It's time for an update on 4501 overhaul progress. Lots has been accomplished over the past three months. I will attempt to hit the highlights for everyone.

Boiler - The new dry pipe end fitting was applied and the alignment of the dry pipe restored to the centerline of the boiler. The 1976 replacement of the dry pipe (installed in-place with 57" lengths of pipe) resulted in the steam dome end of the dry pipe being almost 2” off-center. This also explained an odd arrangement of the throttle linkage connection which we will also correct.

A new steam supply pipe has been added to provide steam to the Seller’s SR injector that will be mounted on the Engineer’s side. The existing turret has a limited steam supply due a single supply pipe. Original steam loads included two nine-inch air compressors, the blower, and two non-lifting injectors. Current steam loads include one 8-1/2 cross compound air compressor, a dynamo, stoker engine, hot water and cold water pumps, and the blower. Adding the injector to the same steam source would result in an overload and pressure drop to the auxiliaries. We know from photographs that other Ms Class locomotives got a second auxiliary dry pipe for the injector.

Coating of the boiler shell with Thurmalox has started with the backhead complete. All boiler brackets have been removed and Thuralox applied underneath them. This will be followed up with the application of Thurmalox to the remainder of the boiler shell.

The new smokebox front has been completed, sent through the wheelabrator, and painted.

Some piping work has been completed on the feedwater heater system. Piping complete includes the exhaust steam lines to the heate, the pump suction from the heater is complete, the hot water discharge to the boiler, and the pump exhaust steam to the heater. In progress now is the heater vent line to the rail, the steam feed from the cab to the hot water pump, and the cold water supply from the cold water pump to the heater. A cushion check valve has been acquired and was installed for the hot water pump delivery.

The new spherical steam dome cap arrived and has been machined. The flange of the original dome cap was machined to the point of being too thin. This necessitated either replacing the flange or replacing the entire dome cap. The cost of a new spherical and flanged dome cap was low to justify the complete replacement.

Machinery - All driving wheels and boxes are ready for installation. Fabrication of the oil cellars is complete and the Uncle Al Approved (UAL Approved) spring pad lubricators are on-hand. Pins and bushings for the spring rigging have been renewed. The lead truck has been reassembled but with the old wheelset. The supplier of the new roller bearing equipped wheelset for the lead truck failed to meet the original delivery date. New coil springs for the lead truck were obtained and I am very impressed with the quality (as opposed to our previous supplier - see the picture).

Rework of the trailing truck is completed and this includes - Conversion to a centering truck complete with a centering device, application of roller bearings, and installation of new tires.

Both the lead and trailing trucks are once again under the locomotive.

The original brake cylinders are being replaced with new ones and the locomotive will be converted to high friction composition brakes shoes.

The frame pedestal faces are now dressed and machining of the shoes is complete. While the wedges are being machined, the spring rigging will be assembled in preparation for driver installation. Driving wheels should be back under the locomotive sometime in August.

Other - The coal bunker and cistern of the tender have been blast cleaned and painted with the appropriate coating. The Sellers SR injector is being prepped for installation. Finally, the Form 4 package is complete. Yay!

More photographs.

Final set of photographs for this update

Are you installing an electronic bell under the pilot beam?

A friend of mine at NS who is involved with the 21st Century Steam Program made a comment during recent discussion on 4501, suggesting that they paint one gold and hang it in the angle bracket at the top of the smokebox.

Why does a typical North American smoke box door require so many door dogs? It is not even under pressure. They add to the labor in opening and closing the door.

So the dry pipe up until now was the one from 1976? I always wondered about that. The story of the emergency replacement via the steam dome was mentioned in the September 1976 Trains cover story about Bill Purdie.

That pipe, cut into short pieces, would be a great fundraising tool. Charge extra for pieces that encompass an in-boiler weld.

Steve

Actually, it is under pressure...sort of. A vacuum to be more precise. This vacuum is created by the draft of the locomotive under load. A 100% seal is ideal in the front end of a locomotive for proper drafting to occur. Any leak, will result in a break in that vacuum and thus, less airflow through the grates, fire tubes etc. which tends to lessen the steaming ability of a locomotive. The high number of dog clamps on a smoke box door increases the clamped surface area which, aides in keeping that opening sealed complete (or at least as close to complete as practical)

As far as labor with opening the door is concerned, its a steam locomotive. Deal with it. A properly drafting front end tends to be self-cleaning, thus lessening the need for the door to be opened except during regular service intervals anyway. Besides an impact wrench makes short work of removing the nuts. Might not be NASCAR quick, but a little more efficient than sitting there with a crescent wrench.

As far as the nuts go, you don't even have to remove them completely. Just loosen them so you can turn the dog sideways and keep going.

With the locomotive a good way from completion, how did a failed deadline require the installation of the old leading trucks at this stage?

Because we need to move the locomotive over the drop table to install the driving wheels and we don't want to wait until the new wheelset arrives to install them. Sound reasonable?

The 1976 dry pipe is still in the boiler. We only replaced the end fitting at the steam dome end.

The repairs made in 1943 were far more extensive than what we are doing today. I would elaborate more but you'll have to wait for my Trains Magazine story (Brother Wrinn did not pay me to say that)....

From the Shameless Commerce Division of Kalmbach Publishing.......

Seriously, looking forward to it.

Nice work! Thanks for the update.

While I'm not going to ask for a specific finish date, what is the range she is expected to be completed? (e.g. 3-6mths, 6-12 mths, etc...)

Also, with all the work being done on her, it looks like she will live long into the future.

Thanks

I cannot wait to see her in steam. Thanks so much TVRM