Dan Robirds Wrote:
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> This will not be an exact replica and to my
> knowledge was never intended to be.
>
> It was designed to meet certain goals of the
> owners including being heavily influenced by the
> general appearance and arrangement of the original
> RGS engines. There are numerous alterations and
> compromises from the original to meet modern
> safety requirements, the use of modern materials
> and to meet the owner's objectives.
>
> Their money, their engine.
It's just as well. I don't think most folks would expect or even necessarily want a 100% replica down to the frame keys. One example, most of those D&RG engines during that timeframe didn't even have water glasses as built, just gauge cocks, including this one. Some railroads bought 'em that way so they could fit their own, but there are stories of engines operating on the D&RG with only tri-cocks so they seem to have run that way for awhile. Dunno if it had gained a glass by the time it made it to the RGS. Obviously it'd be a welded boiler now, good, because they're invisible under the sheet metal and just plain better than (mostly outlawed) lap seam construction. The boiler internals are of some interest. The original was built with a fairly large number of smallish tubes (144 x 1.5 inch diameter) and it'll be curious to see whether the replica follows that arrangement or uses a different one. The usual complaint with small tubes, clogging due to combustion products, is largely moot for oil fuel. Some other obvious points where change may or may not be made would be the deletion of fire-brick (the original had it as built, rather uncommon for 1880) and the deletion of the Le Chatlier brake. Either of those might've been gone by the time it made it to the RGS anyway. It'd be really cool if the replica keeps the water brake though.
I look forward to seeing the new #36 achieve completion, whenever that may be. I hope to make it out there to see it and say hello to some of you folks.