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4501 Update 02-23-14
https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=36274		 Page 1 of 7
Author:  gmray [ Sun Feb 23, 2014 11:01 pm ]
Post subject:  4501 Update 02-23-14
We're approaching a big milestone for 4501 so I thought this might be a good time for an update. We've completed fabrication and installation of all the piping that goes under the jacket plus all the external steam and water piping. All that is lacking for the steam test is completing the installation of the new throttle, closure of the steam dome, and connecting the branch lines to the tender.

After the steam test, the team will apply the lagging and jacket. We still have to the install the air brake system, brake rigging, rods, and valve gear. We are just now starting on the valve gear and we intend to fix a long standing problem through the execution of "Operation Valve Square.". The crossheads, guides, pistons, and piston rods are currently at one of the local machine shops being reworked.

I know there's a lot of anticipation about when she'll be ready. As before, I am still not going to offer a date. Anyone who's ever been involved in a restoration project knows that picking a completion date is a kiss of death. I do feel confident that she will run sometime in 2014 and maybe in time for the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the Stearns trip.

One more thing, nothing has been freshly painted. Any green or black you see is leftover from previous paint jobs.

Enjoy the photos.

Attachments:
File comment: Almost ready to boil water! Photo credit to David Blackwell.
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File comment: New throttle castings. The pattern was made using the original Southern Railway drawing. Photo credit to Mike Ray
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1016371_10201902296492340_1429293533_n.jpg [ 75.96 KiB | Viewed 16815 times ]
File comment: These builder plates are replicas. Photo credit to Mike Ray
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1932365_10202007258996337_1705928727_n.jpg [ 86.44 KiB | Viewed 16815 times ]
Author:  gmray [ Sun Feb 23, 2014 11:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14
One additional photograph for your viewing pleasure.

Something to ponder. Southern Ps-4 #1401 has it's headlight located on the boiler centerline instead of 3 inches below center. The drawing for the drilling of the smokebox door places the headlight bracket so that the headlight requires a 1 inch spacer under the headlight feet to place the centerline of the headlight 3 inches below the centerline of the boiler. #1401 has 4 inch high spacers to put the headlight on the centerline. The interesting thing about this is that the locomotive was delivered to the Smithsonian this way. By 1961, had the Southern Railway forgotten where to mount the headlight? Perhaps the Spencer engines had a different standard? Perhaps someone can shed some light on this.

Attachments:
File comment: With the headlight centerline 3 inches below the boiler centerline per Southern Railway guidelines.
1653766_295048840649967_1733752376_n.jpg
1653766_295048840649967_1733752376_n.jpg [ 78.11 KiB | Viewed 16800 times ]
Author:  o484 [ Sun Feb 23, 2014 11:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14
gmray wrote:
One additional photograph for your viewing pleasure.

Something to ponder. Southern Ps-4 #1401 has it's headlight located on the boiler centerline instead of 3 inches below center. The drawing for the drilling of the smokebox door places the headlight bracket so that the headlight requires a 1 inch spacer under the headlight feet to place the centerline of the headlight 3 inches below the centerline of the boiler. #1401 has 4 inch high spacers to put the headlight on the centerline. The interesting thing about this is that the locomotive was delivered to the Smithsonian this way. By 1961, had the Southern Railway forgotten where to mount the headlight? Perhaps the Spencer engines had a different standard? Perhaps someone can shed some light on this.


Very nice, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (pun intended). Any particular reason for going with a dual beam headlight?
Author:  CarNutandTrainNut [ Mon Feb 24, 2014 2:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14
More light output, might be FRA mandated.
Author:  southern154 [ Mon Feb 24, 2014 9:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14
611 and 1218 had them in excursion service, and 765 has a twin sealed beam light. 630 does not as far as I can tell. That is about all I know about it. Also what shade will the smokebox be painted?
Author:  junior [ Mon Feb 24, 2014 12:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14
southern154 wrote:
.....Also what shade will the smokebox be painted?


