Its been a few weeks since I last updated our blog. There are of course, several legitimate reasons (not to be confused with excuses or writers brain cramp) for the lapse in reporting. In order of importance they are respectfully submitted as follows:
1) The Jets being eliminated from Super Bowl contention by the Steelers.
2) The running of the Rolex 24 hours of Daytona, of which Speed Channel had 16 hours live coverage. For any, ( I can't imagine) non NASCAR fans, the Rolex 24hrs. marks the commencement of "Speed Weeks at Daytona", culminating in the Daytona 500, Sunday the 20th of February.
3) The Super Bowl Sunday afternoon, where this Jets fan derived vicarious pleasure from the dominant performance of the Cheeseheads as they outplayed the Steelers, winning with a 6 point spread.
The Pontiac Chieftain Hy-Rail Car No. 26:
As previously noted the Pontiac is one of our few remaining indoor projects. In the last few shop sessions, Ed Sr., Andy, Ross and I have completed all mechanical and electrical work in the engine bay. The battery is installed and charged, so at this point I called Monday last and informed Duncan we were essentially finished and asked him to place a call in to the engine re-builder who previously requested he be called in to do the initial break-in start up. It looks like the engine shop folks will most likely be in early next week.
In the interim we began the re-installation of the Fairmont Hy-Rail hydraulic system. Last Saturday it was mounted, the hydraulic lines connected and the hydraulic pump wired back up. Wednesday am, after a trip to NAPA for new air filters, parking and turn signal replacement wiring kits and Trans A fluid for the Fairmont hydraulic reservoir, we all felt we were on the 10 yard line, goal to go! Then reality set in, having filled the hydraulic reservoir to capacity, I asked Andy to put the key in the ignition and turn it to accessory. At that point I pressed the pump starter button on the front of the car, (intending to push the reservoir fluid through the system), however the feed line hydraulic hose was not properly threaded on and promptly started dumping fluid on the floor! We got it properly secured, moped up the fluid under the car and tried again. Once again a line failed at the fitting, resulting in more bright red |Dex on the floor. I'm sure most of our senior DHC members can envisage what transpired next. Yes, Duncan, Andy and I had to tear out the entire front mount hydraulic system, pump, reservoir ,front grill etc. to get at the offending hydraulic hose! The day came to a conclusion with Duncan driving off in the sunset with the offending hose. He is taking it to Malmburgs and will have them make up a new one, hopefully prior to the upcoming Wednesday the 16th meeting.
The OCR Woodings CBL Speeder:
Jack and Jim have completed all the mechanical and electrical work on the speeder chassis. We now need Charles to climb back into the project and complete all the body work on the lower edges of the fibreglass shell. It will entail sheet metal and fibreglass fabrication of a new leading edge on the lower portion of the shell were it mounts to the chassis.
When Charles is finished we will temporarily mount the shell on the chassis and Ross will be able to commence the fabrication and installation of, in effect, a roll cage type system to strengthen the shell. New doors can then be mounted complete with a new piano hinge type assembly. Following the aforementioned Jack and Jim are back in the loop to rewire the shell for lights, horns, wiper motors etc. By the time they are finished the air temperatures outside will hopefully have reached a point were we can bring the shell outside and spray paint it, (ohh to have an indoor paint booth!).
Sundry Bits:
Dave Stremes, Ross, Andy and Paul have completed the fabrication of the second "end of car" baggage car door. It sits on our work bench primed and ready for mounting.
Last Wednesday Ross did some repair work with torch and later solder gun to prepare the front signal light pods for their new socket and pigtail sets. When complete they will be mounted on the Pontiac.
We have a substantial number of projects to resume this spring as the weather becomes more amenable to body work and painting out of doors. I refer specifically to:
The mounting of the other newly fabricated end door on the baggage car as well as painting the east-facing side of the car and when complete, the lettering of the unit.
The new windows Bob and Ed Sr. are fabricating need to be stained and mounted on the heavyweight coach.
The Jordan Spreader will need the rail clamp system installed, as well as repainting of the deck, air reservoir cradle and some of the timber super structure.
In closing, I would once again on behalf of all the BRS U students like to offer a heartfelt thanks to Duncan, John B. and Allen for the effort required on their part and the investment of their personnel time, to produce the reading material for the B.R.S. Steam Course Training Program. Further to amassing the course material, each Saturday morning they have offered informative, interesting lectures on the theory, ( John B.) and practical operation (Duncan) of steam locomotives. Last Saturdays lecture given by Allen on steam gauges and appliances was most interesting and the material was presented in a manner that allowed lay folks to get a firm understanding of the mechanics and operations of the various steam appliances we have recently read about in the ICS course material. I especially enjoyed Allen's reading from a fifty year old copy of Railroad Magazine a story on engineers and their "Quilling skills".
I have also included a few photos Jim took the previous week when Duncan and John presented a lecture on firing steam locomotives, fuel characteristics etc. The photos are of a duplex automatic stoker. Duncan managed to borrow it as well as an operating cut away model of a Walshart valve gear system from the museum. The stoker is a pneumatic operating scale model built in the U.S. and was employed as a teaching aid back in the day.
Regards...
Steve Harling
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