Please understand what I am required to say the following: Our customer has asked that FOR THE TIME BEING, we limit the detail and explanation of a current project at Wasatch Railroad Contractors. Out of respect to our customer, we have also placed two of our videos in "PRIVATE" mode on YouTube. May we assure you that we will unlock the videos in the near future and we will be able to discuss more about this project in the future, we are simply working out a few minor details. Please understand that I will limit WRC responses to this thread. I am very sorry to have to do that, but the desires of my customer must come first and foremost.

What you are about to see is the first of many boilers that will be leaving Wasatch for a far off destination. It is CRITICAL to note that these boilers are NOT 100% complete, they are NOT built to the ASME Code, they are NOT built to any US standard, they were built to another "Nationally Recognized Construction Standard."


This boiler was commissioned on June 15, 2012 and was finished on October 1, 2012. Our shop ran two daily shifts, starting at 7:00 a.m. and ending at 1:00 a.m. to complete this boiler. The second is due out in a short period of time.

Additionally, in the next two weeks, WRC will turn out as many as twelve miniature boilers from 7 1/2 inch gauge to 42 inch gauge. Recently, the Swanton Pacific No. 1913 was returned home and is in the process of being assembled for operation.


Again, we appreciate your understanding that beyond what I have shared here, we are limited in any further discussion. We hope you enjoy the photos!

Kindly yours,

As always, in the thick of interesting projects.

I find it interesting that FRA language accepts a National Code of Construction without specifying which nation....although for us Yanks, ASME makes a lot of sense. I'm sure your products are proven safe no matter which national code is being complied with.

Looking very much forward to finding out more about it in due course.

dave

I find it a little fascinating that in 2012 there's still a client for steam locomotive construction (presumably a commercial one, no less) in a position to insist on commercial confidentiality clauses and the like. Of course, we'd expect this from the likes of Disney or movie production companies, but......

Maybe I've said too much already. [whistles off]

The Swanton engine is a beauty. What gauge is she? Not too wild about the huge cab window, but the rest of her looks great.

The Swanton/ MacDermott engines are 19 inch gauge.

It really makes sense to me. If you were the customer, would you want every foamer in America bugging you about them? No, you'd probably want to get the work done, get them running and handle things your way. There are people who'd rather not have it known they have any RR equipment because they don't want to deal with the fans. I know someone in the South who has their own 24" line on their property and running small direct-drive diesels for their own recreation. They don't signal grade crossings because they own the roads, and have the tracks under trees all the way. Even if you knew where it was, you'd be hard pressed to see it on Google earth. The only way I know is because I dated the daughter of the owner many years ago (I don't miss her at all but I do miss the trains). The guy who built it said it best, "I love trains and I'd love to show it off to like-minded people, but I can't find any, there's too many foamers in this hobby and I won't have them running around the place, even when I'm not here," which we all know would happen.
No, keeping a steam locomotive secret isn't odd to me at all!

Agreed on the matter of discretion for many reasons. Sometimes you want publicity to help you reach a goal; sometimes it only adds to confusion from the peanut gallery that interferes with reaching a goal.

Choose wisely, as Wasatch's clients have done.

dave

Wait, what, Disney? NOT to US standards? Lucas Film merger?

Are they for an Inner Rim or Outer Rim planet?

Great comments guys, thank you.

It is really not as complicated as all of that. It all comes down to the individual interpretation of the word "confidential" . When negotiating with the likes of Disney or Universal, they require certain aspects of the project to remain confidential for proprietary reasons. We can all understand that. In this case, the word confidential was loosely used in a contract with little or no definition.

We view our videos as "educational". As such, we respect the right of our customer to keep contractual aspects of the project "confidential" however, our films and postings would not and do not violate that aspect of confidentiality. Out of respect to the customer we willingly pulled or blocked the videos while we mutually agree on the word "confidential".

I agree 100% with our customer. Aspects of a contract should always remain confidential. Understanding the difference between confidential and educational is what we are working out. The customer is making great efforts to ensure that the project is well visible and very transparent. To this note, we offer them a great amount of credit.

All of that said, indeed, there are fans and even professionals who want to overly debate any given issue to the extent that many customers simply have no tolerance for the debate and therefore will do anything to remain far from it. The bulk of Wasatch customers have little time for the likes of this or other web pages. I personally enjoy posting here as this profession is as much a hobby as it is a job for me. But I digress, when the debates become overly personal, heated and contentious, I would rather not be here either. I know I do not stand alone upon this soap box that is better left alone. Though I enjoy a healthy and productive debate, I tend to dislike and depart from debates that are more personally motivated than fact driven. Indeed, many customers share my views and that is why they stay away. I don't blame them, actually.

Thanks again for the kind comments and the great suggestions.

Always,

I think it's great that you post the updates and see no need to immediately pounce on it and start conjecturing and second guessing.
I'm just glad to see this sort of restoration going on, regardless of who it's for. Besides someday it will all become clear anyway, so why not wait and see who it's for and just be grateful that John shared this with us.

John, nice shot of the 1913. Mr. McDermott new how to design some nice 1/3 size SP Pacifics. Sure will be nice to see the 1500 plus 3 of the 4 Pacifics side by side and hopefully all under steam at the same time.

Are you at liberty to comment on any of the 12" gauge power you have been working on?

Rob Gardner

John:
Interesting New Boiler. Some questions about the boiler construction?
Are staybolts fillet welded? Is this boiler constucted with a square bar mud ring? Or what type of mud ring construction and connects were used.
Is inside firebox square corner or flanged?
I cannot see any flexable staybolts in the breaking zones does the boiler have flexable staybolts?
I realize this boiler in probably going overseas and not necessary has to be constucted to ASME or FRA rules.
Thank you for your replies

You must have a great monitor, Dennis. I can't make out any detail in the photo on mine. I'm always interested in learning how things can be done in new ways for various circumstances, interested in whatever John wants to share.

dave

Now that you mention it, a second look at that boiler also shows no stays visible in the course in front of the firebox. That implies no combustion chamber. Unusual for a modern boiler. Actually looks kind of "old school".

Thank you all for the comments. I don't know how to do the quote thing...so, I will just quote myself.

In my first post I mentioned that the boiler is NOT finished and that it is NOT built to the ASME code. Further, beyond those two facts, there is not too much I can say.

Indeed, Dennis, there are items that you would expect to see that are missing or "not finished" Further, as I look at the photo in detail, I do not see any washout holes, outlets or other fixtures on the boiler.

You have no idea how badly I want to tell you about the stay bolt attachment but, I cannot for the time being. You could almost make assumptions: If it is not ASME, it then could include almost any form of stay bolt attachment.....right?

To the comment about a combustion chamber, the boiler is built to original designs and sizes and specifications. The word "old school" was used. Yes, this is a very old design, on a very "new" locomotive bed. The age of these units is "new" in comparison to what we know here in the States, however, the design is not new by any stretch.

I see a bunch of other stuff on the boiler that is either missing or, as I said, NOT FINISHED.

There is a lot of field finish and fit up left to be done on this unit. You will get to see more in the near future.

Kindly yours,

JohnE.