Does anyone know the progress of milwaukee rd 261? I know when I last saw it, it did not have its drive wheels on yet so non of the interior of the boiler was in. This was done to keep all the weight off the front and rear truck as told by steve sandberg.
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It doesn't make sense to hold up boiler work until the drivers come back.
Seems to me that blocking under the frame would do a better job than leaving the chooch sit on it's lead and trailing trucks.
Rusty
It doesn't make sense to hold up boiler work until the drivers come back.
Seems to me that blocking under the frame would do a better job than leaving the chooch sit on it's lead and trailing trucks.
Rusty
Rusty,
They didn't "hold up the boiler work" waiting for the drivers to be installed. The drivers are now installed, ALL of them, and the boiler work is continuing. However, the FRA "15 year clock" starts running when the last tube/flue is installed! Thus, lots of "other tasks" will be finished, then the last tube/flue will be installed and the boiler will be hydrostatic tested. After a successful hydro test, she should be ready for a fire-up.
That makes sense. Ironlake's original post seemed a bit confusing.
Rusty
So, does anyone know: Are they planning for a steam up test this year? How about any trial runs? Can we expect to hear of them. The Friends seem to send out periodic notices of progress, but I don't recall seeing one recently.
Paul Fischer
Join facebook and become a fan of 261 page. You will get all the updates and pics of the rebuild. Likewise with 1225 and 765
So, does anyone know: Are they planning for a steam up test this year? How about any trial runs?
Paul Fischer
Yes! But, will you see their "plans" posted here? No!
sorry you don,t agree with my post but I talked to one of the guys right in the shop , stamnding in front the empty boiler where the engine sat over the pit with no drivers on her and the guy told me about the tube hold up due to lack of boiler support.
If you want to not believe what a fulltime worker on the engine tells me that is your business but there was no bracing under the loco because of the drop pit , the tubes were not in the engine.
Latest newsletter info says the wheels were returned and put back on 261 in December, and they are working on the boiler tubes. The hope is to have a "steam up" sometime this spring..which would be now, I guess. 
This was the video of that event..
sorry you don,t agree with my post but I talked to one of the guys right in the shop , stamnding in front the empty boiler where the engine sat over the pit with no drivers on her and the guy told me about the tube hold up due to lack of boiler support.
If you want to not believe what a fulltime worker on the engine tells me that is your business but there was no bracing under the loco because of the drop pit , the tubes were not in the engine.
Maybe they were just joshing with you. Look how UP 844 just had all four of her drive wheel sets removed, and shipped off for wheel truing. She sat there for more than a week on just her engine truck and trailing truck, and the UP mechanics sure didn't pull all the guts out of her boiler either! Over the years, UP 844 has had all four of her drivers out for new tires, new crank-pins, and various other machine work, and they just push 844 into another track as a 4-0-4, with everything still inside her boiler, except water.
To bad I can't find a better photo...can't tell whats in there..
MAN....I guess that is quite a load on the lead and trailing trucks?
an empty boiler and it was that way in november and just now in the latest newsletter steve sandberg said the were finishing up on the tubes. they are also adding lights under the walkway so it will be easier to see at night. also are putting in a diesel control stand. they do not plan on taking her on any excursions this year as they want to do some testing with other trains. not sure what they will pull.
Also they are becoming more of an retro railroad as they are working on all kinds of passenger cars, rebuilding them and getting them set for amtrack use and leasing them out. Some individual has leased the milwaukee observation to go to new york for some special deal, steve didn;t say what.
This is all income to support the business the have. they go some new cars for them to rebuild that was used with the frisco 4-8-2. they had quite a nice fleet of all painted in milwaukee orange to go with the engine.
Either way it doesn't matter, the important thing is that she will be back under steam.an empty boiler and it was that way in november and just now in the latest newsletter steve sandberg said the were finishing up on the tubes.
This engine sat from 1010 without drivers on and steve sandberg verified they held back on the boiler. They redid all the spring rigging and things associated with the drive train and the cylinders and worked on their passenger cars. They are not just doing a steam engine. It is a for profit business and is run that way.
I am aware of the work performed and how they run their business. I am sure they did hold back on that work...why get the clock running before you are ready to operate? Especially when there is other work to be performed.
This engine sat from 1010 without drivers on and steve sandberg verified they held back on the boiler.
Of course they "held back on the boiler", because, as I stated above, the FRA "15 year clock" starts the day you install the last boiler tube/flue. Even if you wait another year before you "fire her up", you still have ONLY 14 years remaining.
Hotwater what would the tubes and flues add in weight just out of curiousity?
Off their site it list 197 tubes at 2.25" X 20' and 58 flues at 5.5"X20' and of course the super heater tubes. What would that be approx...30-35,000 lbs. ??
sorry you don,t agree with my post but I talked to one of the guys right in the shop , stamnding in front the empty boiler where the engine sat over the pit with no drivers on her and the guy told me about the tube hold up due to lack of boiler support.
If you want to not believe what a fulltime worker on the engine tells me that is your business but there was no bracing under the loco because of the drop pit , the tubes were not in the engine.
Maybe they were just joshing with you. Look how UP 844 just had all four of her drive wheel sets removed, and shipped off for wheel truing. She sat there for more than a week on just her engine truck and trailing truck, and the UP mechanics sure didn't pull all the guts out of her boiler either! Over the years, UP 844 has had all four of her drivers out for new tires, new crank-pins, and various other machine work, and they just push 844 into another track as a 4-0-4, with everything still inside her boiler, except water.
The drivers were taken off in 2010 and on november of 2011 after the fall train ride the boiler tubes were still out of the loco as stood right in front of the loco with the front off and talked to steve sandberg and he told me being that they had so much other stuff to do with there passenger car fleet, they were waiting to put the tubes in when the engine was back on its drivers. Steves comment was just in case the extra weight of the tubes and all the rest of the stuff would stress the frame they were not taking any chances of damage anything they had already done in totaly rebuilding everything the moves in the frame. They are very cautious with this engine as they do not want to have to redo anything. Steve said they want it to be just as good as it was from the factory and this is the biggest rebuild it has ever had.
Take it for what it is worth.
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