Smokebox attachment

Mike, we replaced the bottom half of the smokebox on 464. The smokebox was attached to the boiler shell with rivets and to the saddle with tapered fitted bolts, and we installed the new section the same way. It was a challenge to drill the new holes in line with the old ones,but we did it. We made a pilot bushing and drilled a 3/8 hole from the outside, then used a magnetic base drill on the inside to open up these holes and ream the taper. We set up the lathe to turn the 46 tapered bolts we needed, all the same size. With stops set up on the reamer they all had the same draw. We then drove them in. The rivet holes were drilled the same way, then we had Hank Marsilio of Eagle Boiler come up and drive the rivets. He has an air buck that uses a pipe to extend to the other side of the smokebox and brace it, then it hammers the rivet while someone on the outside drives the rivet in with an air hammer. 464 has been in service almost 2 years now.