Steam & Excursion > Supporting a locomotive after drivers are removed

Please pardon this question. The answer may be obvious, but not to me. Several years ago 844 suffered flat drivers during a incident in Texas. The locomotive moved (slowly) to a location with a drop table so the drivers could be removed and sent out tor truing. I'm curious how the locomotive was supported after the first, and the rest of the drivers were removed. It had to be moved after each driver was removed so the next one could be accessed. Was all of the weight of the loco left on the remaining pilot and trailing wheels?

Ken
 

I don't know about other steam locomotives, but when we were restoring SP 786 here in Austin, TX, we used very large and heavy wooden oak blocks to support the frame of the locomotive.
We did not have a drop pit for the drivers, we lifted the entire locomotive to install the drivers and front and rear trucks.
A "flying" locomotive, suspended from steel cables and hydraulic jacks.
I suspect oak wooden blocks were also used.
Pat
South Austin, TX

A locomotive like 844, being a 4-8-4, when a drop table is used to "drop-out" each wheel/axle pair one at a time, she simply becomes a 4-0-4, supported by the engine truck and trailing truck. After each wheel/axle pair is removed, the pedestal caps are re-installed in order to maintain the frame strength.

HotWater Wrote:
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> A locomotive like 844, being a 4-8-4, when a drop
> table is used to "drop-out" each wheel/axle pair
> one at a time, she simply becomes a 4-0-4,
> supported by the engine truck and trailing truck.
> After each wheel/axle pair is removed, the
> pedestal caps are re-installed in order to
> maintain the frame strength.

Glad you mentioned the pedestal binders.  That would be bad not to have them up and tight.