Steamtown Begins Cosmetic Restoration of Big Boy 4012

Note this is the second paint job.  First paint was poor at best, started peeling quickly after application.   2010 picture 

Mike;

I don’t see the picture... I do remember a pic taken at Steamtown around the time that 4014 was first back on the rails which showed bad peeling. Hopefully they can get some pointers from the UP painters!!!

Apples55 posted:

Mike;

I don’t see the picture... I do remember a pic taken at Steamtown around the time that 4014 was first back on the rails which showed bad peeling. Hopefully they can get some pointers from the UP painters!!!

Since the UP 4014 is kept inside a heated building during the winter months, how the UP steam shop painted 4014 really would be no help. Contacting Wasatch Railroad Contractors, located in Cheyenne, WY, would surely be the best suggestion, as they have completed a number of cosmetic restorations, including the "Big Boy" on outside display right there in Cheyenne.

Hot Water posted:

Apples55 posted:

Mike;

I don’t see the picture... I do remember a pic taken at Steamtown around the time that 4014 was first back on the rails which showed bad peeling. Hopefully they can get some pointers from the UP painters!!!

Since the UP 4014 is kept inside a heated building during the Weiner months, how the UP steam shop painted 4014 really would be no help. Contacting Wasatch Railroad Contractors, located in Cheyenne, WY, would surely be the best suggestion, as they have completed a number of cosmetic restorations, including the "Big Boy" on outside display right there in Cheyenne.

 

Hot Water, what are Weiner months?

Big Boy 4012 - Scranton, PA - August 17, 2016

Photo by:

MELGAR

feet posted:

Hot Water posted:

Apples55 posted:

Mike;

I don’t see the picture... I do remember a pic taken at Steamtown around the time that 4014 was first back on the rails which showed bad peeling. Hopefully they can get some pointers from the UP painters!!!

Since the UP 4014 is kept inside a heated building during the Weiner months, how the UP steam shop painted 4014 really would be no help. Contacting Wasatch Railroad Contractors, located in Cheyenne, WY, would surely be the best suggestion, as they have completed a number of cosmetic restorations, including the "Big Boy" on outside display right there in Cheyenne.

 

Hot Water, what are Weiner months?

That's how they refer to winter in Wyoming. So much for spell-check.

The shop crew at Steamtown is more than qualified to correctly cosmetically restore the 4012. 

PennsyPride94 posted:

The shop crew at Steamtown is more than qualified to correctly cosmetically restore the 4012. 

OK, then who did the previous cosmetic restoration/paint job?

So was the original issue a prep, application, or actual product problem?

TexasSP posted:

So was the original issue a prep, application, or actual product problem?

I don't know for sure, I believe all paint work was done at the location pictured, outside.  A contract job, there are few NPS employees. 

Mike CT posted:

TexasSP posted:

So was the original issue a prep, application, or actual product problem?

I don't know for sure, I believe all paint work was done at the location pictured, outside.  A contract job, there are few NPS employees. 

It was reported, back in 2015, that the paint started bubbling within a few months after the contract paint job.

Just another coat of black paint on top off what is there now. I doubt it will be done the way it should. 

It would be better if they built a shelter for it.

Dave

Hot Water posted: 

It was reported, back in 2015, that the paint started bubbling within a few months after the contract paint job.

Bubbling paint is the result of painting over dirt, oil, grease and rust.
It's the same for painting a steam locomotive, an aircraft like the kind that Rich 'used' to fly or the beat up old pickup truck that Jack drives.

david1 posted:

Just another coat of black paint on top off what is there now. I doubt it will be done the way it should. 

It would be better if they built a shelter for it.

Dave

Dave,

As I stated previously, the Steamtown shop crew is more than capable of ensuring #4012 is abated of its asbestos properly and correctly cosmetically restored. #4012 is simply too big to fit inside the roundhouse as once piece and we do not have any other areas where it could possibly be stored inside once completed. #4012 will likely be placed back into its display site once the work is completed. The site will release updates as work progresses with her cosmetic restoration. All other information can be found in the press release. 

david1 posted:

Just another coat of black paint on top off what is there now. I doubt it will be done the way it should.

Hot Water posted:

It was reported, back in 2015, that the paint started bubbling within a few months after the contract paint job.

In another life, I used to do a little body work and car painting.

A good paint job starts LONG before you mix the paint and take the spray gun in your hand. The only way this locomotive will get a paint job that will LAST is to strip all the existing paint off, take care of all the rust and corrosion that will be revealed, smooth the little ripples with Bondo, dry sand with 320 grit and wet sand with at least 600 grit paper, prime it and paint it.

I doubt very seriously they will do it this way because it's almost impossible to do that level of prep and paint work outdoors.

Correct, it's 90% prep.  At the very least, fully sandblasting then immediately applying a good primer would be the minimum I would do prior to paint.  If it was bubbling that quick, the prep was poor at best.  Also if this was a contract job, I don't think Steamtown's capabilities really come into play except for a) having the funds to complete the work and b) selecting the right contractor, which it seems was a failure the last go round.

Not to mention that cold weather will be here soon.

Gentlemen, #4012 was moved indoors yesterday to shop stalls 1 and 2 so work on it will not be completed in outdoor conditions. The engine and tender were separated, probably for the first time since its service on the UP, to help fit the locomotive into its new home for its abatement and cosmetic restoration. The leadership in the shop is well aware of the challenges in a project of this size and I'm certain they will take the right steps to see the job done right this time around. 

Steamtown is always looking for a hand in projects such as this among others, as they permit, so if you are willing to lend a hand please look to fill out a volunteer form on the NPS website. 

That’s great news... as a resident of NE Pennsylvania, I know just how unpredictable winters can be in the area, so an indoor work environment will be most helpful. I hope that, after the asbestos abatement is completed, visitors will be able to view the ongoing work.

That's good news.  Seems they certainly don't want to repeat the past mistake.  I don't think anyone was putting them down previously, just people with experience giving facts about how these things work and hoping for a better outcome this go round. 

My brother is a historian and is currently director of a museum which is non profit, he has also worked with many museums and nonprofits in the past, so I have a good idea all the hurdles that are faced there.  However, often the worst thing is doing something on the cheap just because that's all you have.

The last paint job was done by a well known and trusted vendor with decades of experience with steam locomotives.  Their contract had them abate and paint a number of locomotives at Steamtown.  At the time, it was good news in the locomotives were carefully abated.  Hack abatement jobs can do a lot of damage.  Since 4012 appears to be the only one of the locomotives they painted that seems to have failed, that would suggest a one off problem... perhaps a prep stage was missed or the paint was improperly mixed.  If you follow the dozens of threads on painting on RYPN over the past decade, even experienced teams sometimes have surprising results.  Keeping stuff outdoors nice is hard.  Really great that 4012 is getting attention.  It's a show stopper when you first see it as drive onto the lot.

Today's Scranton Times has an update on the Big Boy restoration at Steamtown.