Re: C & S 1008 Update: Frame and End Beam Hardware
| May 03, 2016 12:45AM |
More about progress on caboose 1008:
By amazing good fortune, one of the original end beams was found inside 1008 when we acquired it in December 2010. Reference to 1006 as the remaining survivor was also useful (for this and other purposes). But we've found enough small differences that having this relic of the original really helped with getting it right. This piece turned out to be helpful to accurately recreate the layout of the dozens of holes in each beam. This would have been difficult, at best, to do from existing photos of 1008. Here is a photo from a while back of the old beam remains, along with the reclaimed barn wood beam used to recreate it.
In order to attach the center sills and draw beams together, attach end beam parts, brake beam hangers, other hardware, and bolt the dead woods to the end beams, a lot of large square-held bolts are needed. Richard has made a second hobby in recent months of machining these specialized bolts to the right diameters and lengths. Here is most of the inventory of bolts used for the frame components. The rectangular crash plate also is at the top. This attaches to the dead wood, and is the surface the coupler would impact when compressed.
One simple but essential part is the lower coupler support bar that is attached below and at the end of the draw beams. These are not just rectangular bars. On the 1006, these have ends forged upward to capture the sides of the beams. These recreations were flame cut from 3" steel, and the unavoidable inner radius squared off in the mill.
The final pieces of the frame are the "dead wood" blocks that attach to the outward sides of end beams, and the end of the center sills. These blocks are solid Doug Fir, 2 ft x 6 x 9. Using the end beam relic and other research sources, we prepared all the various holes in the oak end beams to attach various hardware. These included the coupler lift lever brackets, end grabs, end beam rods, crash plate holes, and coupler support bracket. Here are pictures of these parts attached to the "B" and, and the "A" end. Note the "extra" two inner holes in the crash plates. We guess that these holes were for center sill tension rods if used for different car designs. But they are not used for the bobber cabooses.
Now some of the hardware we've been gathering from many sources can be put in their places. The coupler lift levers and brackets are historic D&RGW, rescued from scrapping. Hand grabs are of recent production for museum operation, but are of the correct size and length.
Next, we plan to make some progress on preparation of brake components, pedestals, and other underframe parts.
Bob of AZ
By amazing good fortune, one of the original end beams was found inside 1008 when we acquired it in December 2010. Reference to 1006 as the remaining survivor was also useful (for this and other purposes). But we've found enough small differences that having this relic of the original really helped with getting it right. This piece turned out to be helpful to accurately recreate the layout of the dozens of holes in each beam. This would have been difficult, at best, to do from existing photos of 1008. Here is a photo from a while back of the old beam remains, along with the reclaimed barn wood beam used to recreate it.
In order to attach the center sills and draw beams together, attach end beam parts, brake beam hangers, other hardware, and bolt the dead woods to the end beams, a lot of large square-held bolts are needed. Richard has made a second hobby in recent months of machining these specialized bolts to the right diameters and lengths. Here is most of the inventory of bolts used for the frame components. The rectangular crash plate also is at the top. This attaches to the dead wood, and is the surface the coupler would impact when compressed.
One simple but essential part is the lower coupler support bar that is attached below and at the end of the draw beams. These are not just rectangular bars. On the 1006, these have ends forged upward to capture the sides of the beams. These recreations were flame cut from 3" steel, and the unavoidable inner radius squared off in the mill.
The final pieces of the frame are the "dead wood" blocks that attach to the outward sides of end beams, and the end of the center sills. These blocks are solid Doug Fir, 2 ft x 6 x 9. Using the end beam relic and other research sources, we prepared all the various holes in the oak end beams to attach various hardware. These included the coupler lift lever brackets, end grabs, end beam rods, crash plate holes, and coupler support bracket. Here are pictures of these parts attached to the "B" and, and the "A" end. Note the "extra" two inner holes in the crash plates. We guess that these holes were for center sill tension rods if used for different car designs. But they are not used for the bobber cabooses.
Now some of the hardware we've been gathering from many sources can be put in their places. The coupler lift levers and brackets are historic D&RGW, rescued from scrapping. Hand grabs are of recent production for museum operation, but are of the correct size and length.
Next, we plan to make some progress on preparation of brake components, pedestals, and other underframe parts.
Bob of AZ
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
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