys like me who want to know how these fascinating machines of a bygone era are maintained.

C.C.Chas.

Chris,

As always great shots ... very informative stuff.

Is there going to be a 2008 4449 calendar this year? If so, I'll be sure and ask Santa for one ... I've been a good railfan this year!

Regards,

Burlington John
AFT Yahoo Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmericanFreedomTrain/

Chris tell those guys if Reed finds out they are using those UP Steam hats for work hats it might just drive him over the edge. Glad to see that they are getting the 4449 back up and running. Look forward to shots from the Holiday Express.

Scott Phillips
up6936@trainorders.com

I was waiting for the final sequence... "Taking her out for a test drive".

What measurements do they use for machining? Do they use original diagrams, or do they measure the existing axle and cut it to that?

Thanks for a great series.

Tom

Great shots and very educational. Very few enthusiasts other than those directly involved realize the effort it takes to keep a steamer operational. Sure hope everyone will make a donation towards a new home for her and her stable mates whether or not they can ride.
I was thinking while looking at the those great photos what a powerful advertisement it would make for Timken as one of many reasons to go all roller bearing!!!

Thanks, Chris -- once again, a terrific series of photos. Hats off to all involved in this project.

Stephen

Chris, great coverage. She looks good to go. Is there anything that Doyle DOESN'T do to keep that engine running? He is an inspiration to all of us.

Chris,

Great job of photo documentation. I was a bit too young to remember most of my experiences in steam shops in the middle 1950's. My father, a SP engineer from the late 1940's, took his twin sons into more than one shop hoping we would appreciate the experience even at a young age, He knew the chances were fading rapidly and that the end was near. I did realize that the machines that made all the chips were a common sight in any steam shop. Later I would realize that any steamer no matter what the size requires the skills of a machinist to make or keep a steamer operational.

Having many of the Lima drawings for a GS-4, it is nice to see how the big parts are machined and assembled. Working in 1.59 scale is much different than in full size. I would love to live in the Portland area and help machine the big parts as well.

I may have to post a few images of my 1.59 GS-4 under construction as time permits.

Robert

Wow, great to see these behind the scenes shots. I'm glad to hear that they have the old girl back on her feet. Please keep them coming! Thanks for sharing.

I'm a little confused. If you have all the facilities there at your home base why the travel to do it the first time?

Has a suitable lubricant been found?

co614 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was thinking while looking at the those
> great photos what a powerful advertisement it
> would make for Timken as one of many reasons to go
> all roller bearing!!!

He's right.
Wonder if they donated GS 4458 or 59 to Portland (Roller Bearing equipped)If the bearings would have lasted sitting all those years in Oaks park to run again in the 70's?

Great photos. Time to send a donation to your favorite Daylight locomotive at Christmas.
Thanks for the educational photos.
Dave

---

Don't know about the roller bearing equipped Daylights but I can report factually that when we acquired the C&O 614 in 1979 she had been sitting out in the elements for 24 years and when Timken came and did a detailed mechanical inspection of all her rollers they found them to be "like new" and said that we'd not live long enough to wear them out if we ran her 10,000 miles/month for the forseeable future.
I can tell you from having struggled to keep ex-Rdg. T-1 2101 roadworthy with her Hennessey oil-pump friction bearing main drivers and then had the pleasure of being involved with the all roller bearing 614 I would NEVER EVER go back to a friction bearing loco.!! The difference in the demands on the road crews and the maintenance crews is light years apart!!
My only wonder is why it took the industry so long to come around when the benefits were so obviously HUGE???
Ross Rowland

OUTSTANDING SERIES OF PICTURES AGAIN !

Please please please continue providing this kind of information/pictures. These series are HIGHLY EDUCATIONAL for us !! AND a great way to document the "old" ways in modern times.

This used to be done on a daily basis 50+ years ago in the States and only a few years ago in China and it's getting lost to time.

I too, like many others here, are fascinated by these cantankerous, old lovely ladies :) I'm currently helping to partially dismantle a locomotive boiler to see if it's viable for restoration. I'm also taking machining classes with a future eye towards becoming more involved in the hardcore restoration process !

Mike

And to think im stressing about replacing the main bearings on mustang. Sure makes me feel better. Looks like some fun mechanican though, I wouldn't mind get my hands dirt on a project like that.

-Jacob Klatt
www.jkchubbes.com

In light of Ross' comments above in regards to the maintenance difference between solid-bearing and roller-bearing locomotives, is it even possible to retrofit a solid-bearing loco to roller bearings? Obviously it would not be cheap, but if historical accuracy is not a concern would it make sense to consider such a change if funds were available?

Would a roller-bearing equipped engine only be roller-bearing on the main drivers, or all axles? Also, how about the rods and other rotating joints? Would they be roller as well?

I suspect that the answer to your questions is....it all depends! If you're looking at a locomotive that will operate only occassionally then the considerable investment couldn't be justified. If however you're looking at an engine that will operate on a frequent and predictable schedule then the investment would be wise.
I have no real idea what it would cost to convert a 4-8-4 from a friction bearing machine to an all roller bearing machine like CO614, but it would certainly be in the many tens of thousands and perhaps more????
As I posted above what I can share from our real life experience is that once you've had the pleasure of operating an all roller bearing engine you'll NEVER (by choice) go back to friction bearing!! To say that the difference is like night and day is an understatement!!!
I well remember our struggles with the 2101 and give the 4449 crew great credit for all their hard work in keeping their magnificient engine alive and well!!
Ross Rowland

How long do roller bearings last on cars & diesels? I mean since it sounds like 50 year old technology already had a lifespan of nearly forever!

Interesting photos, great thread. Reminds me that back in 1991 or 1992 went out to the UC Davis transit shops where the 1950's double-decker buses from England are maintained with a chap named Barry White, who used to drive on the Isle of Wight iirc with the shop manager, also an ex-pat. Anyway, the highlight of the visit was that they had just poured and machined and "re-brassed" the bearings on one of those buses, which use the same Babbit metal technology, not roller bearings. After getting everything hooked up again, they had to "run in" the bearings prior to regular operations around Davis, so we took the double-decker up on a local freeway (Hwy 113) and wound it up to 60+ --- quite a thrill from up top!

The passing-on of such skills as shown in the photos is priceless. Reading manuals and viewing videos about it can never replace the value of hands-on apprenticeship under the tutoring of a master.