I just found this video on Vimeo:

http://vimeo.com/7256725

REQUIRED viewing for anyone who has ever been deluded enough to say "Hey, gang! Let's build a replica steam locomotive!"

Sure. Just find all those casting forms, patterns, dies, hammers, presses, rollers, lathes, planes, etc., plus the men to work them. And no, every such problem CANNOT be solved with AutoCAD!

Fantastic little film. It shows how much practical knowledge went into locomotive construction that has died off with the boilermakers and machinists of that era. The film also shows how important it is to preserve and develop those skills today through current restoration and maintenance of steam locomotives.

It's interesting to note that the video is of the construction of the only two 4-8-4s owned by the CP and Both are still in existence today. How cool would it be to have this video playing at the museum in Ottawa to give interpretation to just how the old girl was built and all of the skills sets used back then. I've never been to the museum but if they are not using this video or making plans to do so they are really missing a great opportunity.

http://steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive ... splay=1912

http://steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive ... splay=1972

I'll bet those men wore their scars and burns like badges of honor. OSHA would have flipped in a place like that. Great know that both locomotives are preserved, too. It would kill a man who worked on one of those, to see it cut up insensitively as scrap.
What a great contribution to the site. Thanks!

They are dead already, Richard, no worries there.

It is a great state of the art bit of technical history. Of course we wouldn't do it that way today - but some things would be done in very similar ways. CAD / CAM would streamline the design and pattern modeling and mass production components, as well as control robots to cut and form some of the major ones as well. Complex cored castings can now be better made as fabrications.

If today's technology had existed (without internal combustion) in 1928, they'd have built steam like we would today, but stronger, better and faster.

The greatest obstacle to replication today is justifying it economically, not anything in its construction.

dave

One or two off castings such as those needed for cylinder saddles or frames can be made using the lost foam process. Anyone with a pile of styrofoam, blue, hot knife, rasps and plenty of time can turn out the most complex pattern for a casting. So Commonwealth cast steel beds are not impossible to remake, it would actually be easier now to do it than at any time in history.

Have you ever seen the complexity in stamping die castings? They are all lost foam. When I worked at a large foundry we made those die castings. I know the process and it isn't as difficult as some let on.

Anyways, I am glad that you all like the film!

Vimeo has deleted that video. Those of you who saw it may still have it in your browser cache. If you know how to do so perhaps you can salvage it and post it to another site. I don't know but I'd presume that this is public domain material. I don't suppose anyone noticed who posted it originally. Maybe they'll repost elsewhere themselves.

Steve

The video is also available at:
http://www.cinemamuetquebec.ca/content/movies/23?lang=en

Thanks!

Steve

As a younger guy working on steam I greatly appreciated being able to view that video. I have since shared it with many friends and co-workers. Many thanks for posting a link to the video, it gives me yet another level of respect for these wonderful machines and then men who built them.