Chapter 4
Meet the Crew
Pictured are the gentlemen responsible for the restoration of 1643
From left to right; August Hardgrove building and grounds, Ken Beckstrom (machinist), Ron Carter (railroad chairman-love the GN shirt Ron!), Jay Matthews (boiler repairman). Dave Etienne. Dave is the person responsible for giving me and my blog all of these great pictures!
Meet the Crew
Pictured are the gentlemen responsible for the restoration of 1643
From left to right; August Hardgrove building and grounds, Ken Beckstrom (machinist), Ron Carter (railroad chairman-love the GN shirt Ron!), Jay Matthews (boiler repairman). Dave Etienne. Dave is the person responsible for giving me and my blog all of these great pictures!
From left to right; Mick Shisker boiler repairman, Ron Carter railroad chairman, Ken Beckstrom machinist, Jay Matthews boiler repairman.
The guys are all volunteers, and spend many an hour tolling away on the locomotive and the museum, which both are excellent. Many, many thanks to you for doing what your doing, and preserving our heritage in Libby.
May 10 2012
It was a great work week on the Shay. Tuesday the fire tubes were removed from the boiler. They started around 9:00 am and finished around 6:00 pm. The first picture shows the stack of tubes outside the Engine house.
On Wednesday morning the city of Libby brought over one of their loaders to move the water and fuel tender tanks off of the back of the shay. The other two pictures are of that operation. The end pieces of the fire tubes need to be taken out next. Then the weld in the firebox will be cut out and cleaned so it can be re-welded once the AI gives the okay for welding. We also have the crankshaft rolled over under the shay and have two of the main bearing caps holding it up in position. The two center main bearing caps will be put on tomorrow. I'll have more pictures to send on our handy work. We have the connecting rods blocked-up to allow the crankshaft to be turned, then we can put the bearing caps on.
First three pictures show the smokebox and front tubesheet. Some of the ends of the old firetube are still attached to the tubesheet. The sides of the flange work have the rivets ground off so as the allow the front tubesheet to come out.We will be cutting the front tubesheet below the angle iron brackets in the smokebox. The old piece will be used as a pattern for the new one.
The next two pictures are of the firebox and the rear tubesheet. You can see thru the boiler to the outside. Jay has more of the ends of old firetubes to take out, then on to smokebox. The last picture shows the pieces of the ends of tubes on the ground and on floor of firebox.
Here is a couple pictures of our flatbed Shay!!? Looks a little smaller without the water/fuel tender tanks on it.Have new Douglas Fir planks to replace the old ones. While we have them off, will cleanup and repaint the metal frame work down there too
The next couple pictures are of the crankshaft. Have the two main bearing caps holding the crank in place. The third picture shows a closeup of the main bearing caps and nuts. It takes a 1-5/8" wrench for those nuts. Just the right size to work on your pocket watch!!? The last picture shows where the two middle main bearing caps go.
June1
Had a nice open house today at the museum. Open for the season.These first three pictures are of the rivets that hold the front tubesheet to the end of the boiler. Jay has ground the heads off inside the smokebox, then used the torch to cut through the center of the rivets. This allows the old rivet to be driven out. There is some more metal to be ground off on the flange of the smokebox. This will allow the part of the tubesheet we will be replacing to slide out in one piece. That's the plan anyway. Have some more pictures of some of the activities on the museum grounds.
Picture #1 is little jaw crusher for sample work or high grade ore.
Picture #2 is our big jaw crusher, takes your bowling ball size rock and makes it ping pong ball size. The little crusher is pulled by a International Harvester 1-1/2 HP one cylinder engine. The big crusher is pulled by a John Deere model D 2-cylinder gas farm tractor.
The next two are of a air-trammer. This machine runs on compressed air, it pulls the empty ore cars into the tunnels and pulls the loaded ones out. Two of our museum members are building a narrow-gauge line on the museum grounds.
Jay had sent some pictures of taking out the worn piece of front tubesheet.
This picture shows a part of the smokebox that will be replaced. Jay has cut out the bad portion.
Sheila and I went over on Sunday and took some pictures. Put my coveralls on and when inside to check out the boiler. More pictures to follow of some of the support bars in the boiler.
Dave inside the boiler. Next pictures inside the boiler, with some views of the firebox and supports.
First picture is engineer's side of boiler, second picture is fireman's side of boiler looking along the sides of the firebox from inside the boiler.
Relative of the Neils family will be stopping at the Museum. We have a tour lined up to show off our work on the Shay . Ron is putting together a budget to present to the Neils family. Will see if they can help make our dollars go further. I"l see about getting some pictures of the event. Keep you posted. Dave
October 6, 2013
Its been a short summer here. Not too much done on the Shay. Waiting on a second bid for the front tubesheet for the boiler.
Saturday we had our lunch for all the museum volunteers in the cook shack . Met your aunt that lives here in Libby. She said the museum had some of the pictures of the mill and our shay. Will have to look up those pictures!
Ron has built one of eight doors, and installed it on the engine house. This is on the south end.
We had the engine decking planed and is in the engine house next to the shay. Will have to block up cab, then we can remove old planking and paint metal brackets, then new planks will go down.
The condenser is a shutoff valve-a secondary shutoff past the manifold.
4 feeds: Nathan-I believe has never made a 4 feed-they make 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 feed.
Valve handles are cast into the stem vs. tightened down by a nut
Valve/cap that opens to pour valve oil into lubricator is not part of the body like in the nathans, but past a 90 to the left of the lubricator.
