Work Session Status Week Ending 02/01/2014

February 3, 2014

January is gone and another anti-climactic Super Bowl is over.

This past week Dave V. worked at home re-designing our existing cylinder hone to clean up minor surface rust in the steam cylinders.

The installation of a Franklin compensator and buffer was finished. Final adjustments were made according to the procedure literature.

The safety valves were shipped to California this week for overhaul. Bob K. from 3751 will oversee their remanufacture at Basin Valve Company.

More welding was done on the radial buffer replacement part. We expect to complete the work in two more weeks.

Decades old crud is being removed from lubricating pockets above the driving boxes. Old horsehair filter material will be replaced and the oil passages cleaned out. This work is done as the wheels rotate to expose the pocket.

Lubricator hoses are being removed for replacement and their connecting boxes are rinsed out clean.

With the anticipation of the crosshead assemblies being returned in the near future the existing shim plates are being cleaned, measured and documented. Some of the castle nuts are in poor condition and will need to be replaced.

As usual more flexible staybolt sleeve welding was done as well as removing old ones. Cutting and beveling of the replacement sleeves is on-going.

Frank G. has been doing research regarding the Walschaert rod/pin operating clearances using the aluminum bronze bushings acquired last year. Some of the pins may need to be replaced due to wear. Once the bushings are pressed into their individual locations we will measure the I.D. to determine if each pin can be reused.

I expect colder temperatures this week so dress warm. Hope to see you this week at the site, and as usual . . .

Keep on Steamin’,
Rick Kirby, CMO
NMSL&RHS