Steam & Excursion > Steam loco Tool Boxes

From an earlier discussion on tools for "road-repairs".

A lot of clues about the types of repairs are the kinds of tools kept in loco, and caboose tool boxes.

Not kept in tool boxes are spare knuckles, for use when incidents occur.

Tool boxes are carried down, low on locos... Cabooses are now virtually obsolete. Also, carried are spare train-line air hoses, for car-to-car,
air hoses

In the tool box are either adjustable, plain-jaw, wrenches or fixed dimension plain-jaw wrenches --- used for replacing torn or damaged air-brake, end-of-car 
air hoses.  Adjustable wrenches offered more solutions to piping problems.

A common arrangement for end of car air hoses, has the pipe-elbow bolted to a support-bar...that way, a single wrench could unscrew the damaged stub,and add a new air hose.  

There may be a situation where the original installation was so tight, that extreme ( leverage) tools might be needed ( Lots of luck in finding a suitable lever/tool)

A RR hammer would be in the tool box, as well a sharp chisel.
Tools were kept to make simple repairs, and allow quick solutions.

On locos, you might find an adjustable spanner wrench, for tightening 
the brass packing-nuts, used on air compressor's piston rods.
Fixed-dimension spanners might also be in there.
So, tool boxes are HEAVY, and are going to be kept accessible;
but, not intended to be carried around---- you would remove only selected 
tools, according to the type needed to make the repairs.

You also might find spare, new rod-packing rope, for sealing things like piston
rods on pumps and compressors.

( Original from days of steam, was use of asbestos-rope materials for 
   rod packing cups.   Today's Teflon-type 'packing' materials are far superior
   to the old asbestos.  And, safer-Teflon can be spiral-wound around the piston 
   rods -- down inside the packing gland--- and you can tighten the packing
   nut, without risk.... also, Teflon packing rope, is self lubricatiing, and makes
   a long lasting seal).

Spare fusees and torpedoes were kept in a separate metal box, 
and torpedoes were separated, when possible.

​W.


 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/21/25 23:23 by wcamp1472.

I posted the image below back in 2016 asking about the items listed on the lid of this box between the trucks on the tender of SP 4-8-4 #4463 taking too much water at Mojave, CA in 1952 (H.L. Kelso photo, Western Railway Museum Archives):

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,4063805

The thread had good answers for Hot Box Coolant and Rod Grease & Gun, but I'm still puzzled what "Steel" might refer to (beyond the obvious and ridiculous).  Any idea?

---

If I'm reading the sign cirrectly, it says :
"COOLANT
HOT BOX
ROD GREASE & GUN
STEEL"

( Heavy stuff ).

"Steel" might have referred to plain bearing internal components.
Specifically, the steel 'wedge' --- which was used as an adapter between 
the inner 'roof' of the journal box and the babbit-lined brsss bearing that 
rode on top of the steel axle, bearing surface.

The babbit-lined bearing piece was made of brass, so it's common name 
was "journal brass".  To evenly distribute the weight across the entire length
of the journal bearing surface, and keep the brass always centered in the box,
a steel backing plate casting is fit between the back of the brass journal, and the 
inner top of the journal box.

Over time, "standard" axle journal sizes were used, with bigger journals 
used under cars carrying heavier axle loading weights.  
I remember sizes like "5X9" -- for light cars like cabese, to bigger sizes
for 100- ton cars.

As track conditions varied, a critical dimension of smooth riding track was 
the variance, rail-to-rail, "cross-level".  On level, tangent track, if you place 
a long, spirit-level across the two rails, the bubble of the level will be in the center.

Over-time, one rail might be over a softer ground-support, than the other rail,
and a ' level' would reveal a lower rail at that point.  Track that had not been 
regularly maintained, tended to have more areas where the cross-levels 
varied considerably, as you went further down rails..  Cars tended to rock 
side to side, on "bad track,"

To keep the weight evenly distributed across the back of the journal brass,
the weight-distributing "steel" wedge was used to center the weight on the axle
as the axles tiited, end-to-end.... navigating rough track.  The back of the
weight-distributing wedge,  has a center peak across the latitude of the top surface.
The peak has two, sloping surfaces, near the top of the journal box.

The peak's prupose is to accommodate the rising and falling of the axle,
as it rolls down uneven tracks --- to keep the weight at the center of the
journal box.   The cross-peak at the center of the wedge, always 
applies the car's weight at the center of the steel wedge....and 
evenly applies its weight to the brass and axle. 

Over millions of miles, and immense weights, that center-peak wears to 
a wider and wider surface, eventually defeating the intended weight-centering,
intended purpose of the wedge.... Sunce brasses wear and get replaced more often 
than their 'wedges'.  Wedges are simply re-used and replaced ---- after a flat, steel 
bar visually reveals a good profile wedge "peak". 

After extreme, wear, the peak is worn into a wider flat area, rather than the 
original, distinct peak, across its center..

So, spare steel wedges, for various sized plain bearings would be kept 
separate from the brasses. if brasses are carried as 'spares'.

The steel wedges are stronger  and more rugged, but replaced less often,
compared to new brasses.   So, the spare, 'steel' wedges would have been
carried separately from the Brass ---- which would have been more carefully
protected, when carried as spares.  Such brasses were painted a bright color
to indicate a field-replaced, journal bearing..

Some 'nuisance' derailments might have damaged brasses, after re-railing,
and having spare brasses, meant a trouble-free replacement, for safe travel 
to the next "shop tracks", where the derailed car will be repaired and inspected,
before being returned to service.
 
Steel wedges are rarely replaced, but if you don't have one when you need it,
the car cannot be moved... So, having a fresh, 'steel' wedge could make the difference,
if you are hundreds of miles from a nearby Yard, it would allow the re-railed car to
proceed to the nearest repair point.

​W.

( Edit: 
  As a side-note, the excess water running off the tender could be intentional....

  After a run of several hundred miles, a lot of dirt, concrete chips, soot, sand,
   and coal ash accumulates on the flat tender-top...
    Top-deck washing plays a role in making a subsequent trip safer --- without
    hundreds of miles of accumulated, dangerous, 'stuff' blowing of the back of the tender.

   While filling the tender with fresh water, a conscientious fireman, attendant,
    always thoroughly washes-off the top deck, in preparation for the next trip ---
    or maybe he washes the top off, before entering a service building, like a roundhouse .)

not proofed, yet...



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 01/22/25 09:26 by wcamp1472.