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The B&O RR Museum's 1856 William Mason - overhaul and livery
http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40500
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Author:  softwerkslex [ Mon Sep 18, 2017 2:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The B&O RR Museum's 1856 William Mason - overhaul and li

Just to be clear, what we are saying is that the engine in service was operated to a much lower factor of safety that we would currently allow. The engine ran with wrought iron main and coupling rods, at higher levels of force and stress than we would now allow.

Anybody know if rod failures were frequent in those days?

Author:  Dennis Storzek [ Mon Sep 18, 2017 3:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The B&O RR Museum's 1856 William Mason - overhaul and li

There is a reason that such a failure was known as, "wiping the clock." Particularly disliked on Mother Hubbard locomotives.

I seem to recall a first person account in some book, possibly Life On a Locomotive by C&NW engineer Buddy Williams.

Author:  J3a-614 [ Wed Sep 20, 2017 11:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The B&O RR Museum's 1856 William Mason - overhaul and li

softwerkslex wrote:
Just to be clear, what we are saying is that the engine in service was operated to a much lower factor of safety that we would currently allow. The engine ran with wrought iron main and coupling rods, at higher levels of force and stress than we would now allow.


Oh my, EVERYTHING had a lower factor of safety then! No air, link and pin couplers, wooden cars that could crumple and telescope like the flimsy boxes they were, stoves for heating that would incinerate any wreck survivors, iron boilers, lap seam boilers, and no mandated safety inspection programs, including boiler inspections, and no rest for the crews, either, who in boom times worked in a badly sleep-deprived state, in work that was physically exhausting even when you were rested.

You look at those beautiful but tiny engines in the museums at Baltimore and Sacramento and Carson City, then you look at the photographs of the construction years on the Union Pacific and Central Pacific, you look at the snow fighting photos from not too long after that, and you wonder how we did it with machinery that can only be described as barely up to the task.

Iron horses and iron men, indeed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpykhdTntdA

Author:  J3a-614 [ Wed Oct 11, 2017 12:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The B&O RR Museum's 1856 William Mason - overhaul and li

An old photograph of sister 26, showing a lot of Mason details such as all spoked wheels, no visible counterweights, and a tender with trucks that seem to have individually sprung axles
that was more typical of Mason, though I wonder how old the photo actually is, based on the style of the headlight.

https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/a ... a9a2fa559a

Author:  J3a-614 [ Sun Oct 22, 2017 2:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The B&O RR Museum's 1856 William Mason - overhaul and li

Some more photos have turned up of the No. 25, including some from angles not seen here before. Credit to John Cowgill:

https://www.facebook.com/70127410993177 ... =3&theater

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5A7EFFAC

https://www.facebook.com/70127410993177 ... =3&theater

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5A704F79

https://www.facebook.com/70127410993177 ... =3&theater

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5A64C4F2

https://www.facebook.com/70127410993177 ... =3&theater

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5A64479E

https://www.facebook.com/70127410993177 ... =3&theater

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5A86D689

https://www.facebook.com/70127410993177 ... =3&theater

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5A642F21

https://www.facebook.com/70127410993177 ... =3&theater

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5A71B9B0

https://www.facebook.com/70127410993177 ... =3&theater

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5A864C30

https://www.facebook.com/70127410993177 ... =3&theater

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5A7FF5E6

https://www.facebook.com/70127410993177 ... =3&theater

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5A83059B

https://www.facebook.com/70127410993177 ... =3&theater

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5A7701B6

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