Steam & Excursion > East Broad Top #16 front flue sheet removal

Just another day at the office… last Tuesday apprentice boilermaker Matt removed the front flue sheet from East Broad Top locomotive #16. A cutting torch and grinder made short order of the task. A new sheet will replace the existing.

Delivered in 1916, it was the first of the largest group of the railroad’s steam engines, incorporating new features like piston valves and superheating – able to haul 60 empty hopper cars from Mount Union to Rockhill Furnace.

The last locomotive to be overhauled before the 1956 closing of the common carrier era; it’s expected to be the first back in service. Other than being pulled out of the roundhouse for display during a few special events, since the mid 1950’s it has sat idle in the shadows… waiting for the limelight.

Follow the link below to my images.

Enjoy,
Matthew

Link to Photos

Very nice images, thanks.
john

Great photos of another chapter in what will be THE steam restoration story of the decade at least. What a special privilege to be able to witness this national treasure come fully back to life !!  

    Thanks to industry titans Bennett Levin, Wick Moorman and Henry Posner this rebirth will see this " Jurassic Park" of late 19th. century industrial technology come back to full functioning and thus allow us to walk back in time to the 1920's and witness up close and personal a vertically intergrated, self sufficient enterprise at work. What an invaluable teaching tool it will be for students in the STEM fields to get an up close and personal feel for what was cutting edge in 1900.

    If you haven't already done so I would suggest you join the Friends of the EBT and lend your hand towards this effort.

    Thanks, Ross Rowland 

I "Second" the Motion .. & Encouraging all to join as a member and $upport this fine operation.
I first visited in the mid-1960s... still got the slides from then.

Today, it's one of the few operations where your contribution goes directily into the restoration,
and not so much to 'admin expenses'...

A true, singular Gem of the East.

Wes Camp
Member since 2020



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/21 06:59 by wcamp1472.

It was reported that #16 was chosen for returning to service because it had been overhauled shortly before the EBT closed shop in 1956, had not run in the preservation era, and therefore was actually in the best condition of all the EBT locomotives.

Well, she must not be in THAT great a shape if she needs an new front flue sheet.

Just curious...

The most damaging thing to front & rear tube sheets is the repeated mauling of the 
the flue and  tube holes from required flue/tube, install/removal cycles..every 5 years ....

It's past may have scarred the holes ( and damaged or distorted the webs between the holes) ,
and since  the flues removed  for this certification & inspection may have revealed  a very 'tired'  sheet...... 

Probably all locos that they plan to operate will need tube their sheets replaced.

​W.



 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/21 18:07 by wcamp1472.

Important to keep in mind that the current rebirth is solidly funded and has as a core part of its mission to bring the entire enterprise ( 31 miles of 3 ft. gauge railroad plus the entire Rockhill steam powered shop complex) back to full functioning and keep it that way in perpetuity. That means that things like flue sheets that might be marginal will be replaced now so as to ensure long term reliability. 

   Great project with important long term benefits for the nation. 

    Ross Rowland 

A few have questioned safety while capturing these images. I wore a flame-retardant nomex jump suit, gloves, headwear, with steel toed boots and safety glasses. Very little of my facial skin was exposed, the rest of my body completely covered. It was a cool morning so I was very comfortable in the environment. I had clear filters on the front of the camera lenses for protection; both me and my equipment ended the session as healthy as we began it.

Matthew

Yes ,,, co614 is correct, you're making investments in the future .... so everything
is being evaluated as to its long-term life, and included are incorporating  the existing
materials and techniques of the 21st century available materials and methods.

Also, another benefit is the "classroom benefits" of providing young mechanics the machines,
and experiences  to get hands-on exposure, and to develop the 'muscle-memory" in manipulating
things like air hammers ( used to roll and bead the tube ends) and flue rollers, and other skills
modulated by repetitive consistency that leads to mastery.  As well as the skills associated with
oxy-acetylene torch skills, and the modern materials & methods in welding technology, MIG, TIG
and stick welding.  Every new flue sheet that you fabricate, and install, brings its own life-lessons
along the way.

Havng a complete machine shop is a huge advantage to the preservation of the arts of antique 
methods and machines.  In shop preservation, you get benefits of repairing & restoring the machinery,
as well as fabricating new parts for the steam fleet.  I see a lot of linkages to The Strasburg RR shop 
efforts and resources.

What a wonderful 'classroom' for the preservation of steam loco fabrication skills, as well as shop
practices and manufacturing skills, as well as adapting modern materials: titanium, etc...

​W.




 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/21 18:07 by wcamp1472.

