No grease cakes on 2100, or the earlier T-1s; they used Hennessey Lubricators, which have been troublesome on these engines in the preservation era (2102 had a history of problems with those things, and I recall 2101 did also). 2124 is the only extant RDG T-1 with roller bearing driver axles.

I suspect the 2100 will get some modern form of the 1930s SP spring-loaded oil pad in the driver cellars, probably with some form of forced lubrication to the crown brass as extra insurance.

Howard P.

Hear, hear!

Until there's unlimited money for restorations, unlimited communication should be the rule. It's not as if restoration groups are in business, competing against one another.

The first question that needs to be answered is that of what is the composition of the crown material. It could go either way depending upon the results. Also, I will engineer out the actual bearing loading as there is a cutoff where grease is not suitable and oil must be utilized. With my reformulation of hytex (the only difference being my grease contains ISO 480 base stock versus vintage H8 with its ISO 600, regardless..... it's incredibly better than any other block grease out there which at the heaviest contains ISO 100 oil. The balance of the formulation and method of manufacture is identical) being sold through Steam Services Of America, reliable mainline grease lubrication is again an option.

To summarize, we'll see ;-)

Cheers, Jason

Jason,
Why didn't you use the really good 600 base stock?
Matt

from a Yahoo Group:

April 23, 2015

Right now it is in the yard in Willmar,MN but for some reason it is on “hold” there.

Steve

Jason, you are officially a tribology nerd. :-)

I've always thought of the T-1's as kind of an ugly duckling (especially when compared to a UP Northern or NKP Berkshire) but there is just something about them that I like. Of all the T-1's # 2100 has been my favorite and I guess the reason is it's always been the neglected T-1. I can remember seeing it in Hagerstown back in the early 80's stripped of parts, coupled to a burnt tender with the words "Party Boat" spray painted on it's boiler.
I was happy to see it restored and running again but my joy didn't last too long out in the pacific northwest. I am so glad ASR is bringing this engine back east to get her running again for a new generation to enjoy. Thank You to all involved in this wonderful project !!

I am clearly missing something since I am familiar with ISO oil specification being in steps of 460 and 680. Are we arriving at 'intermediate' grades by mixing oils of different viscosities?

Here is a sample cross-reference chart:

2102 has been running on grease lubricated mains since before its Blue Mountain and Reading days.

Mike Tillger

Remarkable , high end video promotion on their website. Somebody is pumping big bucks into this project. She's a totally worthwhile locomotive.

By the way, "Fire Up 2100" is a terribly clever name!

But they are individual groups which have their own ideas and practices.
This is never going to be the 'rule' of how this happens.
Same as in any other preservation field, you have people and groups, operating laregly on their own, the way they want. Some will talk with others, and many won't. Some get along with others, and some don't. Sometimes, one group exists because a person or people didn't like what the group they previously belonged to was going things, so they struck off on their own to do it their way. Lots of bad blood in cases like that and it's really common in the preservation field.

Common does not mean good or desireable. Consider Wal Mart. We can choose to work better together and make us all stronger, or work apart and gradually limit all but the most fortunate to a lowest common denominator.....

One rule? No, there are many ways to do any job and achieve good results. Sharing our various ways and means can be of great mutual benefit and costs nothing.

dave

Exactly, and it's slowing things down, costing money and occasionally causing real trouble.

There's no single best way, but there are some good ways and some ways that don't work at all. Just because the Standard Railroad of the World did it This Way does not mean Southern Pacific was dumb for not doing it This Way, because they operated under vastly different conditions. However, knowing WHY there was a This Way and a That Way may lead to new and better methods based on, but not constrained by, what did and didn't work in the past.

Of course there are personality conflicts. Marshmallows seldom decide to argue with many tons of old iron. There's a difference between wanting to whop somebody over the head with a pry bar because he got on your nerves, versus refusing to let your people use anything he wrote or made because you don't get along. That's where a lot of talk and looking at one another's work comes in; do you just not like him, or is his work objectively bad because there are actual problems with it? This is how non-rail museums get led down the garden path way too often: "I know Expert told you it's not practical to restore your locomotive, but everybody knows he's full of busted staybolts. I can have her running in time for fall foliage if you'll just hand me the money."

I don't think a lot of the major rail restoration projects even think of discussing what they're doing with one another, and it's (usually) not malice--they just don't think of it. I've happened to be around non-rail projects where somebody is lamenting not having a left-handed monkey wrench, only to find somebody who overhears has one in the car.

A lot of large, expensive machinery is indispensable but gets used once every few years in the typical small museum. Knowing who has one, whether it's any good and what it costs to use theirs might give you a better use of funds than trying to buy one and build a place to put it.

Finally, it's easier to copy a part that isn't worn out or broken than to try to build a new one on an educated guess. Does anyone have a working triplex kerplunkinator, and if so, will they let you see it or use their original blueprints?

In a lot of ways, we still haven't pulled our heads out of the library stacks to realize the communications revolution is here. For every old car that gets rescued because one museum has no place for it and another does, a dozen probably rot in a field because no one thought to offer them. It's time to realize how much we really do have available to us, and think about how to use it.

Unfortunately, the manufacturer had no interest (to the point of saying no) in using a heavier oil.

Overmod:

It tests out a bit heavier than 460. Is that what it's labeled as? Nope, just what it tests out to.

Hugh:

Out of necessity..... I had to educate myself on the grease making process and about what makes a hard grease effective. Did you know that the basestock oil is supposed to be present during suponification? That is critical aspect of achieving a high drop point. Out of ALL North American manufacturers there is not one that does this. They all just mix pre - made soap (of a substandard type) in with oil at a temperature where both are thoroughly melted.

Thank you, Hugh ;-)

Pretty sure that's Kelly Lynch's video (nathansixchime) from Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society. He's a talented videographer and the social media brains behind 765's giant online following. Unfortunately for him, he probably didn't get too much for that project as he's a sucker for being a good dude for good causes. But I won't say he didn't get paid either....just speculating he may have worked for beer. :)