Morton Drawcut Shaper Drive Box Attachment.

Bruce_Mowbray · **Posted:** Tue Aug 10, 2010 2:26 pm

Fellow locomotive shop machinists and all others interested,

Does anybody have any information or possibly have an actual Driving Box Attachment for the Morton Drawcut Shaper that I could see? Or perhaps borrow? The attachment is used for holding the box while machining the crown brass fit. See photos below. I will be machining some boxes in the near future and it sure would be nice to have one of these. I have the shaper itself, I just need the attachment. If necessary, I'll make one but it sure would be nice to see one first.

Thanks in advance.

Bruce Mowbray
Springville, PA

SZuiderveen · **Posted:** Tue Aug 10, 2010 5:33 pm

Bruce,

The shaper I saved from Chessie at St. Thomas, ON for Steamtown had the attachment at one time, but it was scrapped long before we got there. On the last day of cleaning out the old backshop, the last electrician on duty gave me the AFE book for the facility, and it has the records of when each tool was acquired, costs for acquisition and installation, and costs of any major capital changes during the life of the tool. Including when the box attachment was scrapped.

Did Steamtown ever get the shaper installed? Or did it get "rationalized"?

Does the NPS even know where the file (including this book) for St. Thomas is?

Steve

Dennis Daugherty · **Joined:** Tue Sep 13, 2005 9:54 pm **Posts:** 106

I obtained one of these attachments while I was at CSRM and they still have it. Morton made a single and double axlebox attachment. Also there was three different rotary heads the fit the draw cut shaper ram. The ram steamtown has is on loan from CSRM . CSRM still has the other sizes I believe. Morton also made a attachment for shaping the OD of the crown brass and the made a fixture for holding the shoes and wedges.
The 36" draw cut shaper that steamtown , CSRM, and Henry Ford have are the "Railroad Special Models. IRM also has one but is missing the attachments. These machines were quite common in most RR shops and roundhouse backshops. Look in back of Loco Cyclopedia for Morton adds and pictures. Morton also made a traveling head 48" and 60" draw cut shaper special made for machine cylinders. I think IRM and Ford both have some parts manuals and old Morton catalogs with more pictures. Also Ask Chris he is knowledgeable on this machine

Bruce_Mowbray · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:00 am

Thanks for the replies.

Steve,

Yes, the shaper at Steamtown is now up and operating. Sure would have been nice to get that scrapped attachment.

Dennis,

I have been speaking to Chris about the machine and an attachment that we will probably end up making. We have the manuals for the box attacment which is where I got the pictures from. Is there a particular person I can contact at the CSRM who would know about the attachment and where it is located?

Thanks again.