Restoration of the lubricator included taking apart all valves and sight glasses, for inspection and restoration. valves were repacked and one sight glass (seen in picture 4) saw extensive damage during its operation under steam-the glass from inside broke off from the pressure of steam. It was found clogging the lubricator drain valve at the bottom right of the lubricator. The third picture of the set shows all 10 sight glasses, prior to being cleaned from paint and dirt. Finally, the entire unit was wirebrushed and painted black.
This is an Edna 4 feed lubricator-one for each cylinder on the shay, and the 4th for the air pump. Edna was reputably the "knock off brand" for lubricators-Nathan being the most popular brand of lubricator found on most steam locomotives.
Restoration performed at the Pacific Locomotive Assn. steam shops of Niles Canyon Railway at Sunol, Calif.
Have to finish making the last gasket for the cylinder covers. This coming week the plan is to have someone come in and sandblast the scale off the inside of the boiler. Have to button up all the bearing surfaces and valves, so the sand don't get in. Started taking more pictures of the piping on the back of the boiler in the cab. Most of it is 1" black iron pipe.
Continue to Chapter 5
Picture #2 is our big jaw crusher, takes your bowling ball size rock and makes it ping pong ball size. The little crusher is pulled by a International Harvester 1-1/2 HP one cylinder engine. The big crusher is pulled by a John Deere model D 2-cylinder gas farm tractor.
These two pictures are of a mining display by one of our local miners.
The next two are of a air-trammer. This machine runs on compressed air, it pulls the empty ore cars into the tunnels and pulls the loaded ones out. Two of our museum members are building a narrow-gauge line on the museum grounds.
Sheila and I went over on Sunday and took some pictures. Put my coveralls on and when inside to check out the boiler. More pictures to follow of some of the support bars in the boiler.
Dave inside the boiler. Next pictures inside the boiler, with some views of the firebox and supports.
First picture is engineer's side of boiler, second picture is fireman's side of boiler looking along the sides of the firebox from inside the boiler.
Ron has been working on removing both bumpers. We moved the new cottonwood bumpers over from one of the building to in front of the engine-house to make it easier for installation on the shay. Will clean and repaint the frame work behind the wood, then install new wood.
Relative of the Neils family will be stopping at the Museum. We have a tour lined up to show off our work on the Shay . Ron is putting together a budget to present to the Neils family. Will see if they can help make our dollars go further. I"l see about getting some pictures of the event. Keep you posted. Dave
Worked on the Shay last weekend ,have installed the last two main bearing caps on the crank. Next is to cleanup the connecting rod bearings and install same on crank.
October 6, 2013
Its been a short summer here. Not too much done on the Shay. Waiting on a second bid for the front tubesheet for the boiler.
Saturday we had our lunch for all the museum volunteers in the cook shack . Met your aunt that lives here in Libby. She said the museum had some of the pictures of the mill and our shay. Will have to look up those pictures!
Ron has built one of eight doors, and installed it on the engine house. This is on the south end.
We had the engine decking planed and is in the engine house next to the shay. Will have to block up cab, then we can remove old planking and paint metal brackets, then new planks will go down.
The condenser is a shutoff valve-a secondary shutoff past the manifold.
4 feeds: Nathan-I believe has never made a 4 feed-they make 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 feed.
Valve handles are cast into the stem vs. tightened down by a nut
Valve/cap that opens to pour valve oil into lubricator is not part of the body like in the nathans, but past a 90 to the left of the lubricator.
Restoration of the lubricator included taking apart all valves and sight glasses, for inspection and restoration. valves were repacked and one sight glass (seen in picture 4) saw extensive damage during its operation under steam-the glass from inside broke off from the pressure of steam. It was found clogging the lubricator drain valve at the bottom right of the lubricator. The third picture of the set shows all 10 sight glasses, prior to being cleaned from paint and dirt. Finally, the entire unit was wirebrushed and painted black.
This is an Edna 4 feed lubricator-one for each cylinder on the shay, and the 4th for the air pump. Edna was reputably the "knock off brand" for lubricators-Nathan being the most popular brand of lubricator found on most steam locomotives.
Restoration performed at the Pacific Locomotive Assn. steam shops of Niles Canyon Railway at Sunol, Calif.
Have to finish making the last gasket for the cylinder covers. This coming week the plan is to have someone come in and sandblast the scale off the inside of the boiler. Have to button up all the bearing surfaces and valves, so the sand don't get in. Started taking more pictures of the piping on the back of the boiler in the cab. Most of it is 1" black iron pipe.
Continue to Chapter 5
Dean, Thanks for all your help on posting the pictures. Looks like afew folks from over in Europe are checking in on our handy work. Read something somewhere about railroad logging still going on over there. They even where using steam locomotives to pull log trains sometimes.Maybe some of those folks can post some pictures or info about those logging operating in Europe.
ReplyDeleteRestoration of the lubricator included taking apart all valves and sight glasses, for inspection and restoration. valves were repacked and one sight glass (seen in picture 4) saw extensive damage during its operation under steam-the glass from inside broke off from the pressure of steam. It was found clogging the lubricator drain valve at the bottom right of the lubricator. The third picture of the set shows all 10 sight glasses, prior to being cleaned from paint and dirt. Finally, the entire unit was wirebrushed and painted black.
ReplyDeleteThis is an Edna 4 feed lubricator-one for each cylinder on the shay, and the 4th for the air pump. Edna was reputably the "knock off brand" for lubricators-Nathan being the most popular brand of lubricator found on most steam locomotives.
Restoration performed at the Pacific Locomotive Assn. steam shops of Niles Canyon Railway at Sunol, Calif.
If I may ask, how is the current progress with this lovely Class B Shay?
ReplyDeleteGo to chapter 5 for continued updates.
ReplyDeletehttp://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/2014/01/j-neils-shay-rebuild-sn-1643-chapter-5.html