Steam railroading to return to Alaska!

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Dick_Morris
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Re: Steam railroading to return to Alaska!

Post by Dick_Morris »

I've often seen it said that corners were cut in making the boilers for the War Department Consolidations, but based on the documentation, my understanding is that their design was in line with industry and government standards and accepted practices for the time they were built. Attached is an excerpt from the specifications for the class from Baldwin. My understanding is that these specifications, including the factor of safety, were consistent with other steam locomotive boilers of this era. Each boiler would have had a form 4 created when it was built. We don't have the original Form 4 for our locomotive, but I'm attaching one for a boiler made by ALCO to the same design.

One trade-off that was made between initial costs and lifetime maintenance costs was that only 16 flexible stays were included in the entire boiler. In later years it appears that all of the locomotives of this design that operated after the mid-1950s (except for those owned by the Alaska Railroad) had additional flexible stays retrofitted. We followed suit with 557 when we replaced the firebox. We added about 300 flexible stays out about 1,000 total stays. The additional flexible stays are visible on #1702 and the other preserved Ft. Eustis locomotives as well as those still operational in the U.K., Poland, and Hungary.
Attachments
boiler.jpg
boiler.jpg (9.55 KiB) Viewed 2970 times
form 4 1.jpg
form 4 1.jpg (155.27 KiB) Viewed 2970 times
form 4 2.jpg
form 4 2.jpg (81.65 KiB) Viewed 2970 times
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Steam railroading to return to Alaska!

Post by Dick_Morris »

The most recent monthly status report is posted at https://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former- ... index.html

Return bends in repaired super heater elements.
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forged-return-ends reduced.jpg
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Greg_Lewis
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Re: Steam railroading to return to Alaska!

Post by Greg_Lewis »

I wouldn't want to be the guy who had to weld down between the legs of those end fittings!
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
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Harold_V
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Re: Steam railroading to return to Alaska!

Post by Harold_V »

Nor would I, but I'm impressed with the pretty welds.

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Steam railroading to return to Alaska!

Post by Dick_Morris »

I won't say anything personal about the person who did it, but this was less critical than his paying job. These will be hydro tested to 1000 psi per The Superheater Company directions for superheater elements.
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Steam railroading to return to Alaska!

Post by Dick_Morris »

:-)
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Steam railroading to return to Alaska!

Post by Dick_Morris »

The installation of tubes and flues is a major accomplishment and milestone in returning 557 to operation. Our thanks goes to the John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust for a $36,000 grant, the Atwood Foundation for a $20,000 grant, Alaska Airlines for air travel for three boiler makers from the Lower 48 and the Valley Hotel in Palmer, AK for lodging for the them while they are in Alaska. It also goes to the team of volunteers who have been laboring for the past ten years and specifically during the last year in doing hundreds of tasks to prepare the boiler to receive its new tubes and flues and to the hundreds or individual and business contributors who have brought us to this point.
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NP317
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Re: Steam railroading to return to Alaska!

Post by NP317 »

Excellent to see this progress!
RussN
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Re: Steam railroading to return to Alaska!

Post by Odyknuck »

Dick, it sounds like organizing the players is a feat in itself. awesome work.
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Greg_Lewis
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Re: Steam railroading to return to Alaska!

Post by Greg_Lewis »

Do I see a riveted boiler? Does that cause problems with certification?
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
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NP317
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Re: Steam railroading to return to Alaska!

Post by NP317 »

Greg_Lewis wrote: Thu Mar 23, 2023 12:29 pm Do I see a riveted boiler? Does that cause problems with certification?
Never caused concerns in my experience restoring steam locomotives to operation,
when answering to Washington, Oregon or California State and Federal inspectors.
Some inspectors even expressed their opinions that riveted boilers present better histories than the unknowns of welds.

Others' adventures might vary...
RussN
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Steam railroading to return to Alaska!

Post by Dick_Morris »

Firebox is welded, shell is riveted. Built in 1944, it's a fairly modern boiler and the riveted seams aren't a problem.
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