The clock has started. Two superheater flues were installed in 4501's boiler last week. The boiler tubes are now being cut and placed in the boiler. We also made a decision to replace all but 6 of the original Huron Washout Plugs due to the condition of the sleeves. These remaining 6 original plugs have had their seats cleaned up.

The mount for the stoker engine is now complete and welded to the frame. The cold water pump location has been determined and fabrication of the bracket is in progress.

Work is also underway to machine the multiple bearing crosshead guides and renew the babbit on the crossheads. All rods have also been magnufluxed. A host of smaller projects is underway including the installation of mounting brackets and appliance rework.

I've attached some pictures.

Awesome.

Mark -

"The clock has started." Does it start upon the placement of the first flue into the boiler, rather than after all the flues have been installed? I think it is with the first flue, but am not 100% sure.

Thanks for the info. The photos look great, and the work looks terrific!

Les

From 49 CFR Ch. II § 230.17:

Before any steam locomotive is initially put in service or brought out of retirement, and after every 1472 service days or 15 years, whichever is earlier, an individual competent to conduct the inspection shall inspect the entire boiler. In the case of a new locomotive or a locomotive being brought out of retirement, the initial 15 year period shall begin on the day that the locomotive is placed in service or 365 calendar days after the first flue tube is installed in the locomotive, whichever comes first.

So in one sense, the clock has started but only the clock that gives you a year before either getting the engine in service and having the 1472 service day / 15 year clock start at that time OR having it start anyway.

I wonder what this means when a cluster of tubes is left in place in the middle because they were in decent shape and it wasn't necessary to remove them to have good access around the boiler shell.

Steve

In a nutshell, the clock on the clock is running.

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If taken literally that would not apply to ordinary tubes tucked in between superheater flues rendering the paragraph moot in most cases. Presumably a more liberal definition would include them as being "superheater flues" even though a superheater tube is not tucked inside.

Steve

Great to see all the progress. I trust that that front flue sheet is the one put in in 1983/4 to replace the one that cracked in April 1981. From what I can remember it was unique in that the rivet ring was not pressed but rather the sheet and ring was fabricated. In the photo support triangles are clearly visible between the sheet and ring. Someone here would know if the ring was welded to the sheet before or after it was riveted in place.

A few photos from 9/25:

Hadn't thought about it before but how do you get the tubes in that are behind the blast nozzle?

Doesn't that unbolt? Could those be in a good position to load through the firedoor?

Steve

Is the tube flexible enough that it could be fed into the boiler through a flue opening and then worked into place through its own holes? Not having put tubes in a boiler I'm not sure, but I'd suspect this is the case.

Steve Hunter

Usually the nozzle is removed to make all of this easier. I'm a little surprised that its back in. Also, the tubes are not very flexible at all but they certainly can be inserted through a flue hole then maneuvered into the right holes. But it's not really any more difficult to start it into the correct hole and just slide it all the way through. Someone has to be inside the boiler to help anyway. And no, the tubes are not usually inserted from the firebox end.

Scott

We never removed the blast pipe, superheater header, nor delivery pipes. With 213 holes to choose from, it was not a challenge to install the tubes behind the blast pipe. The tubes are cut to just barely project through the tube sheet so they can be inserted through an adjacent hole and "walked" over to the correct set of holes.

For those keeping score, the tube and flue rolling was completed this past Saturday. I completed the layout of the arch tubes also on Saturday so we are now ready to bend and install them.

Our punch list of items to do before we squeeze the boiler is getting smaller and smaller!