The boiler work is painfully slow, but Friday and Sat. we got one more thing out of the way. Friday we removed one long brace to the front flue sheet, and drilled the boiler to install two new {shorter} braces, one on each side, again to the front flue sheet. The longer one was replaced, the owner wasn't satisfied with the braces condition. The two shorter ones were never put in at Baldwin in the first place, unless the barrel course was changed out sometime in it's career. I believe the print called for them being installed and the holes were there on the bracket on the flue sheet, but never drilled out on the riveted end. Just never put in. Saturday {yesterday} the new holes were reamed out and new rivets put in. Sorry no pictures.

Some folks believe you can just go off of the prints and everything will be there and line up as if by magic, but more often the not the dementions, drilled hole placements {studs, cyl bolt holes, flue holes ect} are not 100%exact. When the engineering report comes back, the truth will be known! I say this because there are many instances where there are too many/not enough staybolts or spacing is off, flue holes not spaced properly, but according to the builders print everything is right on. Years ago I worked in a shop where we built winches and cranes for the US Navy. There might of been 15 on each order of the same winch. I guarentee that no two were exactly identicle. Close, but not identicle. Point I am trying to make is that you can't just go off the prints, you need to double check everything.

Looking at how boilers and locomotives were built, assembled and repaired is facinating stuff. Cheers, John.