Steam & Excursion > Union Pacific 844 and Frisco1522 This Fine Morning

"Hey!  Who's that guy by the pile of ties?"

"No idea."

"Hey look!  They're blowing down the boiler!"

"Yeah.  All over that dude up there!"

"You sure you don't know who that is?"

"Nope."

Union Pacific 844 west of Pacific at two locations, east of Pacific at two locations, and at Kirkwood at two vantage points.  And I heard Frisco 1522 was around there some where... didn't see the smoke, though.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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Looked to me like the cylinder cocks were open as it passed "tie guy." Not the same thing as blowing down the boiler. Nice Whistle!

Ooooohh... that's a really, really nice video, Mary!
Thanks so much for sharing it here.  The 844 really
looks good!  (Yes, FWIW, I really miss the Mars light,
but in any case it is wonderful to see her out running
again.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/16 01:11 by Margaret_SP_fan.

CPR_4000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looked to me like the cylinder cocks were open as
> it passed "tie guy." Not the same thing as blowing
> down the boiler. Nice Whistle!

No cylinder cocks open in any of that video.  Unless
all 4 have been moved to the right side below the cab,

Mary, looks like you covered Mr. Booster's experience quite well.
​And that was the blow down that he moved from the separator on top of the boiler to the overflow below the cab, that now shoots it out across the right of way.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/16 17:01 by Bob3985.

Bob3985 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mary, looks like you covered Mr. Booster's
> experience quite well.
> ​And that was thebow down that he moved from the
> separator on top of the boiler to the overflow
> below the cab that now shoots it out across the
> right of way.

Bob3985, Is there anything wrong with this new setup as long as its used frequently enough?

I don't know of anything wrong with it as long as it is used sensibly blowing down away from people and other objects. That was why it was separated on top. But that left residue settling on the boiler jacket. You can see that in the old photos with the white residue around the separator. That would send the steam out the top and the water would flow out the bottom onto the right of way. The new method shoots the steam off to the side a fair distance.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

That was not cylinder cocks.  Look at the video that I posted.  Maybe now I won't need cataract surgery.
That was me by the tie pile.

Bob3985 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't know of anything wrong with it as long as
> it is used sensibly blowing down away from people
> and other objects. That was why it was separated
> on top. But that left residue settling on the
> boiler jacket. You can see that in the old photos
> with the white residue around the separator. That
> would send the steam out the top and the water
> would flow out the bottom onto the right of way.
> The new method shoots the steam off to the side a
> fair distance.

And you don't see any water, dirty or otherwise.  Makes
one think it might be rigged up to blow from the top of
the boiler, which is exactly opposite of what is wanted
and needed.  The crud settles to the lowest point, and
that is where you want it to blow from.

Yes that's correct, blowing off steam is not the same as blowing down the boiler. Check out the narrow
gauge shots, the blow down valve is way down at the bottom of the mud ring, like where the sediment
ie the stuff that settles, resides!

Out

Holy crap, did you hear the rod noise that engine is making?  She is on death's doorstep.  Terrible pounding................

Frisco1522 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Holy crap, did you hear the rod noise that engine
> is making?  She is on death's doorstep. 
> Terrible pounding................

I heard that too, but was wonder if it was a driving box and not the rods.

It sounded like it was getting a little worse as they went further east.  Hope that it makes it.
Also noted beside the steam escaping under the cab, some on the fireman's side cylinder cock which does not look normal to me, but then maybe it is.
Sure hope that they can make the round trip without killing it.
Pat
South Austin, TX

sptno Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It sounded like it was getting a little worse as
> they went further east.  Hope that it makes it.
> Also noted beside the steam escaping under the
> cab, some on the fireman's side cylinder cock
> which does not look normal to me, but then maybe
> it is.

That is NOT a "cylinder cock" emitting steam on the Fireman's side. That is the tell-tail discharge from the Worthington Feedwater System, indicating that the feedwater pump is on and pumping feedwater into the boiler.

> Sure hope that they can make the round trip
> without killing it.
> Pat
> South Austin, TX

sptno Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It sounded like it was getting a little worse as
> they went further east.  Hope that it makes it.
> Also noted beside the steam escaping under the
> cab, some on the fireman's side cylinder cock
> which does not look normal to me, but then maybe
> it is.
> Sure hope that they can make the round trip
> without killing it.
> Pat
> South Austin, TX.
​Could just be the rod noise as the rod grease gets used up. And that bit of steam could be the exhaust off the water system pump/feedwater heater

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Frisco1522 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Holy crap, did you hear the rod noise that
> engine
> > is making?  She is on death's doorstep. 
> > Terrible pounding................
>
> I heard that too, but was wonder if it was a
> driving box and not the rods.

Hint:  Those are Franklin self-adjusting shoes.
If they are set correctly when installed, they
will keep themselves in proper order.  If not,
they won't.

Now we'll see if they know how to adjust shoes and
wedges on roller bearing boxes.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/16 19:33 by Realist.

Bob3985 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> sptno Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It sounded like it was getting a little worse
> as
> > they went further east.  Hope that it makes
> it.
> > Also noted beside the steam escaping under the
> > cab, some on the fireman's side cylinder cock
> > which does not look normal to me, but then
> maybe
> > it is.
> > Sure hope that they can make the round trip
> > without killing it.
> > Pat
> > South Austin, TX.
> ​Could just be the rod noise as the rod grease
> gets used up. And that bit of steam could be the
> exhaust off the water system pump/feedwater heater

Greasing the rods every 40-50 miles or so like they do
now, and with no train to speak of (only about 400 tons
trailing, including the water car) , it's hard to imagine
how the grease could "get used up" so quickly.

Frisco1522 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Holy crap, did you hear the rod noise that engine
> is making?  She is on death's doorstep. 
> Terrible pounding................

We were listening to the Mobile Fidelity double album "8444!" from 1981 in the truck on the way up from my place this morning.  Sounded the same then.  She has a very distinctive sound.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/16 19:59 by MaryMcPherson.

I agree Realist but perhaps the reverse setting was a little forward and worked the rods more than usual. Not saying it isn't the boxes as well. We used to have rod noise toward the end of the grease life.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/16 20:32 by Bob3985.

Also we would get rod clanking when drifting the throttle. And running at the speeds he is doing may be just that.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY