.

Thanks for the excellent advice on the relative merits of water VS laser in different applications. You guys rock.

dave

Having retired from ten years at a company that specialized in large laser cutting work, I would have preferred the water cutting due to the lesser chance of heat distortion and other issues. To me laser cutting wouldn't leave a clean enough finish for flues, plus the possibility of taper.
Laser cutting rocks in other areas though. We cut the pieces for DL&W 952 4-4-0 at the Museum of Transportation and it looks great. And don't start in about the 952 again, I was just sharing a restoration fact.

I must ask, where is that engine #9 from?

On that Hotchkiss, you could sleeve the barrel pretty easy with the tools you have on hand, I'd bet. Otherwise, the owner is courting disaster by having you make the breech block operable with such a poor bore as someone would surely try to fire the thing.
Good thing it's a pre-1900 design, you guys could have gotten into some serious trouble with the ATF had it been a design later than that for making the breech block workable (I doubt there's a breech ring, so the block is probably the part that would require registration as a destructive device, if it were a 1900 or later design).

Our recent experience;
When we made the new flat front tube sheet for the 463, we went with laser cut holes. Most were OK, but many were not and required weld build up. The vendor indicated this was caused by a shielding gas issue. I think it was more of an excuse than fact, regardless we will not be using laser for plate again. Laser does very work well for thin sheet metal templates.

The new mudring parts for the 1744 were water jet cut from 4" plate, and were true to shape. However with that thickness the cut was not perpendicular, but on a bit of a taper. And yes, cutting the 4" plate was slow.

These new technologies are great, but like many other tools they have limitations, trade-offs and consequences. I would not trade my plasma cutting outfit here at the shop for anything, in many ways it excels oxy-act torches.

Robert Yuill
http://www.historicmachineryservices.com

Kelly, if you're looking for a clean way to cut precise flue sheets, I might be able to help, or get you pointed in the right direction. The company I work for has an automatic plasma and torch cutter for sheet metal that makes very, very clean cuts. The company does structural jobs, so I don't know if they'd be willing to do a one-off flue sheet, but it's worth a shot. If you want more details, send me a PM.

SMS #9 is a 1942 US Army 0-6-0, formerly New Hope & Ivyland #9 and before that, Virginia Blue Ridge #9.

On the 425's trailer axle, is that a forged-in seat for a booster gear?

As always, it's a treat to see what's going on in SRC's shops, and to see nice, shiny new steam loco parts, instead of battered and rusty stuff!

Howard P.

Yes it is! The Baldwin specs called for previsions for a booster on the Delta trailing truck along with GM&N 426.

I just read the post again and noticed a 9" axle on a trailing truck? Good grief, what's the loading on that thing?

Thanks for the updates, day one and forward - along with the great pics illustrating the projects at hand. You guys are incredible! I can't help but be reminded of the movie: "The Land That Time Forgot" where a then modern day ship (a U-boat) stumbles upon an island of dinosaurs.

Replace the dinosaurs with steam and steam era metal works (albeit with lasers and water jets) and viola - the railfan island utopia that is the Strasburg Rail Road.

Bet very little says "Made in China", too!

Keep up the great work - a whole DISCOVERY series could be devoted to the projects
flowing smoothly through the shops.

/Mitch

Give those people the "locomotive which shall not be named" and let them make her right. Is there anything Strasburg shops cannot do?
Wonderful, as always.

I was at Strasburg last Sunday and took the shop tour. I don't remember seeing the Hotchkiss gun, but I wasn't looking for artillery either. I did however, see a nice new crown sheet leaning against the 0-6-0 that wasn't pictured. I was impressed by their shops and the work done there, as well as a bit envious. They really seem to have it all figured out pretty well and never cease to amaze me. I've been in awe of that place since my first visit in 1986.

It's all machinery to us, Lee ...

Pre-1900, huh? Now that gets me thinking about the Krupp 77mm under a tarp in the shop ...

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