Railway Preservation News
http://www.rypn.org/forums/

Latest on the NKP 757 Project
http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=41377
Page 1 of 2

Author:  Rick Rowlands [ Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Latest on the NKP 757 Project

Last week members of the Bring Back 757 crew met in Strasburg, PA to continue work on the locomotive. Here is the video recap of the work performed:

https://youtu.be/SCPEiyAP_G8

Author:  bbunge [ Mon Nov 20, 2017 10:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

Thanks for the updates.

Interesting choice to tow instead of trucking in pieces (as recently done with the NKP Mike) or loading onto a flat car (ala Reading 2100) (perhaps not possible with the catenary).

I'll go out on a limb and guess NS is ok, pending inspection, with towing.

I'll go more out on a limb and surmise this is an interesting side benefit of NS's familiarity with NKP 765 and the team involved in 757.

Cheers,

Bob

Author:  dinwitty [ Mon Nov 20, 2017 10:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

The only concern is to activate the braking and lube up the journals and rods, unless they plan to take the rods off. Probably disconnect the main rod as your going to chuff along the whole way. 765 when moving out of Lawton Park made this great whooshing sound as they moved it. If you can go rail to rail, perfect.

Author:  Dave Lewandoski [ Mon Nov 20, 2017 6:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

great to hear you haven't found any major concerns. She's in good hands.

Author:  JayZee [ Mon Nov 20, 2017 7:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

I know it's presumptuous at this time, but is this new enthusiasm surrounding 757 merit a possible inspection for a future operational restoration?

Author:  Rick Rowlands [ Mon Nov 20, 2017 9:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

JayZee wrote:
I know it's presumptuous at this time, but is this new enthusiasm surrounding 757 merit a possible inspection for a future operational restoration?


No. If we ever want to see 757 run again, we will gather up the number plate and some decals, make a trip to Fort Wayne and beg our friends to renumber the 765 for a day.

Author:  nathansixchime [ Mon Nov 20, 2017 10:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

Rick knows they need not beg ;) I'd be surprised if renumbering it didn't happen in 2018 or 2019...

But the question does fall under the effort's FAQs:
https://bringback757.org/faq/

As for 624, the cost to move pick it up and move it to an active railroad and then ship it via flatcar and then pick it up again to unload would have been prohibitively expensive.

Author:  whodom [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 8:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

dinwitty wrote:
The only concern is to activate the braking and lube up the journals and rods, unless they plan to take the rods off. Probably disconnect the main rod as your going to chuff along the whole way. 765 when moving out of Lawton Park made this great whooshing sound as they moved it. If you can go rail to rail, perfect.


The video implies they intend to tow it with the rods on. The tandem rod arrangement used on most Berkshires means if you take off the main rods, you have to take off the 3-4 rods as well. That would make the main drivers severely imbalanced which might mandate ridiculously low towing speeds.

Likely the optimum arrangement for towing is to remove the pistons and leave the main rods installed.

Author:  Kelly Anderson [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

whodom wrote:
The video implies they intend to tow it with the rods on. The tandem rod arrangement used on most Berkshires means if you take off the main rods, you have to take off the 3-4 rods as well. That would make the main drivers severely imbalanced which might mandate ridiculously low towing speeds.

Likely the optimum arrangement for towing is to remove the pistons and leave the main rods installed.

I believe the plan is to move the engine with the main rods off but with the rear side rods in place, which is why we pressed out the bushings connecting the two (120 tons plus to get them out). The left crosshead is frozen in its guides to where a 100 ton portapower wouldn't budge it.

Author:  whodom [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 10:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

Kelly Anderson wrote:
I believe the plan is to move the engine with the main rods off but with the rear side rods in place, which is why we pressed out the bushings connecting the two (120 tons plus to get them out). The left crosshead is frozen in its guides to where a 100 ton portapower wouldn't budge it.


Sounds like a good plan.

When I worked for the N&W/NS in the early 80's, I rode the ferry run of NKP 765 from Indiana to Bellevue. The right main rod crank bushing ran very hot during the run, so the next week we pulled the main rod and 3-4 rod. That bushing you're talking about FELL out when we removed the rods; it was that loose. Former NKP machinist/then NS General Foreman Clarence Williams was overseeing things. The Fort Wayne guys were on a tight budget at the time, so IIRC we installed shims around that bushing and pressed it back in place. It ran that way for several excursions until NS leased the engine to replace the ailing 2716. That allowed things like that to be corrected ASAP to ensure the engine could perform reliably down on the Southern.

Author:  Rick Rowlands [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 7:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

All of the side rods will be in place. The main rods will not be on, and in their place will be four 1 3/4" thick spacers. I took measurements for the spacers and the Bellevue home shop crew will be making them up.

At some point the main rods will be hauled back to Bellevue on a trailer, but for now they are sitting under the left side cylinder.

Author:  dinwitty [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

Kelly Anderson wrote:
whodom wrote:
The video implies they intend to tow it with the rods on. The tandem rod arrangement used on most Berkshires means if you take off the main rods, you have to take off the 3-4 rods as well. That would make the main drivers severely imbalanced which might mandate ridiculously low towing speeds.

Likely the optimum arrangement for towing is to remove the pistons and leave the main rods installed.

I believe the plan is to move the engine with the main rods off but with the rear side rods in place, which is why we pressed out the bushings connecting the two (120 tons plus to get them out). The left crosshead is frozen in its guides to where a 100 ton portapower wouldn't budge it.


Why these engines sometimes need a little excersize even on static display.
The piston may the culprit on this. If ever to get these to move disconnect the piston rod.
For now thats not needed till the move is done. Toss a good rust dissolving penetrating oil on it for now, maybe blast some oil in the cylinder if possible.

Author:  G. W. Laepple [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

The pistons were removed when the locomotive was moved to the museum about 50 years ago. It arrived with the main rods and crossheads in place, and the pistons were in the tender. The crosshead rusted fast when water entered through the lubrication points atop the crosshead guide.

Author:  Rick Rowlands [ Tue Nov 21, 2017 10:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

We could lube 757's pistons and rods, but would have to go to Scranton to do it!

759's pistons and rods are in the tender, happily living out their days.

Attachments:
2017-10-06 10.28.07.jpg
2017-10-06 10.28.07.jpg [ 142.91 KiB | Viewed 11016 times ]

Author:  dinwitty [ Wed Nov 22, 2017 2:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest on the NKP 757 Project

G. W. Laepple wrote:
The pistons were removed when the locomotive was moved to the museum about 50 years ago. It arrived with the main rods and crossheads in place, and the pistons were in the tender. The crosshead rusted fast when water entered through the lubrication points atop the crosshead guide.


you may need a 200 ton ram or higher. There is no other way than to break the rust.

Page 1 of 2 All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/