I heard Pink....
Author:  wilkinsd [ Mon Feb 24, 2014 12:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14
o484 wrote:

Very nice, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (pun intended). Any particular reason for going with a dual beam headlight?



My guess is that a dual beam bulb can be found in the stores department (do railroads still have such things?) or just about every locomotive terminal and servicing point on the NS system. Makes things easier.

As always, the work undertaken is impressive.
Author:  jd johnson [ Mon Feb 24, 2014 1:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14
It is good to see 4501 coming along. Didn't she get a completely new smoke box? The reason I ask is that one of the photos clearly shows a welded plate that the builders plate is mounted to on the engineer's side. Could someone explain?

JD Johnson, Morehead and North Fork Railroad Historian
Author:  Steve Freer [ Mon Feb 24, 2014 2:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14
jd johnson wrote:
It is good to see 4501 coming along. Didn't she get a completely new smoke box? The reason I ask is that one of the photos clearly shows a welded plate that the builders plate is mounted to on the engineer's side. Could someone explain?

JD Johnson, Morehead and North Fork Railroad Historian


Builders plate is mounted onto a patch. You might be thinking about 630's almost completely replaced smokebox. The front course of 4501's is new. This is the section that houses the heater bathtub and side piping channels.

Oh yeah, and the bright side (pun intended) of having twin beams? Drum roll please....it IS brighter.
Author:  Kevin Gilliam [ Mon Feb 24, 2014 4:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14
gmray wrote:
One additional photograph for your viewing pleasure.

Something to ponder. Southern Ps-4 #1401 has it's headlight located on the boiler centerline instead of 3 inches below center. The drawing for the drilling of the smokebox door places the headlight bracket so that the headlight requires a 1 inch spacer under the headlight feet to place the centerline of the headlight 3 inches below the centerline of the boiler. #1401 has 4 inch high spacers to put the headlight on the centerline. The interesting thing about this is that the locomotive was delivered to the Smithsonian this way. By 1961, had the Southern Railway forgotten where to mount the headlight? Perhaps the Spencer engines had a different standard? Perhaps someone can shed some light on this.



To an extent, headlight placement was one of those things that was part of the semi-autonomous Southern shop practices. Each shop tended to do things a little bit differently, so a Spencer engine would have certain practices that would differentiate it from Asheville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, etc. After 30 years of this, if you knew what to look for, you could tell where certain repairs had been done. This is also why finding two engines of the same class that were perfectly identical was just about impossible.

The SRHA archives have articles by Dale Roberts that go through a lot of the classes, and touch upon the shop differences.
Kevin
Author:  wesp [ Mon Feb 24, 2014 4:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14: Topic DRIFT SR 1401
Quote:
As far as I know, a local auto body shop painted the engine, and I'm assuming Southern Rwy had minimal input besides the obvious things like color, font, size of lettering.


Jeff,

SR 1401 was painted by a local auto body shop. Doug Logan did some contract paint work for us at National Capital Trolley Museum. He was on the crew that painted SR 1401 and has a group photo of the paint crew with the engine. Doug retired from his day job about 10 years ago and I've lost track of him and the photo.

Wesley
Author:  Bob Lyndall [ Mon Feb 24, 2014 8:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14
Steve Freer wrote:
Drum roll please....

Steve, Pick one: http://soundjax.com/drum+roll-6.html
Author:  southern154 [ Mon Feb 24, 2014 9:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14
junior wrote:
southern154 wrote:
.....Also what shade will the smokebox be painted?


I heard Pink....

So now we go from the green mikado to the pink mikado.
Author:  junior [ Mon Feb 24, 2014 11:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14
southern154 wrote:
....So now we go from the green mikado to the pink mikado.


..yup, with polka dots and a disco ball too!

.... it's all to conform with new grade crossing safety initiatives.
Author:  o484 [ Mon Feb 24, 2014 11:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 4501 Update 02-23-14
junior wrote:
southern154 wrote:
....So now we go from the green mikado to the pink mikado.


..yup, with polka dots and a disco ball too!

.... it's all to conform with new grade crossing safety initiatives.


Don't forget the hot rod flames...
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