Steam & Excursion > Listen to protesting wheels of 2926.

http://nmslrhs.org/Photos/2018/04-14/DSCN8414.html

Listen to this movement of 2926 near the location it spread the rails and twisted the I beam support where a weld broke. At 1:07 to 2:00 you will hear the protesting wheels. That is wheel slip. That is because the wheel on the inner rail have to travel less distance than the wheels on the outer rails, and you are hearing the slip of the wheel on one rail or the other. This slip noise can be eliminated by having a slight bit of lubrications on the head of only one rail, preferably the inner rail. This attempt of the wheel to slip is where the force comes from that pushes the gage wider. "Lurch" needs one dry rail to grab in order to get traction to pull the engine.

The track should be inspected and a track gauge used on it each week to see that the gage is not changing. A second spike could be added against the outside rail snug to the base of that rail for added strength. This video is when the engine boiler and tender were empty so you can understand how it was when both were fully loaded. The pacing volunteers should watch the edge of the wheels to see that they do not get less than the side of the rail head, without stop and investigation. A second spike could be added on the inside of the base of the rails on the outer rail of a curve as that spike head adds more strength to prevent the rail from twisting/turning up and out.

That is what happened to NKP #765 who shop track had bad ties and their gage bars did not grab the entire base of the outer rail. The gage bars only lipped the outer edge of the base of the rail, and account of the bad wood there were no inner spikes to prevent the rail from turning out and spreading, dropping the #765. They added new ties and replaced the inferior expensive gage bars.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/18 14:53 by PlyWoody.

I worked for a shortline a few years ago which "fell in love" with gauge bars. Somehow the contractor they hired was pushing the idea of using those on bad track to avoid the cost of replacing ties. It didn't take long before expensive derailments occurred as a result of rails turning over even at low speed (5-10 MPH) operation.

Before an extensive and expensive tie renewal program went into effect I called this road the "Gauge Bar Central".

exprail

The video was taken 50 to 60 feet east of the pit so what you are hearing has nothing to do with the pit. There is a slight curve there so lubrication could be useful, but the noise sounds to me more like a heavy railcar loading the track. In any event, five years ago the Society recognized that the siding was in extremely poor condition (tie dates were 1937) and the subgrade, ties and rails were totally replaced in the Spring of 2014 (see the photo sets for details of work over multiple weeks). Final assembly and gauging of the rails was performed by a professional railroad contractor. The engine is moved slowly as shown twice per week and though the track might be out of gauge it is unlikely. As was shown by the derailment, the situation at the pit was different.

Another video of a move back to the engine house. Same noise on same section of track (starting 0:09 seconds):
http://nmslrhs.org/Photos/2018/02-24/DSCN7035-7042.html
(Visitors in white hardhats seen at end of video)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/18 12:06 by Cumbresfan.

Thanks Cumbresfan.

Posted from iPhone

So lets fast forward a few months,(let's hope) and 2926 backs out of the restoration site, headed to the main line for a break in trip. (Let's hope) What's the rest of that industrial trackage like between there, and there ?

Posted from Android

LocoPilot750 Wrote:But a loaded steam engine is another issue.
-------------------------------------------------------
> So lets fast forward a few months,(let's hope) and
> 2926 backs out of the restoration site, headed to
> the main line for a break in trip. (Let's hope)
> What's the rest of that industrial trackage like
> between there, and there ?
>
> Posted from Android

There are sections that were questionable in the past, but I suspect they have been worked on or else BNSF wouldn't use them. But a loaded steam engine is another issue and they know the track has to be in good condition.

See this video for three loaded BNSF engines leaving the engine house in September 2016.
http://nmslrhs.org/Photos/2016/09-24/20160926-223225-222339.html



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/18 12:21 by Cumbresfan.

For testing, why do you need a tender FULL of water & fuel?

How many thousands of miles are you going, on your tests?

You may find that you've got some draining to do...ooops.

W.

It's a good thing they did do a fully loaded test right there where it sits. Now they know they need to fix what's under it before it ever moves a foot by itself.

wcamp1472 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For testing, why do you need a tender FULL of
> water & fuel?
>
> How many thousands of miles are you going, on your
> tests?
>
> You may find that you've got some draining to
> do...ooops.
>
> W.

I don't think the tender was full of either fuel or water. The first time they put fuel in it (when they discovered a leak to the tender's sandbox), they put in about 3,000 gallons of the 7,000 capacity (one fuel reading was 2,926!). I suspect that water was also quite a bit less than capacity especially as it is metered by the city.

Good...

Testing requires less than full supplies..

W.

Without wasting my time on study of your past photos of your track, I can guess that about 80% of the ties only have 4 spikes in the tiny single shoulder plates. For that size engine, the track should have double shoulder plates and at least 8 spikes in each tie. In this case without replacing the plates, you best improvement would be to fill each field holes in the plates and even double on some of the gage side holes of the rails with more spikes. That would be at least 6 and maybe every other tie with 8 spikes as they are good ties and can handle them with benefit. The spike head is never driven to full contact with the rail, proper position is 1/32" space between lip of spike head and base of rail. If driving with air gun you stop immediately when the sound changes, and not give it the last hit which may kill the spike by bending it.

You must have some volunteers with track experience in the group to back me up. You should paint locate number along your track and record the gage on a log sheet so you can match every weekly reading at each same location and record how stable or moving the rails may be. The same person should make all the measurements in the same manner. Record rail temperature along with the measurement in your log.

This was a very valuable lession to your group to discover the importance of respect to the giant weight of that fine locomotive and the important need for a strong track structure to hold the engine. If and when any proposal is made for on line movement, great study of the track sidings that it will need to run over must be made, as it is possible for the owner to say that engine is just too big and heavy to get around safety. A insurance policy for re-railment cost may be a good investment to protect the track owner to insure their approval. The main tracks may safely handle it but the engine will need to use other side tracks and maybe a wye. Every curve it will run on should be walked with a 62' long chord, and measure the offset every 31' for a record of the sharpness of the curve and of course, record the gage. Gage needs to be 1/4" wider for every 10 degrees of curve. You may need to pay the track owner for a few new ties and extra spikes to secure some of the lead tracks to the mainline.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/18 11:21 by PlyWoody.

Uh, the group has control over but a short piece of trackage, the rest belongs to the state, not
sure of the BNSF level of responsibility for maintenance of OMT and industrial leads.

Out

The issue was that a weld that held the main support beam vertical going over the pit on one side broke and allowed the top of that beam to cant over. This was covered in their updates. They even have pictures that show this. They have identified that they need to make improvements to the pit beam system.

Ed

They have posted a set of photos on their website with drone footage of Hulcher walking 2926 up and away from the pit. Several photos of some of the work going on down in the hole.