Seems the poor boys at Grapevine can't catch a break...this afternoon they appear to have waterslugged the left cylinder of the 2248, blowing out the left cylinder and severely damaging the cylinder casting itself. I will send pix to the moderators to post.

Classic example of how water does not compress. I wonder if it was a high water condition or maybe a water quality issue that caused foaming and priming. Too bad they could not have gotten away with blown piston rod packing.

Got an e mail about 4:30 PM from someone who has spoken to GVRR management. The cylinder casting is cracked and they estimate six months to repair, which I believe is overly optimistic. She is also due for a 1472 in the not too distant future. Hopefully they will do all the work the ole girl needs not only to survive,but to thrive.

There's cracked and then there's CRACKED. Hopefully just a sleeve and clamp job, probably a couple weeks worth of good machine shop work in a well-equipped enginehouse. No idea how well equipped they are with tooling, resources and staff abilities. Best of luck to them, and perhaps we could interest them in automatic cylinder cocks?

dave

I have seen the photos and it is CRACKED. You can actually see the piston, not a good thing. I wish them good luck in getting it fixed.

I saw the photos, too.

Many years ago, I read a story telling of all the folks you meet at big family events/dinners, which included "an Aunt Ethel, [numerous other guests, including the one that says a 20-minute grace while the food gets cold], a slightly tipsy Aunt Ethel, [more relatives, including those cousins who seem to lack faces and the "war hero" whose stories get more improbable every year], a slightly drunk-ly Aunt Ethel, [more relatives, including two in-laws coming to blows over politics, and one that tries to sell you something], an utterly smashed Aunt Ethel......."

The back of the fireman's side cylinder on 2248 is "utterly smashed." <:-(

So, where are the photos?

I have sent it to the staff, as the file is too big for me to download directly.

Just saw the pictures - WHEW! Cracked is an understatement......

I'd be foolish enough to try a repair, but a new fabricated half saddle would be the best thing. Unfortunate incident.

But I had spaced she was a slide valve engine - generally immune to this sort of destruction, as built up incompressable water pressure in the cylinders can escape by shoving the slide valve off the seat against the lesser pressure of the steam chest, escaping out the exhaust. Are we sure it was a cylinder-water related cause? FWIW, I couldn't see any signs of rust or dirt along the fracture visible in the photos which would have indicated a crack of long standing finally giving way.

dave

My understanding is they were running a Christmas Special of some sort, with the diesel on one end, steam on the other. They drug the train eastward some miles, and then ran the steam engine back toward the depot...it seems that the start of the trip back is on a grade, and I suspect that the diesel was giving a little push on the rear. The cylinder came apart just a few feet after starting...the guy that was there said it sounded "mooshy" and loud when it started. I strongly suspect that the drains were closed the whole time. If you look closely you will see that the piston is shattered as well, with the ring ledges appearing to be blown forward.

I seem to recall that it had some kind of balanced valve of SP design, so it could be the backing plate kept the valve against the seat.

Its just sad, IMHO.

Now if someone would just be kind enough to post the pictures............

Very sorry to hear this. In 2002 I was stuck at an office park 15 miles west of Grapevine on a two week assignment for my then employer. With time to kill on the weekend I made a beeline for the steam train shop.

At that time, the shop crew was employed by the town, but the engine crew were FWWR employees. The shop guys graciously gave me permission to look around as long as I minded myself and kept out from under their feet, but the FWWR engine crew took me in like long-lost kin. There ensued a weekend of cab rides that made me a lifelong fan of that very pretty centenarian of a 12-wheeler. Still brings back a smile thinking about it.

Pains me to think of her with her cylinder cracked wide open.

I have also seen the pictures and talked with someone who was on the train. The ole girl got out about three exhausts and all went to you know where. I have run her up that same hill starting from a dead stop with six coaches and a trailing diesel with no problems many times,and so have other experienced runners. The word is that they will have her back togethr and running in six months.......unlikely since she needs a Form 4 pretty soon so it would make sense to do it all right now while she's down.

On the other hand,given the "interesting" management style and personnel of the GVRR,most likely she's done for good. I'm not pointing fingers,I'm just looking at the evidence of this and other recent misadventures. A possible sad end to a good locomotive.

[quote="Txhighballer"]I have also seen the pictures and talked with someone who was on the train. The ole girl got out about three exhausts and all went to you know where. quote]

Curiouser and more so. This isn't a waterlogged slide valve saturated engine cylinder cock related failure if this information is accurate. I know it really isn't my business but I can't help be interested in what the failure really was and how it occurred - if nothing else the knowledge might help others avoid the same problem recurring elsewhere. Who in Texas is a mechanical version of Dr. House?

dave

I posted the actual photos on Trainorders on the thread on the steam page.

As you will see, the cylinder is more than simply "cracked"

Martin