|
|
|
|
|
|
| Home |
Here are some very cheap procedures that can do a great deal to protect and preserve locomotives stored
outside and in direct exposure to the elements. Some of these tips were inspired by serious damage that has been inflicted on 6167 and other engines over the years, and it is my hope that these simple tips may spare other engines from the same fate. Friction Journal Bearings Maintaining friction journal bearings is a very cheap and simple task, yet prevents extremely costly damage from occurring to the locomotive. Using a 20-ton jack (available from any hardware store) jack up the journal box until the steel wedge and brass bearing can be pulled out, then coat the bearing in oil (or coat of grease if you don't plan on moving the engine). Then put the brass and wedge back in and lower the jack, and you have successfully protected the bearings on your engine from corrosion. In addition to protecting the journals, jacking up the boxes also keeps them from binding to the pedestal liners. The alternative, is to let the bearings rust, and if you ever need to move your engine, towing it is no longer an option, or requires you pulling out the wheels and getting them machined, and may also require new bearings. An $80 jack and a $10 tub of grease, or thousands of dollars worth of machining etc. Driving Wheel Journals Don't be afraid to crawl underneath your engine and pull out the cellars from underneath the driving wheel journals and cleaning out the driving boxes, followed by coating the journals in a protective layer of grease. Clean Between The Frame While you are working on the Driving Wheel Journals, now is also a good time to start cleaning many decades of crud off the frame. Any other good area to clean is around the drawbar pocket on the locomotive and drawhead casting on the tender. These areas tend to be packed with coal dust, and also form a convenient place for water to collect, a very bad mixture. Oiling Around Do a thorough examination of the locomotive looking for every grease fitting and lubrication point and make sure to service these points on an occasional basis, maybe once a year. Journal work and oiling about would sure make a nifty annual event for any group responsible for a locomotive. Cap The Stack Make sure the stack has a proper cap on it so that water doesn't enter the smokebox. A very poorly designed stack cap was put on CNR 6218 and did nothing to prevent water from getting in, as a result the inside of the smokebox is very badly corroded and a large hole has rusted through the smokebox front. If only the original custodians had bothered to design and install a proper cap, they could have spared the engine a great deal of damage. The procedures for most of these tips are described and illustrated throughout the site.
|
|
|
|
|