I notice that many contributors of the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum are frequenters here also, so this may seem familiar. For those that aren't at the NGDF, well, this is for you.

Of the two wishbone steam pipes in the smokebox, one had a broken bolt flange and a hairline crack on one end. A local foundry volunteered to repair it for us, but torched one end beyond repair, leaving us with no option but to cast new ones.

Luckily, a few weeks ago a fellow stopped by the Utah State Railroad Museum and happened to step inside our shop, liked what we were doing, and offered his patternmaking experience. Right now he is making measurements for the patterns that he will build himself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8RntNUgkgI

Other projects with the 223 that are going on right now include the cab decks (one for each side), the cylinder sheathing and removal of the old paint from the frame.

"Wishbone pipes" in the FIREBOX on a narrow gage C hog????????????

I'm unable to even contemplate what it is you are talking about. Thermic syphons maybe, but I don't thank any of these were built with those.........feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken. And cast thermic syphons bolted on? Unlikely...........for so many reasons.

Can you describe what it is you are working on more understandably?

dave

Very nice video. You pattern maker was great at explaining what he was doing, what he was measuring. It was interesting hearing a non-railroader explaining how the front end worked. The terminology may be off, but still, interesting.

These short videos are a great way of reaching out to the public.

On a side issue, did you document the various layers and or colors of paint on the frame before stripping? It would be great to know what color the oldest layers were. I don't think we know if the Grant built engines were delivered in black or dark green. You may have the evidence.

Randy

.....and welcome to RYPN.

Cheers, Dave

Proper term I am familiar with is "branch pipes".

...in the smokebox of course, as the video shows.

I didn't bother with the video given the writing.

OK, now it makes more sense, thanks. Wrong end entirely.

So: why is casting rather than fabrication the only option?

dave

Well, everybody at the museum calls them wishbone pipes. I've heard them called header pipes as well.

Casting is our option right now because that's what the originals were, and that's how we are going to rebuild it. Those of you that know Jerry Day, might remember his comment that the 223 is (so far) the most accurate restoration job that he has seen, and UP's boilermaker (sadly I can't remember his name) said the same, and we'd like to live up that reputation.

In regards to paint, it's all black. The 223's current state is not Grant at all - but instead a product of the D&RGW's shop crews. As far as we have found there is not a single Grant casting left on the thing. The tender has a layer of red paint from its days as a park display, but other than that it's the standard locomotive black and graphite/silver/aluminum/whatever you want to call it.

Sorry about the confusion. I was thinking smokebox but wrote firebox.

The only names that exist for those components are 1) Branch Pipes 2) Delivery Pipes 3) Steam Pipes. If the casting is otherwise in good condition, there are other repair methods available given the advances in CNC technology..... Guess it's to late for that.
I am confused by the measuring of the steam passage inlet, considering the arrangement of Delivery Pipes that is rather irrelevant. I am personally a fan of weld fabricated branch pipes due to there economy.


Cheers, Jason

Nice to hear about some progress on #223 after many years of quiet that had me wondering if restoration was permanently stalled. As a resident of downtown Salt Lake City for many, many years I remember fondly #223 on display at Liberty Park and then at the D&RGW depot before moving up to Ogden. Good luck with your ongoing restoration efforts!

WOW! Being a pattern maker in 2012 is about as useful as being a payphone repairman. Patternmaking is fast becoming a lost art. So is the 223 going to be restored to steam? Are there any narrow gauge tracks nearby to run her?

Third rail in front of the depot!

Closest 3-foot gauge track is a ten-foot section in the South Visitors Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

In all seriousness, yes, the plan is to restore the 223 to full operational capabilities. The temporary solution is to lay a third rail on Track 1 at the museum, which the Rio Grande did in 1883 when they laid the narrow Gauge into Ogden (this will bring up many restoration vs. recreation arguments, no doubt).

Our long-term plan is to lay an exhibition loop on some land to the north of the museum, much like the arrangement at the Colorado Railroad Museum but not quite as big.

An even Longer term (meaning waaay in the future) plan, we'd like to raise money to send the 223 down to Durango. We've received lots of help from the 315 folks and it would be nice to have the two C's running side-by-side for a few days.

That quote does not make any sense. Didn't you replicate the tender since the original was too far gone to restore? Where do you draw the line between replication and restoration?

I don't know, I have mixed feelings about the 223 restoration. It would be nice to see her run again but I think it is costing way too much and you could have done a beautiful cosmetic restoration for less and then taken the extra money and invested it in the Utah State Railroad Museum. The problem is you will finish the restoration/replication and then have no where to store it securely at the museum. The museum's security is a joke and let's face it, they don't care. If they did care they would not have taken down the fences. The museum wants to keep doing wedding receptions and art gallerys since that is what pays the bills.

I think there is potential for the museum, I really do. Unfortunately, they are very mis-guided with too many cheifs and not enough indians.

Utah has great railroad history but the problem is the majority of the people in Utah don't really care. Look at how the Heber Creeper struggles, yet someone thinks it is wise to run a potential tourist line between Ogden and Promontory. Really? That is a terrible drive and a train tip would not make it better. It is what it is, a desolate place picked by congress to join the rails. There is a reason it did not survive as a town. Don't try and make it into something it is not, a tourist destination.