April 27, 2009

Running Gear, Machining Frame Rail Seats & New Cylinder Head patterns

Ronnie Jones measuring crosshead for running gear layout on CAD.
Photo: Steam Operations Corporation
   
Machining upper frame rail seats requires a cutting tool with a very long reach.  So long, in fact that the seat has to be machined in from each side.  This shows how the tooling has been lengthened with interlocking extensions to obtain the required reach.

The cutter is 4" diameter.

Photo: Steam Operations Corporation
   
New front & rear cylinder heads will be cast and then machined.  The first step is to make a wooden pattern for the casting.

Rear cylinder head wood pattern. Note old front and rear heads in background.

 
The new cylinder heads are being built to latest locomotive standard practice.  They will be thicker where the head seals to the cylinder and at the nut seating surface.  In addition, more and larger studs will be used to attach the heads.  This will reduce the tendency for the nuts to be over tightened which can result in deformation & steam leaks.

The casting for all 4 cylinder heads should be done by late May.
Photo: Steam Operations Corporation
These are the original front & rear cylinder heads, prior to shipment to TMC from April, 2006.
Photo: John Mandell
Mike, Bill and Randy discuss pattern, molding and casting procedure for rear cylinder head. 

The pattern design for rear cylinder head is drawn on layout board.
Photo: Steam Operations Corporation
start of pattern for front cylinder head.

Photo: Steam Operations Corporation