Lots of machine work going on in the shop this spring. One project is an overhauled and modified lead truck for FEC #148.


The axles were modified to accept AP roller bearings.



The smaller axles (along with a need for improvement in the design of the tire fits) resulted in new cast steel wheel centers needing to be made. Here they are, pressed onto their axle.



One repair need of the truck frame was to replace the heart links. New ones were made of 8620 steel. Here they are after being case hardened by the local heat treating shop.



Here, the truck is mostly complete. We are still waiting for springs, and when they arrive the truck will be completed and shipped.



Another detail needed by the #148 was a new injector. This is our reproduction of a Sellers 10.5 KNL, with 11.5 tubes installed (as noted by the extra long bottom cap). Also included is a new SRC starting valve, with Teflon seats.



On another job, a new eccentric crank is taking shape on a CNC mill. This started as a flame cut outline of 4340 plate from our steel supplier.



These are the driving wheel centers for O&K 0-4-0 #14, belonging to Silver Dollar City, in Branson, MO. All of the crankpins are being replaced.



Here is the frame for #14, overturned so the bottom of the "well tank" can be replaced. The plate frame of the locomotive, doubles as an additional feed water tank.



With repairs complete on the frame, it was rolled back upright so we can set up the "shoes & wedges" or as close as you can get to them on a plate frame. The rods are in the foreground, receiving all new brasses.



Brendan is facing a shoe in the shaper.

Ten is the limit on adding photos to a post, so I will continue in a reply to this post.

Picking up where I left off...



Here are #14's new tires.



The drivers for B&M #3713, belonging to Steamtown are in the shop for work on everything but the tires (which are in new condition). The inspection phase of the work is complete, and we are waiting for the go ahead from the customer.



An order for superheater units for the Valley RR is starting to take shape in the weld area.



Construction of six new driving boxes for a locomotive is well underway in the machine shop. The partially completed crown brasses are each sitting on top of its box.



The slide valve cylinder block for a small engine is in the shop, to have its slide valve seats & steam chest gasket seats faced to remove steam cuts. Here, Jim is setting it up on the horizontal boring mill for that work.



In this shot, those surfaces are completed, as well as a modification of a steam pipe inlet that had a near zero width lapped ball joint surface from Baldwin.



Here, Shelley is drilling staybolt holes in a new rear tube sheet prior to hot forming it over a die. The sheet is covered with a 1/1 scale CAD drawing of the layout to locate the hole positions without any manual layout work.



We are also overhauling some driving wheel sets for a customer. The old cast iron wheel centers had several cracked spokes, which were repaired by brazing.



Here is an order of new spoked wheel centers for a job, fresh from the foundry.



Moving to our own work, Thomas got new balance strips for his slide valves as seen in this photo.

More to come...

...As I was saying...



In the car shop, lounge/dining car #75, the Henry K Long is having its air conditioning upgraded.



Car #65, the Walnut Hollow, is receiving roof and exterior work.



The initial restoration on our B&O coach is coming along. The rubber roof and exterior siding are nearing completion.



The upper window panes feature tinted glass with gold leaf applied to the exterior. Both of these features are authentic to the car. It will come into service as a full lounge car with overstuffed swivel chairs.



I'll close with a shot down the length of the shop, 290' from end to end. We are pretty well moved into the new extension, filling it up much quicker than thought. Some more organizing remains to be done but work on the shop itself is all but complete.

Great work! Thanks for the update!

Really nice, Kelly. I love the glint of clean steel :-)

I also really liked the end view of car 75, all the little puckers that make it look like a canvas roof. Is it canvas, or is it rubber? I always thought rubber would look just like canvas if tacked, but last ten times as long.

Strasburg does great work.

Car 65 dates to around 1910, one of the last new wood cars (steel underframe; enclosed vestibules).
In the 1920's gas lights were replaced by electric.
In the 1930's MU cars had arrived; the Depression made the wood cars surplus, so they went into Relief Train/MOW service.
In the 1960's, RDC's replaced the steel cars, which themselves went into Relief Train/MOW service releasing car 65 (year 1965) to go to Strasburg and return to passenger service.
And here we are today, car 65 is age 108, being shopped for further revenue service.

Henry K. Long was one of the "boys grown tall" who had bought the Strasburg in the late 1950's, leading into what we have today. I don't think he would have been surprised to know in 2018 there is a 125 mph electric locomotive preserved in a museum across the street.

Phil Mulligan

Thank you for the update Kelly. I look forward to seeing these as I appreciate the machine work you folks do. Strasburg is still on my bucket list.

Kelly and everyone at Strasburg..... Awesome. The attention to detail - awesome. I'm always impressed with your reports. Many pats on all yer backs.

The B&O coach in shots 118a and 118b: This is the one that came in from the WK&S in 1990, right? It's never seen Strasburg service yet, as I recall. Can you elaborate on what, if anything, has been uncovered about its past history, and its future plans?

If I ever get the chance to visit that side of PA. Strasburg is on my list of places to see. The work you guys are doing is Fantastic.
Andrew Treece.

Very reassuring to see this work being done for a huge number of clients.

Kelly,

All very interesting, the new tires for # 14, were these turned from rolled rings? I recall the ring rolling process is used in larger locomotive tires?

The steel spoked wheel castings look really good.

Thank you for posting the report.

Randy Musselman

Amazing work, does my heart good to see all that new fabrication.

When you guys had an opening for a diesel mechanic/welder I tried to convince the wife to let me put in for it- she hates the cold and didn't want to move (we just bought a farm) but now I am wondering if it would have been worth the divorce!

Just kidding, but anyone associated with all that amazing work has a lot to be proud of!

It is rubber, along with the rest of our roster.


Right. Per Kurt Bell’s research, it was B&O #45??, a “deluxe” passenger coach built by American Car & Foundry in 1911. WK&S acquired it c.1966, it passed on to us in 1990, and had been stored in a cocooned condition ever since. Beyond the trimmed, tinted glass, we have found that the interior was finished in inlaid mahogany, about 60% of which we should be able to reuse. It has six wheel trucks, which will make it unique among our every day wooden car fleet. The goal is to have it in service in time to run during our Christmas trains this coming winter.


Right. Here is a video.

Great stuff, Kelly. Thanks much for posting.