Re: Flanger Train
| March 31, 2020 09:22AM |
The following may help explain how the D&S flanger works. The wings operated independently. The D&S installed air cylinders from K-28s where they had been used as power reverse. The wings are operated from the caboose by two operators in the cupola. The flanger gets its air from the locomotive. Originally Caboose 0505 was setup to operate the flanger, but when a problem with the 0505's frame was discovered, the controls and piping were moved to Caboose 0540.
The engineer raises and lowers the flanger blade from the cab. I am not sure if all D&S engines are setup to operate the flanger, but I know 473, 476 are and 493 has been setup also.
The flanger does not have brakes on the front truck as the flanger blade-wings would not clear the truck brake beams.
The operators have to be alert as the wings do not move rapidly. You can see where the paint has been scraped from the wings by rocks or heavy ice.
I wrote the text for a book on the D&RGW OA-OZ work equipment including all 11 flangers. It is out of print but you may be able to find a used one. I also wrote three articles on D&RGW flangers for the Rio Grande Modeling & Historical Society Prospector magazine. The link to these follows the photos.
Air cylinder on the flanger wing. Both sides have cylinders.
]
Flanger OF was rebuilt in the D&S car shop in 2015 and you can see the smaller air hoses that connect to the caboose
The controls for the wings in Caboose 0540.
The small hoses are for the flanger wings, the larger hose is the air brake line.
Note the lack of brakes on the lead truck.
R Robb Ltd
Narrow Gauge Pictorial -- Volume VII: Denver & Rio Grande Western Work Equipment - OA to OZ
[www.rgmhs.org]
Volume 11 Number 2
D&RGW Narrow Gauge Flangers
Flanging on the Silverton
Volume 15 Number 3
Flanging on the Narrow Gauge
Volume 18 Number 2
Flanging in 2019
The engineer raises and lowers the flanger blade from the cab. I am not sure if all D&S engines are setup to operate the flanger, but I know 473, 476 are and 493 has been setup also.
The flanger does not have brakes on the front truck as the flanger blade-wings would not clear the truck brake beams.
The operators have to be alert as the wings do not move rapidly. You can see where the paint has been scraped from the wings by rocks or heavy ice.
I wrote the text for a book on the D&RGW OA-OZ work equipment including all 11 flangers. It is out of print but you may be able to find a used one. I also wrote three articles on D&RGW flangers for the Rio Grande Modeling & Historical Society Prospector magazine. The link to these follows the photos.
Air cylinder on the flanger wing. Both sides have cylinders.
]
Flanger OF was rebuilt in the D&S car shop in 2015 and you can see the smaller air hoses that connect to the caboose
The controls for the wings in Caboose 0540.
The small hoses are for the flanger wings, the larger hose is the air brake line.
Note the lack of brakes on the lead truck.
R Robb Ltd
Narrow Gauge Pictorial -- Volume VII: Denver & Rio Grande Western Work Equipment - OA to OZ
[www.rgmhs.org]
Volume 11 Number 2
D&RGW Narrow Gauge Flangers
Flanging on the Silverton
Volume 15 Number 3
Flanging on the Narrow Gauge
Volume 18 Number 2
Flanging in 2019
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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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