Steam & Excursion > More ATSF 2926 updates

In addition to the 10/04 photo links Dennis posted Wednesday, the 2926 website has posted three more photo updates:

"Walschaerts timing gear assembly starts with the famous Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta going on overhead!"
http://nmslrhs.org/Photos/2014/10-11/index.html

"More Walschaerts timing gear work."
http://nmslrhs.org/Photos/2014/10-18/index.html

"And more Walschaerts work along with more superheater work - and of course those blasted stay-bolt caps (will that ever end?)"
http://nmslrhs.org/Photos/2014/10-25/index.html

Work status updates here:
10/04/14 http://nmslrhs.org/Status/status.php?week_no=201440
10/11/14 http://nmslrhs.org/Status/status.php?week_no=201441

There are two more status updates to come (10/18 and 10/25) as members receive them by email before they are posted on the webpage.

Finally, there are just 8 (out of 220) Superheater Tube pairs left for sale. Purchase a pair for $100 and you receive recognition as a donor on their webpage.

http://nmslrhs.org/Shop/Superheaters/superheaters.php

Home page:
http://nmslrhs.org/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/14 09:47 by Cumbresfan.

Amazing bunch of photos, I didn't realize the last ones had been posted. Love to watch those big pieces come together.

That group is doing some amazing work out there...hard to believe that a 2900 will be in steam soon.

Some interesting names for valve gear parts. Keep on keepin on guys.

ddg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amazing bunch of photos, I didn't realize the last
> ones had been posted. Love to watch those big
> pieces come together.

They were posted on the 2926 website a couple of hours after your TO thread. They were behind in posting the weekly updates and put a bunch on at once. As I said, there are two more status updates to come plus one from this week's work.

It looks to me like the bronze bushings have graphite inserts. Are they greased, oiled, or run dry like an Oilite bushing ?

Posted from Android

ddg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It looks to me like the bronze bushings have
> graphite inserts. Are they greased, oiled, or run
> dry like an Oilite bushing ?
>
> Posted from Android

Can't answer since I'm not on site. You might send an email to Rick or Gail to ask. Send me a PM if you need the address.

The bushings look like they have pin grease packed in the holes. I saw Alemite pin dope fittings on them. Ours used soft grease.

The video of the cylinder honing shows that the stroke speed is way too low. I know it's a backbreaking chore, but the stroke should be sufficient to create a crosshatch pattern of about 60 degrees on the finish. Too much dwell will cause a barrel shaped hole and too much dwell on the ends of the stroke will cause it to be bellmouthed. The crosshatch finish is to make the rings seat easier and fit better. You don't want to go for a mirror finish. Proper honing will give you a round, straight and constant size bore. Right now, I'm sure you can feel where the bore is tight and where it's loose. The idea is to make it the same, end to end.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/14 07:18 by Frisco1522.

I would hope they would pull out an inside mike and measure the bore after honing to see if they have more work to do. Finding one that big might be a bit of a challenge, but they probably have a big digital caliper,and with a telescoping gage they can measure the inside dieter easy enough. Or if they have a bit enough lathe they could turn a go/no-go gage out of a hunk of 1/4" plate and be sure that they got the hole really round.

Alternately you can build a sliding spider out of brass or aluminum that will hold a feeler gage and an extender bar exactly perpendicular and centered in the bore, and you can drag it around and make sure everything is within a thousandth or two. They seem to have lots of machinists there, so they probably would know how to make something like that.

About those bronze bushings (actually aluminum/bronze), I found some info on the "Work Status" for Feb. 2014 that mentioned what they are using them for and why. "The Walschaerts linkages originally had double row needle bearings that could not be replaced. A year long search revealed that the ones we needed simply were not available. We replaced them with an aluminum/bronze bushing that has graphite plugs imbedded in them and will require no lubrication. Installation was completed". Here is a link to a company that makes those, not sure it they got them there or elsewhere. http://www.oilitebushes.com/graphite-filled-bushes.html

A project like this gives me goose bumps to think that this wonderful behemoth was made in the good old USA when we could do about anything and had the skill and know how to invent and keep wonderful machines like this in operation. And I'll assume that those working on this super power locomotive are all Americans too, (though I wouldn't hold it against anyone on the crew of a different nationality). It gives me faith that we can do anything given the will.

I felt the same way when I was on the first crew to restore the 765 back the late 1970s, though I was just a go-for. Like I said before, landing on the moon was another wonderful USA achievement but the day we got the 765 running down the track for the first time since she had been on display in a park was better than that. And I know some of you were there with me that day. Many countries had steam locos and they started with the Brits but we did it the American way and boy did we ever!

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/14 18:49 by wabash2800.

I'm not sure that's what I would have used.(Aluminum Bronze) My preference would have been continuously cast bronze that we used to get from Magnolia Bronze in Omaha. I think using that along with an alemite fitting for soft grease would do the trick.
I'm sure this will do the trick.