December 5, 2008

Preparing for this step, the frame was leveled and all the binders installed.  While still on the horizontal milling machine, "spiders" were precisely located in the centers of each of the bores.  Using a 40 ton overhead crane, the cylinders were moved and slowly lowered onto the frame.  It was a prefect fit and pulls up tight on the frame rails.  (The fit is better than the original cylinders.)

This is a test fit.  The cylinder-saddle will make several more trips between the milling machine and the frame before final assembly.  Currently, the bores are all rough bored and long, but are on the correct centerlines.  This test fit is a critical step to determine precisely the distance to the centerline of the main driver axle.  Knowing this dimension, as well as the lengths of the main rod, crosshead & piston rod will allow the machinists to determine how much additional material will be removed from the pads to ensure the cylinders are correctly positioned on the frame.

These photos show Ronnie Jones, Tyler Poss and Craig moving the cylinder-saddle into position. (Click the photo for an enlarged view.)

(Click on photo for larger image)

Photos: Steam Operations Corporation