Polson #2 Progress

o anderson · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 12:02 pm

According to a discussion group for Mid-Continent, repairs are moving forward for the Polson #2 boiler.

Quote:

Almost 100 tubes are in, The rear flue sheet is welded in on the right side, the belly braces are aligned and one hole tapped in each, the other hole will be tapped after the stay is installed on the one already tapped.

http://midcontinent.org/members/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=399&sid=f78767db5c1c68122b0702c724dad698

Rob Gardner · **Joined:** Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:50 pm **Posts:** 576

I can't imagine those tiny ear plugs provide enough hearing protection while bucking rivets!

Rob Gardner

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:39 pm

I bet even 20 years ago no one would have bothered to wear hearing protection.

tomgears · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:09 pm

What!?!

John Risley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:34 pm **Posts:** 966

Talked to the owner of the Polson about a week ago. Told me all the flues are in now. Still has some stays to get in and finish. Pretty much wrapping up the small left over details. Plan is to hydro in Milw before bringing back to MC. Real shame he has to work outside on this, cause it is cold out there. If it warms up into the high 20s and there is no wind it isn't bad, if it gets colder than that the air jacks get temperamental. The engine house has the torn apart Montreal #1 taking up half the space, need to keep the diesels indoors for switching and seasonal spec runs. Shop space is at a premium. Not sure when the Polson will be ready for steam, but it is getting to the "light at the end of the tunnel". If anybody at Mid Continent can make it happen, the owner {Skip}can {the proof is in the pudding boy's}.

Cheers, John.

Dave Sutter · **Posted:** Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:11 am

Meanwhile on the other side of Lake Michigan work has focused on the Detroit and Lima Northern #7 at Greenfield village. Work includes final installation of the stays, application of Apexior on the barrel, renewal of the drypipe, riveting and calking the mudring. Some of the work is shown in the video below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agCQ6YiVxuY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNoB_pRNO9c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dge8FrfmMLs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZFyCNP- ... re=channel

Once this work is done the new drypipe will be installed the front tubesheet reinstalled and tubes placed.

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

John Risley wrote:

Talked to the owner of the Polson about a week ago. Told me all the flues are in now. Still has some stays to get in and finish. Pretty much wrapping up the small left over details. Plan is to hydro in Milw before bringing back to MC. Real shame he has to work outside on this, cause it is cold out there. If it warms up into the high 20s and there is no wind it isn't bad, if it gets colder than that the air jacks get temperamental. The engine house has the torn apart Montreal #1 taking up half the space, need to keep the diesels indoors for switching and seasonal spec runs. Shop space is at a premium. Not sure when the Polson will be ready for steam, but it is getting to the "light at the end of the tunnel". If anybody at Mid Continent can make it happen, the owner {Skip}can {the proof is in the pudding boy's}.

Cheers, John.

John -

Good to hear of the ongoing progress of Polson #2. Any idea as to when Mid-Continent last ran steam out of North Freedom?

Les

giterdun · **Posted:** Fri Dec 18, 2009 8:37 pm

Hey Dave,
Awesome video! Although I was a little jealous of the CNC equipment. I just finished refacing the branch pipe seats on the saddle of Scott Lumber #15. My approach was less elegant and more time consuming. My back is still killing me. Are you planning on having this engine in steam next summer? What else remains to be done?
-Chris Zahrt

ctjacks · **Posted:** Mon Dec 21, 2009 11:44 am

I think 1994 was the last year they ran steam (C&NW 1385) out of North Freedom.

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Mon Dec 21, 2009 1:40 pm

Why do they preheat the hole with a torch (in the Greenfield Village videos)?

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Mon Dec 21, 2009 1:44 pm

Why is not the tee joint cone turned on the lathe?

Jeff Terry · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:18 am **Posts:** 281

Just a correction - the last time steam ran at North Freedom was for Snow Train 2000 in February of that year. I remember that during the first day they were having some trouble with Polson No. 2, and that night it came in off the dinner train with visible water on the door sheet. They kept it hot and ran it the next day, but it was taken out of service after that.

The engine had looked great, having been repainted that summer. I have some video from Snow Train 2000 that I need to transfer and edit. Otherwise, here's some footage from Snow Train 1999, when No. 2 was still in (ratty) Saginaw Timber paint:

http://www.rail-videos.net/video/view.php?id=7526

Jeff Terry

Chris Salmonson · **Posted:** Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:16 pm

Some friends that own a record store gave me this record a few years ago which happens to feature Polson #2 while running on the Cadillac and Lake City in Michigan. The LP features sounds of the # 2 switching and running on the C&LC in the snow.

John Risley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:34 pm **Posts:** 966

Updated yesterday from the owner. All the stays are in, all the tubes are in. Belly braces are in. The boiler has a number of coats of the interior "Ephixer" paint applied {not in this order}. Was told that the exterior boiler shell has been painted as well. The tubes still need to be seal welded and the last of the stays ground and beat. The dry pipe will be put in next. As to working on it outside in the winter he said "no". He is going to wait for spring. With two major surgeries, a car accident and a heart attack in the last couple of years, I can relate. He has been pushing to finish the boiler this winter very hard. Might be a good time to take a break.

A tip of the hat to all the guys/gals who have been helping with the boiler project as well. Some are just an extra set of hands, some have spent weeks doing what ever needed to be done. A tremendous amount of dull jobs to be done, some not very glamorous. Dave Wantz has really been helping a lot and maybe he could post some pictures? Heard he has been taking some. Congrats on a job well done. Hiring the right professionals to lead the way is the ticket, another tip of the hat for that choice.

Here are some pics from when I was down at Milw Boiler in last year or so. Older pics that do show some of the work done at the time, some in progress at the time. Almost all of it done at this time.

Ho ho ho, John.