Steam & Excursion > ORHC - turntable electrican

Today the electrical contractor, Photo Electric, had three working....one a nice young lady apprentice.   they are making good progress.   sorry for the sidwways view......haven't taken the time to load the software that a VERY kind person suggested.   Arlen

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Here you go.

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I have to ask.  I was talking to Renee and she mentioned that the Electrical Slip Ring that goes on top of the harp is being built but didn't know at that time, about a month or so ago I believe, when it would actually arrive.  I'm wondering now if there are any indications how long it will be before its arrival?

JOHN



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/23 21:17 by Jsporseen.

" Hi! " to Rod.

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

For their "spare parts" inventory ....make sure they buy several sets of replacement 
slip-ring 'brushes' ( specially shaped carbon blocks w/pig tails), for the new 
slip-ring assemblies that they're buying, to keep on hand for spares.

In service they last for years...., but decades from now, spares might NOT be 
available 'off the shelf'...
They're cheap enough now, to keep spares on-hand, for future generations..

Also, keep fresh spare lube-pads for the axle bearings, and the special shapes for
the spare pads lubricating the reduction-gears' shafts.

Again, present pads, now in place, should last years --- but, age and/or water
contamination shortens their life.. Its very possible that supplies, or vendors
disappear in the future... Better to have the new spares on hand... just in case

In service, the foam blocks inside the axle pads, can 'rot' in place, and lose their expansive 
characteristics, and the pads shrink with age....and lose their capillary properties.
Oil in the cellars goes rancid, with age...and must be changed.

Future new pad sources could become few, and far between.

Just a suggestion....

​W.

Jsporseen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have to ask.  I was talking to Renee and she
> mentioned that the Electrical Slip Ring that goes
> on top of the harp is being built but didn't know
> at that time, about a month or so ago I believe,
> when it would actually arrive.  I'm wondering now
> if there are any indications how long it will be
> before its arrival?
>
> JOHN
It is scheduled to arrive mid October

Todd

Posted from iPhone

Wes, thanks for the info about the ESR and Todd thanks for the delivery info.
I guess the main things left to make it look the the old Brooklyn Bridge (a cleaner version) are the control cabin, metal grate walkways and safety fences as well as the ESR itself.  Lots of enjoyment watching the progress.

JOHN

John,
Thanks for your pictures.  Hopefully I will be able to see everything in person when I make my net trip to the Pacific Northwest.

Just thought I would throw this in although it is something that most of us may already know.  Electricity will flow to the electrical slip ring from the upper corner of the building as shown in the cropped photo.  Having seen some pictures of the setup in the Brooklyn Yard, it appears to be a much shorter distance.

JOHN



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/23 11:27 by Jsporseen.

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Thanks for sharing. Oh Look! The pit walls are already weathered! <G>

Victor Baird

I don't know if wet, rain-stains qualifies as 'weathering'...
( "modelers artificial effects representing cumulative seasons 
   of exposure to atmospheric impacts on air currents
    and precipitation").

I'm just sayin'

​W.

One more thing and then I think I'm finished with this post.  The two things circled on this old picture from Brooklyn, can anybody tell me what they are?  They are not currently on the Harp as installed now.  Did they have a function and, if not needed, will they go on just for historical accuracy?  I suspect there must have been some reason for them.

JOHN



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/23 21:48 by Jsporseen.

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Jsporseen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One more thing and then I think I'm finished with
> this post.  The two things circled on this old
> picture from Brooklyn, can anybody tell me what
> they are?  They are not currently on the Harp as
> installed now.  Did they have a function and, if
> not needed, will they go on just for historical
> accuracy?  I suspect there must have been some
> reason for them.
>
> JOHN

Those are/were the signals, to tell the Engineer/Hosteler that the turntable was "aligned & locked", and it was then OK for the locomotive to move. Those long tapered housings of the signals were aimed in such a way that they could only be easily viewed from the locomotive cab.

Thank You.  I had never even thought of signals on a turntable.  Shows what I know.

JOHN

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jsporseen Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > One more thing and then I think I'm finished
> with
> > this post.  The two things circled on this old
> > picture from Brooklyn, can anybody tell me what
> > they are?  They are not currently on the Harp
> as
> > installed now.  Did they have a function and,
> if
> > not needed, will they go on just for historical
> > accuracy?  I suspect there must have been some
> > reason for them.
> >
> > JOHN
>
> Those are/were the signals, to tell the
> Engineer/Hosteler that the turntable was "aligned
> & locked", and it was then OK for the locomotive
> to move. Those long tapered housings of the
> signals were aimed in such a way that they could
> only be easily viewed from the locomotive cab.

Hotwater wrote the following and was obviously correct:

"Those are/were the signals, to tell the Engineer/Hosteler that the turntable was "aligned & locked", and it was then OK for the locomotive to move. Those long tapered housings of the signals were aimed in such a way that they could only be easily viewed from the locomotive cab."

The above has brought out a character flaw of mine, impatience.  In 37 years of high school teaching and football coaching I now-and-then got criticized for an occasional lack of the virtue of patience.

Had I though more carefully about Arlen's first picture in this thread, the whole thing would have been obvious, the electrician was halfway up the harp for a reason and it was wiring for the harp signal system which I questioned later.

When I dropped by this morning, there it was plain as day.

Incidentally, while I was standing there Renee and two contractors were standing there discussing the new fencing that is going to be installed so I would assume we will be seeing that getting started in the next few weeks.  I only butted in to tell Renee that I want to bring in a group next month and would be coming in to talk to her about it.  She was very busy so I took off.

JOHN



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/23 10:43 by Jsporseen.

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I picture #2, directly under the arch, lying next to the rails,
are some 'silvery-things'..... I couldn't figure them out...

NOW !   It makes sense !
 
Thanks for the close-up!

W.