Railroad Steam Engine Restoration

Rick 381

Rick 381

Boob Enthusiast
Hopefully there are some train buffs here. Or maybe some guys who just like stuff being restored.

The local railroad museum held an open house at the machine shop that's doing restoration work on Chicago & NorthWestern #1385.

The engine when it still ran,

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Frame and the drive wheels,

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Frame for the front truck,

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Steam valve,

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Worn out steam valve cage and new one being machined,
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Circa 1900 portable cylinder boring machine doing it's job,

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Notice piston and rod on floor.

Worn out crank bushing and new replacement,

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Bell, headlight and gauges,
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Cowcatcher,

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The new tender is done,
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Progress report,
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Upwards of two more years before we can ride behind it.
 
My maternal grandfather was an engineer and conductor for Burlington Northern/Great Northern in the era of steam trains, and later diesels. He ran ore from Montana to Duluth. He retired when I was a little tiny kid back in the early 1970's. I don't know a lot of the details, but my mom remembers him driving steam trains when she was in high school (in the mid 1950's) and transitioning to diesel trains after she got married to my dad (1961). She has a bunch of pictures of him standing in front of massive steam trains.
 
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I think that is cool. I would not get involved myself, but love to see it done.

The streamliner steam engines of the 40's with their sleek styling are particularly interesting to me.
 
Used to be heavily into steam railways when I was a kid before discovering guitars. Still like them and stuff like this is always interesting. :thu:
 
Restoration of almost anything mechanical is a draw for me. I saw them doing a tank on TV...I could not turn away.
 
Very cool indeed! The other big restoration project I am aware of is the Union Pacific is bringing a Big Boy back, but it will be a multi-year project until it is ready to be fired up. That will be amazing.
 
Union Pacific undertook the rebuild of two Rotary Snow Plows. MAJOR deal.

"After the storm of 2011, it was determined that Rotaries weren’t going away. Shortly after the storm, Union Pacific’s Roseville Locomotive Facility embarked on a monumental task of rebuilding one Rotary set from the frame-up, bringing the historic workhorse into the 21st century."

http://donnerrails.com/rotary-plow-rebuilding-update/
 
aliensporebomb said:
Very cool indeed! The other big restoration project I am aware of is the Union Pacific is bringing a Big Boy back, but it will be a multi-year project until it is ready to be fired up. That will be amazing.
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That will be quite impressive to see on the tracks once again. I believe they have one on display at the Railroad Museum in Sacramento, CA that you can even walk under. One of the most incredible machines I've ever laid eyes on.
 
I'm not really a train guy, but I love restorations of pretty much anything mechanical.

Very, very cool pictures.
 
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