Indeed. Attached is a photo of the frame of C&NW 1385 when it was stripped down bare in Feb. 2014. You can see a weld repair in the top, left corner. In fact, stripped to this stage, it was very obvious that at some point in her career she had been badly wrecked. The left side cylinder saddle was a newer casting than the right, and the frame has weld repairs all over it on the left. Mid Continent wound up entirely replacing the rear frame casting as it was judged too damaged.
Weld repair simply needs someone skilled and knowledgable in the art of welding on older steels of uncertain composition.
SRK
Jeff Taylor Wrote:
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> I wish people would stop thinking a cracked frame
> is fatal to steam engines. MANY locomotives have
> frames welded back together after a crack or a
> break. To name a few, 315, 340, 346, and RGS 41.
> These locos are all still operable.
>
> 42 was used hard on the RGS, that is true. I have
> asked some of the older employees at the D&S and
> they said when they did an assignment on 42 it
> wasn't terrible. IIRC it passed or did reasonably
> well on a hydro.