Steam & Excursion > Tx State RR ex-Santa Fe 500 - better days

Here is ex-Santa Fe #500 at the Texas State RR (May 1982) looking a lot better than it does these days.
(see posting on the Texas State from yesterday in steam discussion).     
What a great looking engine. I would love to see it painted for the Santa Fe and out on the main line!  If they just get it put back together would be a nice start.
Gary

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I still can't fathom paying for a boiler that had such poor workmanship that it is unusable.

maybe they can get their money back but last guy I spoke with about it says they are currently left "holding the bag".

 

What is the problem with the boiler?  Is it fixable or just junk?  (the new one?)  Or is it totally out of boiler code.
How bad was the old one?
Nice looking 4-6-2 in spite of the circus train colors.

The boiler is fine, if you are a power plant.   It is a long story that has been reviewed here on TO and other boards many times, but the short version is that the state had money for new boilers for the 316 (the T&P 4-6-0) and the 1316 (the AT&SF 4-6-2) but not money to repair them.   316's boiler was about gone, but 1316's could have been easily repaired, but new boilers were built.  The company that built them had never built a locomotive boiler, but had built lots of power plant boilers, so instead of duplicating the original fireboxes, they decided to beef them up, using heavier steel for the inner firebox sheets and crown sheets, and not using flexible staybolts.  On the 316, instead of 1/2" crownsheet they used 3/4" and deciding that was a good idea on the 13316 used 1" material.  The problem is that the locomotive boilers are subject to much changing conditions, which power plant boilers are not, and thus about 3 years ago it was discovered that the 316's crown sheet was eroded past all safety margins around the crown stays due to flexing, fracturing and then steam erosion.  316 may be repaired at some point by cutting out the old crown sheet, and installing a 1/2" crown sheet and new stays, but 1316 will probably have to wait for an entirely new firebox interior.

Not to mention the fact that the much thicker steel does NOT transfer the heat properly to the water!

The kick in the pants on the two boilers is TSR signed for (accepted) the boilers which took  the boiler maker off the hook.

The problem also is that the state parks managers, who were good people and wanted their operations to succeed, did not either ask for, or get good guidence from experts when the boilers were designed.  

Another problem with the new boiler for 1316 is that  because it is made from much thicker steel, it probably wieghs nearly twice as much, and the running probably would not support it.  They would probably havee to convert 1316 into a Hudson to carry that heavy firebox..........

        Maybe it was an secret Special Ed deal, seeing as how it turned out as it did.
 

I liked firing 500 (1316). She had a cracking exhaust and she fired well. She would also run like a scalded dog if she got the bit in her teeth. She was the biggest and most powerful engine ever operated there, and she took some getting used to. She pulled well, but she could lose her feet under load around 10 MPH or so. The Maydelle turntable was too short for her, and the one time it was attempted, the decision was made to NEVER do that again!

I think Santa Fe, like the Frisco, had loud engines.  No down side to that.  
Stayed at my cousin's back in the early 50s in Ft. Worth.  They lived at the very end of Bird's yards where the Santa Fe branch joined the main.  Every morning birght and early a ATSF 4-8-2 would literally rattle the windows coming around the curve and off the branch.  Even saw a Frisco 1500 come around there, probably working her way from 8th Ave roundhouse headed for Union Station.  At night, one of the Santa Fe 2-8-0s worked the yard and got down to their house.  Good times.