Steam & Excursion > MK-5 786 at the drop pit

I took these photos and developed them in March, 2000 while volunteering as a helper at the Austin Steam Train Association. The locomotive was laid up due to worn bearings on the lead wheel set.  Ostensibly it was due to high water damage while on a trip to downtown Austin. The newly turned wheel can be seen awaiting installation. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/19 10:23 by Hou74-76.

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Hou74-76 Wrote:
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> I took these photos in March, 2000 while
> volunteering as a helper at the Austin Steam Train
> Association. The locomotive was laid up due to
> worn bearings on the lead wheel set.  Ostensibly
> it was due to high water damage in 1999 while on a
> trip to downtown Austin. The newly turned wheel
> can be seen awaiting installation.

The wheel looks like it SHOULD be trued, however that freshly turned axle journal looks quite nice. Nice photos.

Help with dating the time period of these photos is appreciated.  I have found the date on the back of the picture is not always positive proof of image capture.  I am also a bit fuzzy in the head when it comes to the chronology of events that led up to the shut down of this locomotive.  Thanks for viewing and commenting.

Nice set of photos.  I like the ingenuity of jacking up the front end,

Hotwater wrote:
>>>The wheel looks like it SHOULD be trued,...<<<

What exactly does that mean, and how do you tell from that picture?

Tominde Wrote:
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> Nice set of photos.  I like the ingenuity of
> jacking up the front end,
>
It may be ingenious, but one shouldn't rely on jack's to support your work. Unsafe. Needs blocking.

> Hotwater wrote:
> >>>The wheel looks like it SHOULD be trued,...<<<
>
> What exactly does that mean, and how do you tell
> from that picture?

The wheel is so worn that there are flanges on both sides of the tread.

-LD

It is well grooved and while it was in the lathe getting journal work should have had the truing work done.   Axle looks kind of dull too, but that may be grease or oil on it the protect from rust.  It should have a nice polished look to it.

Thanks for posting pictures of SP786.  This was after a good number of the original volunteers who helped rebuild 786 left.
I am not holding my breath of ever seeing 786 run again.  It's been too long.
Pat
South Austin, TX

When was the first rebuild completed?  In other words, how long did the engine run before it was pulled out of service?  

 It ran in Dec. 1991 and began regular runs in July 1992.


elueck Wrote:
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> When was the first rebuild completed?  In other
> words, how long did the engine run before it was
> pulled out of service?  

I think that we, as much as I can recall, did some breaking in testing in the winter of 1991 and spring of 1992.  We ran between the Westinghouse motor plant and just slightly northeast of downtown Georgetown.
Got lots of attention.  In May 2-3 of 1992, we took it to downtown Austin.  Drew lots of interest.
I remember sleeping inside the cab and standing watch to make sure that no harm or graffiti came to the locomotive and the passenger car.
Quite cold and night, nice and warm in the cab though.
Pat
South Austin, TX