Yes, the EMD 567,645,710 Alco 244 and 251, FM OP and BLW 600 series were all fabricated with forged A-frames.

BTW, I'll take my NYC Hudson with cast or fabricated cylinders, engine bed, etc. I'm not a picky gut that way....

> Oh, well, at least they used to be
> fabricated. It is nice to be involved enough
> with steam railroading so as to be unaware
> of what is state of the art in deisels.


74471.3045@compuserve.com

The fabricated blocks do not have the rigidity in the higher horsepower ratings as cast blocks have. This was a partial reason for the failures in the 20 cylinder 645 engines. EMD just couldn't fabricate a block that is as rigid as a cast block in the same weight range.

The Tod Engine
todengine@woh.rr.com

A quick quesition about the new Thomas engines. I realize they are unpowered "flatcars"; do they contain brake stands, as they will most likely be at the head of a train?

Hi Ken:

I will entertain anybody's inquiry for new cylinder castings if they are willing to pay for the engineering and pattern costs. The primary challenge is finding a foundry that is willing to do the side form molding work for the cores and core boxes. But, I think all of this can be mitigated with proper design work prior to going to the pattern shop and foundry.

Where slide valve steam chests are concerned three piece construction can eliminate a lot of core work. Where outside steam pipe, inside admission piston valves are used separate exhaust plenums that are bolted to the cylinder casting can be utilized to save on exhaust coring.

There are a lot of simplifications that can reduce costs, especially on smaller cylinders.

Bill Petitjean

P.S. I am still working on my Steam Locomotive Thermodynamics book, but still have quite a bit to do.

> The narrow-gauge Baldwin 4-4-0 currently in
> the Tweetsie shop had a burst cylinder
> casting that the owners wanted repaired
> during the overhaul. They consulted with the
> Tweetsie shop foreman and he told them
> "The old man Coffey would have said to
> jerk the damn thing offa there an' braze her
> up". Well, the corporate mechanical
> engineers didn't think that would work and
> some Canadian outfit sold them this
> "cold process with metal
> stitching", basically a glue and sew it
> back together process which was extremely
> expensive. It took a couple of months for
> the casting to come back and when it did it
> was worse than when it left--wouldn't hold a
> line pressure hydro.

> So they jerked the damn thing offa there and
> brazed her up. They heated the entire
> casting for a couple of days then did the
> braze repair. So far it appears to be a
> great sucess with no additional cracking.

> They talked about recasting the cylinder but
> could not find anybody who would take the
> job and run with it. They cost was over 50
> grand, with no guarantees, and Tweetsie
> would have to set the core boxes.

> Has anybody recast a cylinder casting in
> modern times other than the Chinese? The
> Strasburg guys made a new one I think, but
> they are the only one I know of.


petitinc@nwlink.com