Steam & Excursion > Update on SP / T&NO #786

Update as of 6/29/2015

Needless to say, many hours have been spent during the Spring in behind the scenes work in measuring and producing drawings for correct machining of the driving boxes.  A tip of the hat to our volunteers Greg Duepner and John Mandell who have been working with Strasburg to get this fairly complex task accomplished.

 The trailing truck, now with the new bushing welded in, has been flipped to its normal position and painting is complete.
Trailing truck pivot has been aligned and tack welded into the support strap and will be attached to the frame with tapered bolts.
Essentially, all the wheel restoration work is complete.
Pilot retrieved from the parts pile, cleaned and primed.  Some welding work is required and then it will be finish painted and on display at the passenger platform until installed on the frame.
The main driving boxes are being machined at Strasburg using a vertical slotter with a rotary table.  The machinist is Andrea Biesecker, who graduated the top of her class and started to work for Strasburg when she was 21.  In addition to her machining talents, she has restored and shows her own steam traction engine! Once machined, the crown brass and babbeting will be added.
An Ohio foundry is recasting the other six driving boxes.  Once cast, Strasburg will machine them as well.
Remaining parts inventoried, springs and rigging laid out in the yard.
Appliances such as the turbine, power reverse, cold water pump for the feedwater heater, cross compound air pump, air jacks and air motors for the reamers have been lubricated and operated as part of our periodic maintenance program.
Periodic cleaning and coating the rods with a moisture resistant coating which has held up well considering all the rain we have received in the Spring months.

Next up on the project list will be:

Installing the studs on the new cylinder saddle, fitting the new valve and piston head castings, blanking off the exhaust ports and running a hydro test on the cylinder saddle.
Begin drilling and tapping holes for remaining studs on the lower half of the smoke box as well as installation of the lower hinge so the face can be mounted on the smoke box.
Spot re-priming and painting the frame.

For more information and pictures please go to http://www.austinsteamtrain.org/786-restoration


Ricky
Austin, Texas

 

Great to hear a report on the 786 with positive happenings.

Thanks for the update.  Hopefully 786 will be back under steam this summer.
I enjoyed working on the first restoration and had fun working as a crew member.
Pat
South Austin, TX
 

Thanks for the update and good news on the progress.

I don't understand hydroing the cylinder casting. Where is that requirement written?

From my fellow co-worker Kelly Anderson here at Strasburg:

“The ICS book “Locomotive-Cylinder and Erecting Work” has a section on hydro testing new cylinders to 150 PSI to look for leaks in the casting.”

Chris Edwards
SRC, Trainmaster

tenthovi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> From my fellow co-worker Kelly Anderson here at
> Strasburg:
>
> “The ICS book “Locomotive-Cylinder and
> Erecting Work” has a section on hydro testing
> new cylinders to 150 PSI to look for leaks in the
> casting.”
>
> Chris Edwards
> SRC, Trainmaster

Okay, so it's a recomendation, not a requirement.