Re: 485/496

It is very possible that the pattern for the half cylinder saddle was still in existance into the late 1950s. While the Grande still had pattern makers at BHM many of the cylinder patterns had been made to support operations. As a guess, I would think cylinder patterns for the NG power were made from the 20s onward. As some of the NG C class engines received new cylinders during the 20s. Some of the bigger patterns were stored at contract foundries. Some of this was discussed in previous thread over the last dew years.

Believed I mentioned in past emails, while working at BHM, seeing the cradle casting pattern for the K-37s in storage, outside, laying up against the side of, but under the dock roof of the BHM pattern storage building. It was too big to fit inside. It was not in the best condition.

Baldwin, if memory serves me correctly (as others related to me) only kept patterns for 5 years and if not used, they were destroyed. So massive was that end of the business, so avalable was skilled help, it was cheaper to remake patterns rather than tie up the necessary storage space (taxes were probably based on square or cubic foot). I believe the quantity of the castings determined the quality of the pattern to be made.

Now days, because the skilled labor cost is so high, it pays to have a pattern made from the best material that one can afford and store the pattern in the best available area.

Old D&RGW pattern books show patterns for the ng C's & K's cylinders as well as for many other parts.

But as others have said, it was too far into dieseldom and abandoments to spend that kind of money to have cast and machine a new saddle to apply to an un-needed piece of motive power. Saying nothing about a riveted repair to a boiler.

By the way, the big Morton drawcut shaper/cylinder boring machine lasted roughly until the major changes in building use at BHM took place. Although not having been used to machine a cylinder saddle in years, some of the more ingenious machine men at BHM set the machine up to machine the EMD 567 engine main bearing bores when they were damaged. I don't know the machines scrapping date, but I worked with Bill Stallins who was one of the few machine that was qualified to use and machined a number of cylinder saddles on the machine during the late 30s & 40s.

Chris