I was referring to the crews, although I figured they would have to find a new smokebox cover. Apparently it’s being welded.
If the smokebox cover is infact cast iron - my understanding, from watching a number of machine repair YouTube channels. is that cast iron cannot be ‘welded’; it can be brazed as a repair method. Welding involves bringing the base metals to a liquid state and having those liquid ‘puddles’ fuse together to create a solid part. Brazing by contrast heats the base metals to the point that the medal from the appropriate brazing rod can attach itself to the crystalline structures of cast iron. Brazing is a method more similar to soldiering than welding.
The following picture shows the Strasburg technician in the act of brazing the smokebox. The Oxy-Acetylene torch for heating and brazing rod are in full view.
On re-reading what you wrote, I understand it better. I don’t think anyone deserves to ‘lose their job’ over this – but it’s assuredly more than one teachable moment, both for Strasburg and the industry.
Smokebox is probably being brazed, judging by the color of the visible beads. I don’t know whether they’re going to beat out or cast a new smokebox front, but either way that shop can get it done.
Not the first time something like this has happened at a preservation railway. There was a somewhat similiar incident on the Great Central Railway. The signaller couldn’t pull the signal off and gave the train crew permission to pass the signal at danger. The signaller forgot to line the trap points (derail) for the siding and the footplate crew didn’t check its position before starting off. And just like the Strasburg incident, the whole embarrasing scene was recorded for the world to see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhsMAjSqg7I
I confess I laugh every time I see that clip, even though there’s nothing funny about it. I think just about every Thomas meme that could be thought of has been applied to comments at one time or another…
But this is the same kind of complacency and assumption. The crew was cleared to pass the SPAD, and ASSumed that also meant that someone had attended to the associated derail. So they open the throttle, and off they go… and off they went! At Strasburg, they’re used to spring switches for the runaround, so back they come, waving as they go. And MOW has thrown them an unexpected curve ball.
I’m still fuming at those two engine crew that caused the Cayce wreck. There is a special form, the SPAF, that has to be filled out every time a mainline switch is thrown open. Just to protect against this kind of mistake. They faked it, probably as a piece of routine bureaucracy, and good people died as a result. Mercifully, this time at Strasburg it was relatively low-speed and the pressure vessel didn’t come open. Mercifully.
Nevermind. Had my RRs mixed up.
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I have always wondered if the reason that the signaller wasn’t able to pull the signal off to begin with was that the trap points hadn’t been set properly. The mechanical interlocking did its job just to be defeated by ignorance and complacency.
Reminds me of story that a CSX operator at North Yard in Danville, IL told me in the early 90’s. The NS had a double track line that crossed CSX at grade in Danville. A new female operator flying solo for the f
One of the jokes flowing from this Strasburg incident has the music from the climactic scene in ‘Thomas Comes to Breakfast’ playing over the crash video.
I’ve seen many trains on the “Virtual Railfan” railcam for Paradise PA over the past year or so, it’s a good one to watch. I’ve never seen the switch the engine ran through ever being set that way before. It only leads to a fairly short spur track, it has nothing to do with the runaround move.
In normal operations, the passenger cars are stopped in the middle of the main track, and the enigine runs maybe 100 yards ahead (towards the road bridge) and goes through a switch, runs around the train maybe 50-100 yards on the other side, and couples up to the other side of the cars. As noted, I believe both switches involved in runarounds are spring switches.
BTW several hundred yards beyond the first switch - going towards the roadbridge - is where the Strasburg connects to the outside rail world. That stretch of track is what has been being worked on the last week or so.
Yeah, it looks like the Internet’s going wild over this. I got a link from the 'Dude with some examples. Some of the memes are pretty clever but others look like they were done by 13-year-olds that just learned some new dirty words and want to share them with the world or others equally immature.
I’m not offended mind you, I’ve been around, but I won’t post the link in deference to those who might be offended. And this IS supposed to be a family-friendly site after all.
Thanks for the correction. Not my area of expertise.
Not really mine either, however, I have been watching a number of YouTube channels detailing repairs to all manner of equipment made from all forms of materials - cast iron, steel, aluminum, copper, and other forms.
Haven’t seen anything with Beryllium, since F1 outlawed its use since its ‘dust’ is a carcinogen.
No it’s possible to weld cast iron just harder than hell to do it properly as the metal itself isn’t pure enough for welding. Henceforth why brazing is the preferred method to repair cracks and if done properly is just as good.
Aaaand, 475 is back in service (per Trains newswire).
Not surprising. They have Lerro charters for 611 this week/611 excursions this weekend. I’m sure 475 is lined up to take part.
Sounds like they stuck the landing.
Frankenstein’s locomotive lives.
Quite an amazing job by the Strasburg shop forces.
Not quite the same as repairing the USS Yorktown in three days after the Battle of the Coral Sea, but very, very impressive turnaround time nonetheless.
Maybe the steam locomotive equivalent of a NASCAR pit stop would be a better metaphor.
Shake and bake!
NASCAR is so slow compared to F1.
You’re right about that but I’ve observed that Formula 1 pit crews have more men over the wall than NASCAR.