Another 2900 project...

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SF2900
Posts: 107
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:40 pm
Location: Sacramento, CA

Another 2900 project...

Post by SF2900 »

With huge amounts of continuing assistance from Ed Yungling, I have finished machining the 303 ss side rods for my 2900 class locomotive. I dont know if it is because it is my first ever build or (according to my wife) because I am just plain nuts, but I cant stop staring at the engine with the rods in place. It looks so cool! I'll chalk up the reason that it rolls so smooth with no binding or kinks to Ed's experience and expertise.

- Ward
Attachments
Side Rods Complete.jpg
Andypullen
Posts: 2166
Joined: Thu May 22, 2003 8:17 am
Location: Bel Air, MD

Re: Another 2900 project...

Post by Andypullen »

Ed does nice work...He knows his stuff, too....

Nice looking running gear....

Andy Pullen
Clausing 10x24, Sheldon 12" shaper, ProtoTrak AGE-2 control cnc on a BP clone, Reed Prentice 14" x 30", Sanford MG 610 surface grinder, Kalamazoo 610 bandsaw, Hardinge HSL speed lathe, Hardinge HC chucker, Kearney and Trecker #2K plain horizontal mill, Haas TL-1 lathe.
Al_Messer
Posts: 2664
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 7:12 pm
Location: Mid Tenn.

Re: Another 2900 project...

Post by Al_Messer »

Lookin' good!! Keep posting photos--please!!

Al
Al Messer

"One nation, under God"
765nkp
Posts: 776
Joined: Sun May 06, 2007 9:24 pm
Location: st louis, mo

Re: Another 2900 project...

Post by 765nkp »

Very Nice, whose castings are those? I like the spring hangers and of cousre the rods!
Tim
Rob Gardner
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Location: Newbury, OH

Re: Another 2900 project...

Post by Rob Gardner »

Ward,

How did you cut out the profile of the rods...water jet, CNC?

Rob Gardner
SF2900
Posts: 107
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:40 pm
Location: Sacramento, CA

Re: Another 2900 project...

Post by SF2900 »

The wheels are Ed's castings that he had made for his GS's. They are sorta close to Santa Fe's. :wink:

One of Ed's projects is building a Z-8 Challenger and since he needed some of the same spring hangars that I did we made a couple of molds, shot the waxes and had our own hangars cast. For a newbie like me I thought it was so cool to start with a couple of bare blocks of aluminum, go through through the mold making process, and in the end have these neat hangars made. So far, that has been one of the most enjoyable/rewarding parts of working on the locomotive. To date, the wheels, hangars, and axle boxes (also Ed's castings) are the only cast parts that have been used.

The rods were cut out of a 4" round bar of 303 stainless. I did the rough work with templates and a band saw and most of the profiling and finish work was done on a CNC. (If interested, you can read more of the gory details about the process on my blog at trainplaneandcardude.blogspot.com. I didnt know about this site when I started!)

- Ward
Andypullen
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Joined: Thu May 22, 2003 8:17 am
Location: Bel Air, MD

Re: Another 2900 project...

Post by Andypullen »

SF2900 wrote:The wheels are Ed's castings that he had made for his GS's. They are sorta close to Santa Fe's. :wink:

One of Ed's projects is building a Z-8 Challenger and since he needed some of the same spring hangars that I did we made a couple of molds, shot the waxes and had our own hangars cast. For a newbie like me I thought it was so cool to start with a couple of bare blocks of aluminum, go through through the mold making process, and in the end have these neat hangars made. So far, that has been one of the most enjoyable/rewarding parts of working on the locomotive. To date, the wheels, hangars, and axle boxes (also Ed's castings) are the only cast parts that have been used.

The rods were cut out of a 4" round bar of 303 stainless. I did the rough work with templates and a band saw and most of the profiling and finish work was done on a CNC. (If interested, you can read more of the gory details about the process on my blog at trainplaneandcardude.blogspot.com. I didnt know about this site when I started!)

- Ward
That's ALOT of hacking to get those rods....Holy Crap! As I said before, nice work.

