Portable Crank Pin Lathe

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:14 am

Does anybody know of a portable crank pin lathe for sale or available for lease?

John E. McNamara · **Joined:** Sun Aug 29, 2004 9:21 pm **Posts:** 105

The WW&F Railway Museum in Alna, Maine, built one. There is a YouTube video that shows it in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuX9uFQeA6o If that fails, search for "WW&F Quartering."

This was built for an 1891 18-ton 2-foot gauge steam locomotive, so your requirement might be for a larger device. Construction of such a device might be a nice project for DTU. If you are interested in building one, PM me for contact information, and I'll put you in touch with our CMO.

jasonsobczynski · **Posted:** Tue Feb 10, 2015 2:54 pm

They are few and far between, I have experience running them and have access to them. Msg me if you're interested.

Cheers, Jason

Stephen Hussar · **Posted:** Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:22 pm

Here's another clip showing the WW&F's portable quartering machine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofewm4E ... e=youtu.be

Pegasuspinto · **Joined:** Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:43 am **Posts:** 783

We have one in Arkansas that was home-built for the SSW819, which is a large 'northern' 4-8-4. I'm sure we could work a lease out on it if needed. Does it need to go to Denmark? Shipping will be....significant, I would think.

Bobk · **Posted:** Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:04 pm

Try this technology:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOR4Rsv3uHs

We turned the pins on the 3751 with this exact machine, hired the company to do the work. Pins came out wonderful, true, round with a micron finish. Lots of companies around the world who repair ships diesel engines and they all use this technology.

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Wed Feb 11, 2015 10:15 am

That is exactly what we need.

Helsingør - Hornbæk Banen No. 4 is a re-activated restoration project that was begun over ten years ago. Our group had the typical kind of crash in core volunteers and new recruitment. In the meantime, the last wheel shop in Denmark (?) has been demolished. This engine is supposedly the last engine to receive wheel work in Denmark. Unfortunately, it was a rush job, and incomplete. A couple of pins are off axis.

Germany is now the go-to place for engine work in Europe, and as you can see in other posts, sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn't. Plus, shipping some wheels off to Germany is not exactly cheap (dis assembly, transport, paying someone else to do the work).

filmteknik · **Posted:** Wed Feb 11, 2015 11:28 am

How does that portable machine work on center, and in the case of locomotive crank pins, stay accurate (quartered) relative to the other pins?

Loco112 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 11, 2015 12:18 pm

softwerkslex wrote:

Does anybody know of a portable crank pin lathe for sale or available for lease?

Yes, I know a gentleman that owns one of those, but he would not let it out of his sight.
I'll mention your request to him, just in case he has not seen your post.

Loco112

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Thu Feb 12, 2015 7:09 am

Just to set the record straight. Sometimes stuff gets lost in translation around the coffee table.

HHB no. 4 has original pins that are worn below turning limits on the #1 and #3 driving axles, and there was only time remaining to overhaul #2 axle at Copenhagen shops before they were closed. It is Swedish S2 1307 that has the pins that are crooked from Germany.

That modern grinding rig is most likely available in our marine industry, which is quite large, and something I was unaware of.