" Note that the "1472 days/ 15 years" is not 1472 operating days, but counts any day the boiler has one pound more pressure inside than outside. And the 15 years begins on the day the new flues are fully installed into the boiler. Therefore, all the repair work should be done before the flues are finally rolled, followed by hydro and firing up. The firing will begin the 1472 count. The 15 years begin on the day the flues are done."
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Thanks, guys.
Taking this one step further ...
Say a guy / group restores a locomotive to operational condition and the clock starts ticking ..
Same guy / group runs it only once in a blue moon and does all the proper steps to put it up for long term storage between uses. At the end of 15 years, the thing has nowhere near the 1472 service days and a well documented history of proper maintenance between use periods. Are there waivers and / or methods to avoid being required to break the machine down for the mandatory rebuild, or is this requirement pretty rigid ?
The reason I ask is after seeing some of the pieces displayed at the California State RR Museum, the thought popped into my head on whether any of these could be ready to go ... in other words FULLY restored, or if the FRA requirements would make it a silly expense to go beyond a cosmetic resto because the clock was ticking regardless of circumstances.
Again, thanks for the great info.