Work on 4501 continues to stay focused on firebox completion. All the rigid crown stays have been installed and are ready for trimming to length and driving. The expansion stays are now being installed. Two of the four corner patches have been fit-up. Caps are now installed on all the flexible sleeves on the backhead and side sheets. Other items underway include installation of the boiler check bodies and lapping of seats for other boiler fittings.

Machinery work includes continued work on the driving wheels and boxes. Design of modifications to the trailing truck are underway. These modifications will correct original design problems with the spring rigging that were later corrected with later designs of the Hodges Trailing Truck. We will also apply roller bearings to the trailing truck.

Tender work includes completion of a hydrostatic test following the coal bunker modifications. The area for the stoker trough has been treated with a coal tar epoxy and is ready for installation of the stoker trough. Fabrication of the coal gates is well underway.

Enjoy the pictures.

More pictures

One more set of pics.

Beautiful work! When all is done, she should be good for years to come.
Are you converting the pilot truck to roller bearings also?
I think I read that you're going to oil in the driving boxes?

Yes to both questions. We expect to order the new wheelset for the lead truck in January along with the boxes to adapt the wheelset into the existing pedestal openings in the truck frame. All of the driving boxes will be modified to accept the spring pad lubricator system that has worked so well on our Ks Class locomotive.

We also have a set of Franklin automatic wedge adjusters that were manufactured and applied to 4501 in 1968. Also at that time was an initial attempt to run 4501 on oil bearings. The attempt failed so both systems were removed. All the parts survived through the years (this was 44 years ago!). We think we've pinpointed why the 1968 attempt failed but we've not decided on reapplying the automatic wedge adjusters initally.

Very impressive work. I hadn't noticed this detail previously:



The backhead's butt-welded to the wrapper sheet. That's an update, correct? Looks like you're half-way to a welded boiler shell.

Yes, we eliminated the riveted joint. The full penetration weld allowed us to add extra bolts to make it work.