Is mostly put back together and under steam at the Western Maryland. Trains Mag is broadcasting live on FB. No you don't need to be a member to view.
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Thanks for the link.
It’ll never happen!
Jon 
@KOOLjock1 posted:It’ll never happen!
Jon
What, 
After everything that has happened to that locomotive, I am personally very happy that the crew has gotten it to this point. Well done.
Well I'll be...
But 4014 did steam first......?!
Just teasing the naysayers Gary!
Jon
Beyond installing the pistons what are the major remaining items on the restoration project list before the first test run? Once running a number of us from Williamsburg will drive up to ride behind her . I've ridden the WMSR several times and for bike riders there is nothing quite like riding alongside a steam locomotive - but not through the tunnel! Needless to say being over 70 I didn't ride upgrade on the bike - downgrade was a piece of cake.
Thank you for the link, Gary! Progress is being made!!
visited the engine on Saturday. Still a lot of work left to do. Thankfully down to the mostly smaller detailed task.
The fire-up yesterday (June 29, 2020) was to "blow out" the engine before installing the valves and pistons.
There has been a lot of work done inside the locomotive. Over the years, a lot of dirt and perhaps a few other things (rags, bolts, nuts, etc.) might have been accidentally left inside a steam passage. This is not a slam on the competency of the restoration crew...it just happens. They did this blow-out process after overhauls back in the steam days, too.
By opening the throttle with no valves or pistons installed, the steam has an open path from the boiler, through the throttle passages and out to the atmosphere. Allowing the steam to flow at high speed through all the throttle and steam passages blows out all of the foreign matter and confirms they are clean and ready for the installation of the valves and pistons.
Over on Trainorders, Wes Camp explained it a lot better than I did...
"When built, or heavily repaired or overhauled, so many different men had worked on the engine, and being human, they had “set stuff down”... sometimes in the big, open steam pipes. When assembling the pistons and the valves into their bushings, everything was nice and clean and wiped.
Then, at testing date, with the first strong chugs, “the forgotten stuff” ( tools, nuts, bolts, bars, etc.) got blown by the steam flow and lodged in the valve ports, or fell into the cylinders, often with disastrous results. Our grandfathers learned, the hard way, to blowout ALL the steam pipes BEFORE applying the spool valves. That’s the reason behind the steam-blow testing."
I wonder how they will blow-out the low pressure valves & cylinders?
Rich, Thank you for the explanation!
@Keystoned Ed posted:Beyond installing the pistons what are the major remaining items on the restoration project list before the first test run? Once running a number of us from Williamsburg will drive up to ride behind her . I've ridden the WMSR several times and for bike riders there is nothing quite like riding alongside a steam locomotive - but not through the tunnel! Needless to say being over 70 I didn't ride upgrade on the bike - downgrade was a piece of cake.
Well that's why Ed you need an electric bike!
@Hot Water posted:I wonder how they will blow-out the low pressure valves & cylinders?
With the simpling valve set open, as if the engine was going to start.
Stuart
@Stuart posted:With the simpling valve set open, as if the engine was going to start.
Stuart
Watching the live feed of them actually blowing out the valves on the high pressure engine, not much of anything came out of the front, low pressure valves.
@Hot Water posted:Watching the live feed of them actually blowing out the valves on the high pressure engine, not much of anything came out of the front, low pressure valves.
Maybe they have to put the "caps" over the ends of the high pressure valves to force the steam through the low pressure piping and valves?
Stuart
@Stuart posted:Maybe they have to put the "caps" over the ends of the high pressure valves to force the steam through the low pressure piping and valves?
Stuart
That would definitely do it.
That’s great! Another one awakens!