Andy Pullen
Clausing 10x24, Sheldon 12" shaper, ProtoTrak AGE-2 control cnc on a BP clone, Reed Prentice 14" x 30", Sanford MG 610 surface grinder, Kalamazoo 610 bandsaw, Hardinge HSL speed lathe, Hardinge HC chucker, Kearney and Trecker #2K plain horizontal mill, Haas TL-1 lathe.
Rob Gardner
Posts: 463
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2005 9:27 am
Location: Newbury, OH

Re: Another 2900 project...

Post by Rob Gardner »

Ward,

Cool. If I'm following you correctly, wouldn't the use of 4" round result in a lot of lost material machined away or were you able to get more than one rod out of each section? Was the material cheap/free/easily made available? My untrained mind would have thought to use bar stock or plate to have them cut from. Thanks.


Rob
SF2900
Posts: 107
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:40 pm
Location: Sacramento, CA

Re: Another 2900 project...

Post by SF2900 »

Rob -

Yeah, this was a case of using what was available in the shop. Ed has accumulated a lots of various metals over the years and we try and use whatever we have laying around rather than go out and buy stuff. The bar stock was actually 5 1/2" round and I sawed it into planks and was able to get 2 rods per plank. There was indeed a bunch of waste but probably not as much as you think. It took a TON of time though. If I was going to do it again I think that I would have gone out and purchased appropriately sized bar stock as it would have literally saved weeks of time. However, since this was my first time working with stainless I really didnt have a clue what I was in for when I started and by the time my eyes were partially open we were too far along to start over.

Speaking of using what material is in the shop, you'll like this one. I am currently making the crosshead guides and then will make the crosshead "shoe" which is the actual part that will slide against the guides. The guide shoe material is going to be cut out of this huge bronze bearing that is languishing in the shop. Ed said the bearing was off a traction motor snout (?) and that it is some form of bearing bronze and will be great material for using in this application. I'll get a couple of pics when we start on that.

- Ward
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FriscoJim
Posts: 112
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Location: Southwest Missouri

Re: Another 2900 project...

Post by FriscoJim »

Very nice work! It is the right of the builder when reaching a milestone in the project - such as fitting the rods to the rolling chassis - to take some time to just enjoy the sight of what has been accomplished thus far. :D By the way, I think there is some poetic justice by using a bushing from a traction motor to make a steam locomotive part. Keep the pictures coming!
Jim P.

N&F RR - 12" Gauge Live Steam
Andypullen
Posts: 2166
Joined: Thu May 22, 2003 8:17 am
Location: Bel Air, MD

Re: Another 2900 project...

Post by Andypullen »

FriscoJim wrote:Very nice work! It is the right of the builder when reaching a milestone in the project - such as fitting the rods to the rolling chassis - to take some time to just enjoy the sight of what has been accomplished thus far. :D By the way, I think there is some poetic justice by using a bushing from a traction motor to make a steam locomotive part. Keep the pictures coming!

I agree....Take pride in your work....My wife already knows I'm crazy....I brought something home from work and got some grief for putting it on the mantle in the living room....Now it resides on a shelf in the basement.

That is poetic justice....part of a traction motor.....awesome.

The smokebox door on my 0-4-0 is part of a worn out knuckle pin from Southern 4501.

Andy Pullen
Clausing 10x24, Sheldon 12" shaper, ProtoTrak AGE-2 control cnc on a BP clone, Reed Prentice 14" x 30", Sanford MG 610 surface grinder, Kalamazoo 610 bandsaw, Hardinge HSL speed lathe, Hardinge HC chucker, Kearney and Trecker #2K plain horizontal mill, Haas TL-1 lathe.
SF2900
Posts: 107
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:40 pm
Location: Sacramento, CA

Re: Another 2900 project...

Post by SF2900 »

Well, for those looking or waiting for a bit of justice, here it is. After we finished milling the "T" slot in the crosshead guides, it was on to the crosshead "shoe". I hacked the rough stock out of the previously mentioned diesel loco bearing material and started to machine the shoe. Still working on them but have one shoe semi-fit into the guide and it looks good.

- Ward
Attachments
Final cuts on the "T" slot in the guide
Final cuts on the "T" slot in the guide
Making diesel parts into steam parts! (sorry for poor quality)
Making diesel parts into steam parts! (sorry for poor quality)
Cutting out a usable piece
Cutting out a usable piece
Guide shoe in progress...
Guide shoe in progress...
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