{"id":79,"date":"2014-07-01T15:40:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-01T22:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.milwelectric.org\/5057project\/?page_id=79"},"modified":"2015-05-19T04:34:49","modified_gmt":"2015-05-19T11:34:49","slug":"june-2014-work-session-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.milwelectric.org\/5057project\/june-2014-work-session-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Work Session Report – June 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Volunteers<\/a>

Volunteers David Elems and Wayne Monger with the 5057<\/p><\/div>\n

Feather River Rail Society (FRRS)<\/a> and Cascade Rail Foundation (CRF)<\/a> volunteers spent Monday, June 9 through Thursday, June 12, 2014 working to finish the preparatory work on General Electric U25B Milwaukee Road 5057. The work during this session was performed at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum Shop (WPRM) in Portola, CA by Wayne Monger of both CRF and FRRS (Member- FRRS Board of Directors), David Elems (FRRS WPRM Shop Safety Supervisor) and Steve Habeck (Vice President FRRS and WPRM Trainmaster).<\/p>\n

The primary focus of the work session was the air brakes, completing the work started during the October 2013 work session.\u00a0 \u00a0The primary activity was the rehabilitation and reassembly of the brake rigging and guide assembly around the #3 axle. This included piecing back together of the entire brake hanger assembly on the fireman\u2019s side of the #3 axle, which was missing from the 5057 when it arrived in Portola from the Nebraska Technical College of Sidney, NE in 1988. \u00a0The locomotive evidently derailed this axle at some time (possibly toward the end of its time on the Milwaukee Road).\u00a0 The badly damaged brake rigging was cut off. \u00a0Wayne was able to assemble a complete working brake hanger assembly for the fireman\u2019s side #3 axle, using parts removed from Alco-GE RS-2 Kennecott Copper Corp 2 during the October 2013 work session on the 5057 and the few remaining useable parts still on the 5057.<\/p>\n

With the brake rigging and guide assembly rebuilt on the #3 axle, brake shoes were then installed on it.\u00a0 Three used-but-good condition composite brake shoes (recently removed from ex-SP TR6A Quincy RR 1100 during routine brake shoe maintenance) were installed on the #3 axle. Two were put on the reconstructed fireman\u2019s side of the #3 axle and one was placed on the engineer\u2019s side. The brake shoe on the inside surface of the engineers side #3 axle was still in place, so it was not removed.<\/p>\n

Once all of the brake shoes were installed, the air brakes were tested using the shop air compressor (with 70 psi to 100 psi air pressure). David began working the independent locomotive air brake in the cab to start to set then release the locomotive brakes multiple times. After some initial resistance due to a long period of non-use, all 8 air brake cylinders showed no air leakage and the return springs were strong, snapping the locomotive brakes back to the release point promptly.<\/p>\n

Inspections found that the travel on some of the air cylinder pistons was well less than 3\u201d, while the travel on other air cylinder pistons was well beyond the 6 \u00bd\u201d maximum allowed. Upon consultation with Steve Habeck, the team determined that all eight of the air cylinder pistons needed to be adjusted so that they had between 4\u201d and 5 \u00bd\u201cof travel. The team also identified a problem with the #3 axle on the fireman\u2019s side. The guide rail anchor bolt and nut installed earlier in the week was bound up tight against the truck frame surface, preventing the brakes from releasing. \u00a0Further inspection revealed that the anchor bolt on the engineer\u2019s side of the #3 axle was missing.\u00a0 Instead of the required bolt, a steel bar was in its place.\u00a0 The steel bar had a cotter pin and washer on the visible side, but nothing holding it on the inner surface.<\/p>\n\n\t\t