Ouch! But following the suggestions, the links could be made out of a single piece of thick metal and plasma or water-jet cut. The final finishes on the inside of the link, where the blocks ride will likely have to be finish machined.
Are there any other survivors in the class that you could borrow parts for patterns?

David -

Consolidation #811 in Atchison, Kansas was a part of class 789 on the Santa Fe. The locomotives in that class were numbered 789-823. Three of the class (797, 803 and 822) were converted to 0-8-0's. Unfortunately, number 811 is the only member of the class to be preserved.


Les

From the ATSF Standard Practice:

Interesting that the Santa Fe standard practice specifies the valves be blocked in mid position, just as I noted was done on SP 1727.
Note the straps and blades are to be removed, I don't believe the links are touched, as once the straps and blades are removed, and the valves blocked in neutral, they are no longer moving around nor in the way of anything else. They could even be raised or lowered with the Johnson bar and not effect anything; but they are to be blocked so as to not move according to the second paragraph.

For the eccentric straps, could they be cut from steel plate and Babbitt lined? That might be less challenging than making a pattern and having them cast.

Disclaimer - the only valve gear parts I've made are 1/8 scale.

Babbit, sure... but why not use a sintered thermoplastic bearing material?

Greetings:
It is indeed tempting to utilize modern technology to replace the archaic.
However, the archaic (read: traditional) has been proven in service.
Question: Why try something unproven when proven methods/practices that are well documented and easily followed provide a solution to a problem?
I must confess that over the course of my career, I have seldom strayed from published "standard railroad practices" (AAR, PRR, UP, AT&SF, etc.)
Perhaps it was laziness on my part (why reinvent the wheel?), but I have always wanted to "do good work" (read: have projects succeed/last in service) and not experiment with other peoples money.
I always felt that my reputation was based on the above, and have seldom waivered.
Of course, if it is your locomotive and your money and you are not violating any rules (FRA, NBIC, etc.)...
Be well,
J.David

I hear you, JDC... but then there's that huge experiment of adapting Chinese locomotives for use in the USA....... which is one of the things I most admire you for having worked through to success. I'm sorry geography didn't let me get to know you better.

Much of my career was working for startups and organizations without resources to back up large dreams. Adapting proven modern technology - available off the shelf - from other industries was an integral part of that. Nothing against the old ways, but sometimes there can be other ways that do as well depending on the situation. I prefer welded boilers, for example... and fabricated cylinders and saddles with replaceable cast iron liners. CAD technology can allow us to make new components like injector nozzles and flexible staybolt components with a greater degree of accuracy cheaper and faster than manual machining of each separate identical part. But, that's just my prejudice.

More than one right way to everything - choose what will work best for you right now.

I have heard of an operation that tried a plastic bearing material for the eccentric straps. The engine did not go very far before the plastic started coming out all over.

Ed