Post by steam4ian on Aug 3, 2007 11:04:23 GMT
G'day all
To prevent hijacking the Lead screw protection thread and to respond to Brian I add the following comments
Brian referred to the MN25 rebuilding see: www.prr.org.au/cms/content/view/119/73/
Rebuilding this engine was a bit like Grandpa's axe, same axe, just three new handles and two new heads. The boiler is original, well some of it. Reliable sources say it would have been cheaper to build a new boiler.
Thankfully parochialism prevented the society getting the loco in the beginning. Instead they were encouraged by experts to get 2 W class locos from the WAGR. These locos were in good condition having been put to storage not scrap after recent overhauls. They have given 35 years of good service on PRR longer than their parent WAGR.
I was at Quorn two weeks ago for a working bee and intended to climb over the Coffee Pot with a tape measure to get dimensions for a guage 1 model, I ran out of time. The CP is now out of service due to the boiler having expired. Last year's running was only allowed by the boiler inspector for a limited number of lightings up. One price for a new boiler was AUD150,000, but we think this was opportunist. A new boiler is in design at the moment. It is just a glorified traction engine boiler.
This is not the only project on the go at present. On of the W's is having extensive boiler repairs. The T class needs to be brought back in time for its centenary in 2009. Some boiler work is required and it needs to be converted back to coal firing. The boiler inspector was leery of the UN-interlocked nature of the oil burner control; externally boiler explosions are always a hazard with oil burners. Another old loco, the Yx recently had a boiler test which showed up well; this loco has been out of service for 40 years. It is an interesting restoration project as its capacity is balanced to typical train loads.
Regards,
Ian
To prevent hijacking the Lead screw protection thread and to respond to Brian I add the following comments
Brian referred to the MN25 rebuilding see: www.prr.org.au/cms/content/view/119/73/
Rebuilding this engine was a bit like Grandpa's axe, same axe, just three new handles and two new heads. The boiler is original, well some of it. Reliable sources say it would have been cheaper to build a new boiler.
Thankfully parochialism prevented the society getting the loco in the beginning. Instead they were encouraged by experts to get 2 W class locos from the WAGR. These locos were in good condition having been put to storage not scrap after recent overhauls. They have given 35 years of good service on PRR longer than their parent WAGR.
I was at Quorn two weeks ago for a working bee and intended to climb over the Coffee Pot with a tape measure to get dimensions for a guage 1 model, I ran out of time. The CP is now out of service due to the boiler having expired. Last year's running was only allowed by the boiler inspector for a limited number of lightings up. One price for a new boiler was AUD150,000, but we think this was opportunist. A new boiler is in design at the moment. It is just a glorified traction engine boiler.
This is not the only project on the go at present. On of the W's is having extensive boiler repairs. The T class needs to be brought back in time for its centenary in 2009. Some boiler work is required and it needs to be converted back to coal firing. The boiler inspector was leery of the UN-interlocked nature of the oil burner control; externally boiler explosions are always a hazard with oil burners. Another old loco, the Yx recently had a boiler test which showed up well; this loco has been out of service for 40 years. It is an interesting restoration project as its capacity is balanced to typical train loads.
Regards,
Ian