Engine 69 Rebuild

Work on the boiler has been progressing quite well. Prep work for building up the old staybolts has been started. All of the old welded staybolts holes will need to be ground flush, drilled out and chamfered to be welded up and redrilled. Prep and layout was started on the rear tubesheet. The old belly braces were removed for replacement. A die was started for bending the corners on the new back head and throat sheet pieces. Samples of the excisting boiler plates were removed and taken to the lab for testing. The samples came back with favorable results.

The work on the running gear has continued at a slower pace them the boiler. The valve links and link blocks were assembled and measured for wear. New bushings for the links have been machined. All of the crosshead and guide parts have been cleaned for measuring and inspecting. The rear cylinder heads, valve chest and valve covers have been needle scaled and inspected for wear. The new chinese lubricators and whistle were unpacked inspected and put away.

The lead truck has had a new swing bolster fabircated to replace the old cast iron one that has numorous old fractures. A new bistle post and bistle post screw where machined. Work was started straight the lead truck frame. The yoke and pedistal were built up by welding. The holes in the spring equalizers were built up and redrilled. New pins and bushings were machined and hardened.

Brake rigging has had the remaining brake beams replaced with new ones. Brake levers were finished machined. Brake cylinders where disassembled, needle scaled and painted.

The frame was needle scaled down to bare metal. Brake lever pivots were mounted to the frame. All of the holes were reamed and new bolts were machined to fit. The holes on the buffer were drilled and reaming was started.