Within the past few months the MP&RE committee of the RCT&HS has been working on EX RDG GP7 #621. The unit was inspected and one issue came up the seals in the Power Assemblies leaked and the unit did not hold water. This is a fairly common issue with older EMD locomotives and is rectified by Re-gasketing the leaking Power Assemblies and thoroughly cleaning all the gasket seats. So far all of the old gaskets have been severely dry rotted and fatigued. The term hard as a rock comes to mind.

This is a photo taken after some work began on the 621



In order to do the required work all 16 Power Assemblies will have to come out. First to come out is the head.



Next is the Liner



The time consuming part is cleaning all the parts and the Engine Block







In order to do this project, we had to fabricate many custom tools.

Lifting tool



Liner Jacking tool



Piston keeper



Valve spring compressor



Custom Workbench to do the head work



Custom crane to handle the Liners and heads







Head Jacking tool



Liner Anchor tool



Torque Multiplier Rig



Liner lifting tool



Piston Anchor Tool



Piston Lifting tool



Injector Qualifying Tool



I hope you enjoyed looking at our project and I have many more photos to post if anyone is interested. Thank you for supporting the RCT&HS and its Projects.

Tim Weidner
CMO RCT&HS

Nice pictures, and some good work going on there. By all means, show some more pics, please.

The tooling you have built is very nice. Tell us about that little hoist that sits inside the top deck to lift the heads and liners out-- not the outside-on-the-walkway one (though that is very cool, also).

On suggestion, if I may: the bench/worktable you use for working on the heads should have a plywood top to avoid any possibility of damage, gouges, nicks, etc. to the bottom surface of the heads.

RMNE is currently overhauling a 16-567C engine inside the Thomaston shop, and we will be posting some photos of that in the future. We've also had to build some of our own tools for the project.

Howard P.
Fork Rod, CT

WOW! Very cool and informative photos. Thanks for posting. I can certainly see how much less of a maintenance headache a diesel is over a steam engine.

I like your idea of using plywood or cardboard under the heads on the bench so far we have been very careful while moving them around and using the crane as much as possible. I have been sitting everything on cardboard once it is out but did not think to do so on the bench.

The Top Deck Crane is a hand crank hoist that was manufactured by Sweeny. Our friends at the NRHS have loaned it to us for this project. I am actually looking at fabricating my own electric hoist that fits on the top deck.

It sits on the crab studs. Pivoting over the one closest to the outside edge of the top deck. A crab nut is threaded on toward the rear to hold the hoist down.





It is operated by a hank crank winch



We are designing our own electric winch to hopefully speed up the process. This is an amazing tool to have but after a few hundred cranks lifting and lowering heads and liners you find yourself wanting to be able to push a button to get the same result. Once I have built the new hoist I will post some pictures of it.

The 621 Still has its 16-567B the previous owner had replaced all the main bearings, scavenging pump and gov, then the water leaks started to become an issue. We have opted to replace all 16 set of gaskets so we know what we are working with and judging by the condition of the ones we have removed so far I do not regret the decision.

Here is a photo of a liner coming out



Lowered down to the running board



After the liner was cleaned and the new Actually pliable gaskets were applied



And going back in



This photo illustrates the gasket surfaces and water jacket inlets for the liner this is different on a 16-567B then a 16-567C



567C's and later have the water jumpers in the Air Box and a flanged fitting for the water inlet as seen here on our 16-567D3A GP35



A look down the 567D3A's Air Box



And a look down the 567B's Air Box

Thankfully other than regasketing the Power Assemblies there is not much work to do to the locomotive. I am sure there will be a few common nuisance things that come up when a locomotive is returned to service after 10 years of storage. But nothing else major is expected.

This engine was a great Acquisition by the RCT&HS cause it has not been modified much at all over the years.

I imagine the plan is to eventually repaint her in RDG colors... what color scheme will she wear?

You are correct. The plan is to get the engine running reliably then begin its cosmetic restoration. The 621 was never Painted in the RDG's Yellow and Green scheme and only wore the original Pullman Green Paint Scheme.



The Unit Stayed on RDG Property until 1975 when it was sold to the MA&PA it was then Renumbered 86



Later the Engine was renumbered 1506



The engine Was Purchased by the RCT&HS in 2003 and moved to the Museum in Hamburg in Early 2008



RCT&HS Mechanical staff evaluated the locomotive and it was kept stored until fall of 2009 when we started the mechanical repairs required to return it to service.



With some luck and a little less snow we hope to have the engine in service later this year.

Tim,
It's great to see another locomotive restoration underway in Hamburg. I had closely followed the progress during the work on the GP35. Unfortunately those updates sort of died off. How is that project coming along? The last update I saw showed that it was getting close to the painting stage.

Thanks,
Kevin

What is the weight of the liners, head, etc? I am not very mechanically inclined when it comes to anything riding on steel wheels, hence my question. Guess they are too heavy to manhandle...

The tool fabrication your team has done is superb. Something perhaps other groups could duplicate to get their work done.

Thanks for posting.

Chris

When one particular fleet of passenger locomotives was retired in the UK several years ago, two groups sprung up to save them. One focused their energy in getting the "star" locomotive they wanted--the numerically first one built--plus a second loco for spares. The other group went after the two locomotives in the best physical condition, least time after overhauls, etc., plus spare engines.

The one thing the latter group was smart/connected enough to do that the other didn't: They got almost every custom tool that had been fabricated in the shops that maintained the fleet, down to a custom-balanced lifting beam to hoist out engines.

The first group keeps coming to the second group to borrow stuff.........

First let me say I am impressed by your organization and the progress made over the years. I would like to invite you to start a blog of the goings on of either this project or the museum as a whole. A blog is a fantastic way to keep your passion out in front of the world. I can't think of any railroad society that has such a passionate following as the Reading. Sharing what you do with the world is really important.

Kevin, The 3640 unfortunately has taken a back seat until we get access to better facilities. The work we need to do to finish the project will be very difficult in the middle of the field we currently work in. We are however still laying out the entire electrical system and working at rewiring the locomotive.

Chris, Ill have to get out my weights book but I do recall reading the Liners are 128 pounds. We have left the piston inside the liner so that adds a fair amount of weight to the liners.

I think she'll look just great in Pullman Green.

For those members of the RCT&HS who might not be aware, on the member's website there are many more photos and details of much of the work done by the RCT&HS mechanical staff. Tim should be commended for his work to not only preserve these great relics for the future, but to preserve the procedures in which to restore and maintain these beasts in a way that younger generations can view the work involved before they are old enough or able to help out.