The Latest from the Strasburg Rail Road Shops

fairmontdave · **Posted:** Fri Jul 05, 2019 1:01 pm

Thanks, Kelly, Fabulous!
I always note when I visit the Strasburg shop that the machines are clean, oiled, have a cutting tool chucked up, and usually a work piece in the vise/clamps.
When I visit "other" railroad shops, they have machine tools, but most often they are dusty, have no cutting tools, and no workpieces.....ie they are seeing very little to no use...….

hamster · **Posted:** Fri Jul 05, 2019 2:03 pm

fairmontdave wrote:

Thanks, Kelly, Fabulous!
I always note when I visit the Strasburg shop that the machines are clean, oiled, have a cutting tool chucked up, and usually a work piece in the vise/clamps.
When I visit "other" railroad shops, they have machine tools, but most often they are dusty, have no cutting tools, and no workpieces.....ie they are seeing very little to no use...….

The places with dusty, dirty machine tools almost never have a machinist on staff or even a volunteer. And if they don't have a machinist, they also don't do much mechanical work on their rolling stock. It's a fact of life at most museums.

Mark Jordan · **Joined:** Fri Nov 07, 2008 11:21 am **Posts:** 488

Quote:

.......even though #475 can be a back breaking bitch to run in hot weather.

Or cold weather, or wet weather, or dry weather, or windy weather.......

Ergonomics was not on the drafting table.....

sandiapaul · **Posted:** Sat Jul 06, 2019 8:53 am

Thanks Kelly, always my favorite part of this board are your updates. VERY impressive work on that firebox door opening.

nedsn3 · **Posted:** Sat Jul 06, 2019 10:24 am

'Well, actually according to Whyte, 4-8-0's are "twelve wheelers". 4-10-0's are "Mastadons", and about as rare as well. Never the less, I agree that the N&W 4-8-0's are eye candy for steam fans, even though #475 can be a back breaking bitch to run in hot weather.'

I totally screwed that up! Thought I was so smart too! She's still a fav though. Ned

Scranton Yard · **Joined:** Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:08 am **Posts:** 721

Kelly - Thank you for taking the time to post this. These updates remain one of the best features of RYPN. Looking forward to seeing the shop - one of the few truly active steam shops as pointed out by fairmontdave - during the 611 event.

A question about boilermaking and industry business practice - Can the male and female dies SRR fabricated to press the O'Conner firebox door hole for 3713's new fire box be reused? If so, does SRR retain the dies, scrap them, or send them to the customer with the firebox in the event a new fabrication is required in the distant future?

Steamguy73 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 24, 2014 3:15 pm **Posts:** 617

nedsn3 wrote:

Thanks Kelly! Love those N&W Mastadons. Too bad nobody has an SP 4-10-0 running.

You mean the 4-10-2’s like SP 5021? Because even in America, the 4-10-0 is probably the rarest made Wheel arrangement in the US, and it’s a bit weird to talk about 1 engine.

The only 4-10-0 was built for the SP predecessor Central pacific in 1883, named El Gobernador, but it was deemed a failure and scrapped a decade later.

rjenkins · **Posted:** Sat Jul 06, 2019 10:04 pm

Steamguy73 wrote:

nedsn3 wrote:

Thanks Kelly! Love those N&W Mastadons. Too bad nobody has an SP 4-10-0 running.

You mean the 4-10-2’s like SP 5021? Because even in America, the 4-10-0 is probably the rarest made Wheel arrangement in the US, and it’s a bit weird to talk about 1 engine.

The only 4-10-0 was built for the SP predecessor Central pacific in 1883, named El Gobernador, but it was deemed a failure and scrapped a decade later.

Good point. The SP had 4-8-0s as well, one of which (SP 2914) is now the only surviving non-N&W 4-8-0 in America.

Mgoldman · **Posted:** Sun Jul 07, 2019 2:24 am

sandiapaul wrote:

Thanks Kelly, always my favorite part of this board are your updates. VERY impressive work on that firebox door opening.

I'm too late to second that, so I'll just echo others! You guys (and gals) are simply amazing! Strasburg's Steam Gods! Would make for an interesting topic for a Discover Channel series.

Thanks for sharing!

/Mitch

Kelly Anderson · **Joined:** Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:52 am **Posts:** 2477

Mgoldman · **Posted:** Sun Jul 07, 2019 4:21 pm

Kelly - meant to ask - with regards to the photo of Jim is cutting the keyway into the axle hole using the slotter:

What are the square "holes" seen on the driver rim? Assume the wheels are cast - looks as if the spokes are hollow??

/Mitch

Dave Lewandoski · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:58 pm **Posts:** 1076

Kelly Anderson wrote:

Mgoldman wrote:

Strasburg's Steam Gods!

Thanks, but please. Also, I do make a point of not posting photos of our foul ups.

SRC may look like a duck gliding across a still pond from outside, but I assure you that under the surface, we are paddling like mad.

and that speaks volumes for your integrity

Kelly Anderson · **Joined:** Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:52 am **Posts:** 2477

Brendan Zeigler · **Joined:** Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:32 pm **Posts:** 51

The door hole is a for a Standard HT stoker. If anyone is looking for a spare door hole of this configuration, we have one stamped in a piece of pv quality plate that I made to test the process before stamping the already flanged sheet. I’m sure we could work out a deal.

R.L.Kennedy · **Joined:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:37 pm **Posts:** 242

Mark Jordan wrote:

Quote:

.......even though #475 can be a back breaking bitch to run in hot weather.

Or cold weather, or wet weather, or dry weather, or windy weather.......

Ergonomics was not on the drafting table.....

When I first saw inside this engine's cab I could not figure what was in their mind to buy this pile of junk. Seat positions crammed in, firebox door level, no deck to work on. One thing was for sure they didn't give a crap for the crew that would have to work in it.

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