February 20, 2017
A milestone event occurred this week when the last of the many superheater bundles was bench hydro tested and put away awaiting the boiler hydro that will be scheduled as soon as Rick and Gail can return from their medical leave. Gail is doing well and is now recovering from hip surgery. The superheater team put together the complex bundles using over 880 welds. The bench tests revealed only two welds that had minor leaks. They were repaired without difficulty.
Drain piping for the top mounted continuous blowdown was finished. Work continued on the installation of the 26L brake system which is nearing completion. The electrical wiring team is nearing the end of their design stage and is prepping space in a container to begin assembly.
It was discovered that the steam fountain mounting brackets were installed backwards making the valve stems meet with the control rods incorrectly. The unit was removed, the brackets turned around and the fountain re-installed.
More piping was bent and put in place replacing the badly corroded pieces.
The last boiler repair weld was completed.
More boiler jacketing was fitted. There were some online comments as to why we were installing the jacketing prior to the hydro. We are fitting the pieces and then we will remove and paint them.
The boiler insulation has arrived on site, and soooooo LET’S HYDRO!
Keep on Steamin’,
Bob DeGroft, Assistant CMO
NMSL&RHS
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.