We have been busy this winter here in the DT&M Roundhouse. Aside from the winter maintenance being done on our regularly operating steam locomotives, many other projects are moving right along, mainly the work being done to Detroit and Lima Northern 4-4-0 No.7



We have finished installing all rivets and staybolts on No.7's boiler.



Throat sheet of No.7 with new stays and mud ring rivets



A new throttle elbow has been cast and machined and is now ready to be installed in the steam dome of No.7



New bronze bushings for the eccentric straps have been cast and machined for the No. 7.



An eccentric strap bushing for the No.7 is nearly finished.



The No.7's lead truck is being dissassembled and rebuilt with swing links.



Our 1912 Detroit & Macinac Caboose is undergoing heavy stuctural repairs.

Matt,

Nice work.

Since you posted at a most opportune time, let me ask an unrelated question. I remember back in the eighties the Henry Ford Museum acquired an early Union Pacific steel automobile car, similar to the one discussed in another thread. Is it still there? Any plans for eventual restoration and display?

Yes, we still have the car and the long term plan is to restore it to it's original as built condition. The project is, for the most part, on the back burner for the time being.

Matt,

Thank you very much. It's nice to know it's at least still in captivity.

Dumb question department... Since I never worked on steam, I often don't know exactly what I'm looking at. In the photos of No. 7's firebox, are those full penetration welds around the stays, or, as discussed in another thread, simply seal welds on threaded stays? Also, will those stays be drilled with telltale holes? I thought threaded stays were already drilled when installed.

I was really impressed with the shop when I visited in August. Can't wait to see the 4-4-0 on the road.

Rob

All,

More than anything I find the UT numbers greatly surprising! As high as .441 on the side sheets, was it built with 1/2" plate? I often wondered how the engineering was going to work out regarding the patch applied to the exterior and interior of the barrel...spanning two course along the belly. Only one of it's kind I have ever seen, amazing what was done back in the day.

Front truck job should be a cool one! Lots of engineering and new parts to pull that off! Center casting, bowl, swing links...well, heart link links on that one, etc.. I suppose that the excessive "sway" or "swing"(resulting from the long main rods and there effect on the movement on the front of the machine when the locomotive is working) that they were trying to avoid by using a rigid truck should not be an issue given the relatively nominal load the locomotive will see.

Cheers All, Jason

Nice pictures of the Axelson lathes being used to make new steam locomotive parts. I painted them for my Eagle Scout Project back in the summer of 2000.

It's wonderful to some progress being made to DTI (D&LN) #7, and that D&M caboose looks almost done. Hopefully, D&M #8 will get some TLC after D&LN #7 is rebuilt. The last time I saw D&M #8 steamed up last was during the old "Railroad Days" weekend.

When spring comes, I would like to get some new pictures and videos of the GVRR in action, especially "Torch Lake" which I don't have any videos of this locomotive yet.

One of the three repainted boxcars has been stenciled. When the weather becomes less Aprilly, the next one can be stenciled.

I've always like those older C&O boxcars, nice to see one of them is finally completed.

Good job on all the work done durring the winter! Regarding the repainted C&O boxcar; is that green one next to it also C&O? I thought I saw very unfocused C&O in the corner.

Nope, it's not green, just the lighting in the photo.

That's faded dark blue with yellow lettering, which is Chessie System Boxcar (C&O) #491556.

Oh, well atleast theres another C&O boxcar saved!