Steam & Excursion > T&NO 786

According to the ASTA website this is the latest on 786.

Update as of 2/9/2015
Weather and a very busy Winter train scheduled has kept us from working on 786, but we have had a couple of productive work days so far in 2015. Our volunteers have accomplished the following:

• Re-invented a system for shooting the rods with grease
• Periodic ‘exercising’ the drivers and rods for grease distribution
• Removal of the fractured trailing truck bushing and field machining of the casting by HS Services in Lockhart, Texas
• Re-assembly and painting of the pony truck
• Thorough cleaning of the trailing truck components (sand from sandblasting in the journals) which required removal of the pedestal binders, axle, sumps, and brass, and then reassembly of the cleaned and re-coated parts
• Inspection and cleaning of the bores in the cylinder saddle
• Periodic polishing of the rods and re-coating with a moisture resistant coating
• Loaded up a selection of old and new driving boxes, and made ready for shipment to Strasburg Railroad, who has been selected to do the final machining and application of the crown brass.

Next up on the project list will be:

• Installing the new bushing in the trailing truck and final component painting
• Installing the studs on the cylinder saddle, fitting the new valve and piston head castings, and performing hydro testing on the cylinder saddle
• Restoration of the engine face and installation on the smoke box

For more information or if you would like make a donate in order to see #786 run again please visit the
www.austinsteamtrain.org/786-restoration

Thanks,

Ricky
Austin, Texas



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/15 22:46 by TexasEagle77.

"Hydro testing on the cylinder saddle"?????

How, and why?  The saddle never sees pressure. It
only carries exhaust steam to the nozzle and stack.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/15 09:56 by Realist.

Now you know why it will take them forever to put it together.......

Txhighballer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Now you know why it will take them forever to put
> it together.......

Well, maybe.  The above list shows 11 items, a number of
which are clearly (re-inventing ways to grease a non-running
locomotive) unnecessary, at least one (getting the sand out
of the journal boxes (why not keep it from getting in the boxes
in the first place) and some others that are head-scratchers.

So I had to ask. The bushing makes sense, as does the engine
truck.  The rest not so much.

Realist, what I have learned from afar is they are essentially re-inventing their steam program since it's been non-existant for more than 10 years while they got the boiler, cylinders and frame ready for reassembly, almost completely with outshopped expertise and resources.  The new journal boxes are at the Strasburg so hopefully they will be completed and returned in the next month or two and reassembly can continue.

TrackGuy