Looks to me like the upper portion, where there are no tubes or flues, was not removed.  Does that come out too?  Why not torch off the rivets on those rod stays and pull the whole sheet at once?  Seems problematic to weld up all those little ligaments if only the lower 2/3 is replaced?

I think you'll find that the next steps will involve precision laying-out and
punching the holes in the replacement front flue sheet.

The sheet will be cut oversize and will be fitted up to the existing portion.
The existing portion's ragged edge will be neatly trimmed to fit the 
top-edge of the replacement tube sheet, and will be welded in place,
 nice and neat... ( there will be no 'partial holes' in the new tube sheet...)

This is a multi-step process;  this only step #1.

​W.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/21 03:42 by wcamp1472.

Great photos!  Thank you for sharing.

Matthew, you make art of maintenance functions!

I believe that is a error or mistake to go beyond the 27 miles that was purchased in the attached post. Not in Foundation announced plans.

co614 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Important to keep in mind that the current rebirth
> is solidly funded and has as a core part of its
> mission to bring the entire enterprise ( 31 miles
> of 3 ft. gauge railroad plus the entire Rockhill
> steam powered shop complex) back to full
> functioning and keep it that way in perpetuity.
> That means that things like flue sheets that might
> be marginal will be replaced now so as to ensure
> long term reliability. 
>
>    Great project with important long term
> benefits for the nation. 
>
>     Ross Rowland

Earlk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It was reported that #16 was chosen for returning to service because it had been overhauled shortly before the EBT closed shop in 1956, had not run in the preservation era, and therefore was actually in the best condition of all the EBT locomotives.
>
> Well, she must not be in THAT great a shape if she needs an new front flue sheet.

To meet today's 1472 day inspection, the entire boiler shell has to be accessible for inspection.  So flip a coin to see if it is worth saving a 70 + year old piece of steel that tends to corrode along the bottom edge.  A certain Bessemer & Lake Erie 2-10-4 #643 will need the same inspection treatment to run again, even though it did not run a mile after rebuilding.

OTOH  I would hope that the running gear (you know those expensive moving bits under the boiler) would be in good enough shape to not need a whole lot of work.

Brian

The "inspection" is ALWAYS less expensive than a whole, newly fabricated 
boiler shell.

In my opinion, the repeated removal of the rolled & seal-welded 
flues and tubes ( every 5 years) risks damaging the holes in the two tube sheets.
The rsisky part is successfully removing the flues and tubes, without damaging
the tube sheets.

However, only sufficient tubes must be removed to permit access to 360-degrees 
of the boiler interior.  Theoretically, you could leave the 'central nest' of tubes undisturbed.

The main advantage to removing and reinstalling the flues and tubes is the 
opportunity to keep human muscles tuned-up and routinely exercised.  Rolling the 
tubes is accomplished using 'flue-rollers' these tube-expanding tools have rollers and cages
that fit into the tube ends --- a central, tapered pin is powered by strong air-powered, hand held
and operated "air motors".

When flue rolling is being performed, it's hard to tell when the expanded tube
is sufficiently pressed against the tube sheet edges.  Two senses are used to estimate
what's "tight enough" :   the torque against the wrists, and the increasing air-motor sounds --
-as the rolls are driven deeper into the tube centers.

The tube walls are relatively thin and easily "over-rolled" ---- so, when it's under boiler pressure
that the tubes are in danger of breaking-off at the tube sheets.  Such breakage is only a risk to dousing
and esxtiguishing the coal firebed, (or making oil fired engines, hard to maintain).... a broken boiler tube
slowly drains the water out of the boiler, and for all practical purposes ceases pressured operations..
right then and there!

But, the secret to properly installing and rolling the flues and tubes is a matter
of repetitive , correct muscle-memory techniques associated with the installation of hundreds 
successfully rolled-in tubes.... Like a baseball pitcher's throwing arm, or a golfer's Tee-shot swing...

So, the benefits of "continually" doing flue removal work --- are the increased levesls of practice
being perpetuated.  
The more you do it, the better you are at it.  
Where do you get the chances to do that, and how often?

Also. another reason for changing & maintaining the stringent boiler inspection
requirements is to discourage sloppy and "rushed work"  by unprepared steam "wanna-be's"
from firing up un-inspected, uncertified pressure vessels --- after little or no competent boiler surveys .  

It discourages the "patzers' from putting the rest of us, and all steam loco restoration operations,  
at risk....like the sorry, decades-long, sloppy practices at the Gettysburg RR, 1995....

Loco boiler inspections are a serious endeavor.... and don't bother drilling holes in the flexible staybolt caps...
That's NOT the end that gets cleaned-out!


W.


 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/21 07:47 by wcamp1472.