RDG 2100 Initial Inspection Released

TrainWatcher · **Posted:** Tue Aug 25, 2015 3:31 pm

Fresh from the American Steam Railroad group in Cleveland, the RDG 2100 Inpection report.

https://www.fireup2100.org/2015/08/read ... on-report/

Full PDF:

http://www.fireup2100.org/wp-content/up ... rt-web.pdf

Dave · **Posted:** Tue Aug 25, 2015 5:26 pm

Thank you.

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3011

I'll just leave this here...

Quote:

Despite our best efforts we were unable to locate waffled, bagged, or burned sheets in either the firebox itself or the thermic syphons and only minor leaks were noted around a few bolts. The only notable repairs required within the firebox pertain to the syphon “diaphragms” and the replacement of about 60 crown bolts which no longer have a “head” protruding above the sheet. Many locomotives currently in service would be lucky to have a firebox in this good of condition.

wilkinsd · **Posted:** Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:16 pm

It's encouraging, but not all candycanes and roses. From the report:

Quote:

Approximately 120 flexible staybolt sleeves had improper repairs made to them.
These repairs consisted of applying schedule 40 couplings to the boiler shell (by welding)
around sleeves which likely were no longer in a condition to contain pressure. These
couplings were then plugged with cast iron (most made in Thailand) pipe plugs. Schedule
40 pipe fittings are rated 150 psi steam in a piping system and they are not manufactured
of A105 material. The caps are also of a lower pressure rating due to their cross section
and they are not of a material or which allows them to be used as a first point of pressure
retention from the power boiler

Yikes!

Quote:

A schedule 40 coupling was incorrectly applied by
welding to the belly of the second course in place of a previously existent washout plug. It
is unclear as to why this alteration was made to the locomotive boiler though we believe it
was for filling the boiler as there is a firehose fitting in the none code compliant/non-steam
rated ball valve which was utilized as a first point of pressure retention. Normally a fitting is
attached to the injector delivery line which allows for the same function without altering the
pressure vessel.

Double yikes

Quote:

Most all crankpins are scored from a lack of lubrication. The most recent operator
for a long time did not possess any type of hard grease gun. Once one was
obtained it was “only used when the bearings started to get hot”. Check quarter on
pins, either trepan with a portable machine or quarter depending upon the condition
of the existent quarter and throw.

Triple yikes!

That being said, in much better condition than say, a park locomotive, or one that was sitting outside for decades.

p51 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:57 pm

wilkinsd wrote:

That being said, in much better condition than say, a park locomotive, or one that was sitting outside for decades.

And a lot better condition than all the naysayers who never actually saw 2100 when running at Tacoma wouldn't shut up about...

RSwinnerton · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:32 pm **Posts:** 198

Took the words right outta my mouth Lee.. :-)

Lincoln Penn · **Joined:** Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:40 pm **Posts:** 841

p51 wrote:

wilkinsd wrote:

That being said, in much better condition than say, a park locomotive, or one that was sitting outside for decades.

And a lot better condition than all the naysayers who never actually saw 2100 when running at Tacoma wouldn't shut up about...

Begging your pardon, but I DID see it running, and also looked at it and saw some of the shade tree work and poor materials.

That's when I decided to get far enough away from it to not be hit by any flying parts.
Although it probably couldn't have failed right, either.

If that's a naysayer, then I wear the title proudly in this case.

co614 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 26, 2015 8:53 am

Hard to over state how fortunate we all are that the ill conceived Tacoma operation went broke before there was a terrible incident that very possibly could have ended steam operations forever.

Sometimes lucky is better than smart.

Ross Rowland

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Wed Aug 26, 2015 9:40 am

This mudslinging is getting to be as bad as that surrounding the (alleged) incompetence/malfeasance of the UP steam department.

The report in question appears to directly contradict the allegations of several "armchair engineers" here (albeit with actual butt-in-seat/head-in-boiler experience) who claim to have seen things that indicated eventual catastrophic failure was looming.

Well, excuse me, but if I push definitions hard enough I could make a similar claim about a past Strasburg RR locomotive or two.

So either this report is a stinkin' load of codswallop, or these naysayers don't know what they're talking about in spite of the supposed expertise of some of them, and it's possible that the real issues are personal antagonisms and/or animosities clouding their supposed judgement.

And as with the UP situation, neither one of these scenarios make our avocation look good.

filmteknik · **Posted:** Wed Aug 26, 2015 10:39 am

Yes, I'm still wondering what catastrophe was narrowly averted. It has been said the boiler was steaming inadequately. I suppose that might lead to concerns that it would cause the operators to push their jury-rigged burner to the point where, through uneven heating, damage was being done. Yet the inspections showed no evidence of this nor any suggestion that continued operation with this setup would eventually cause it.

I do believe the concerns were legitimate especially given fantastic accounts of warpage actually having been seen but now that they've been disproved I think we can put the notion of looming catastrophe to bed once and for all. That's regarding the burner rigging. As for the improper boiler fittings, yeah, one of those breaking off at an inopportune time could be very bad to someone nearby but hardly of the same scale as a boiler explosion.

robertjohndavis · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:10 am **Posts:** 2499

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

This mudslinging... it's possible that the real issues are personal antagonisms and/or animosities clouding their supposed judgement.

Sandy,

Are you suggesting that someone could take a nugget of truth, add in conjecture (their own or that of others) and mix it with personal bias to create an alternate reality which is then presented as fact on the Internet?

I highly doubt that could happen.

Rob

Pegasuspinto · **Joined:** Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:43 am **Posts:** 783

The firebox damage was obviously overstated by a lot. But the organization running this loco was obviously terrible. Either the burner or the fireman was lacking or it should of been able to make steam. And not even having the gun to grease the running gear shows a complete lack of care. Hardware store asian plumbing fittings? I've had them fail to hold 5 PSI and crack in two in my hand.

Sometimes even the worst operations avoid accidents but this place was as close as you ever want to get.

joe6167 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 26, 2015 11:32 am

Comrade k5ahudson may be able to elaborate on the grease gun situation if he feels so inclined. The statements regarding that matter may not be completely accurate.

p51 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 26, 2015 11:51 am

robertjohndavis wrote:

Are you suggesting that someone could take a nugget of truth, add in conjecture (their own or that of others) and mix it with personal bias to create an alternate reality which is then presented as fact on the Internet?

Rob, I think you just defined messages board with that post!

Dave · **Posted:** Wed Aug 26, 2015 12:02 pm

Based on the report, the only condition likely to have caused more than a minor incident if failed was the schedule 40 fittings in direct line to the boiler at a washout. The fittings used on the flexis? Leaking under the jacket, which while annoying, not catastrophic. Any of us who have been around long enough to have had old sleeves crack due to decades of deterioration in service and made do until the next washout date know about this.

The adaptation of oil firing (fast combustion in a limited area in mid air) into a Wootten firebox (slow combustion of anthracite culm on a wide and deep grate) is best left to those who truly understand combustion engineering in steam locomotives...... which was apparently not the case here given the myriad of other issues, so the poor steaming is probably a direct result of that, nothing sinister.

My guess - nothing more than that - is a guy with deep dreams and shallow pockets got in over his head, but ran out of ammunition before doing any real damage to the industry. Time to let this be a lesson in adequate capitalization, the value of hiring real experts for unusual tasks, and choosing the correct locomotive for the specified circumstances, and move on.

Best wishes to the new owners.