Re: Returning 476 to Service

I'm not sure I understand.
Is 476's boiler not the same age and construction as the boilers on 473 and 478? Because they have been made to conform to the new rules.
It would actually be easier under the new rules, not harder, to make major boiler repairs. Prior to the new rules, welding on the boiler courses (the "unstayed portions of the boiler") was strictly forbidden. So patches had to be riveted in, and if a course was bad, a new one had to be rolled.
The new rules allow pad welding, and theoretically replacement of part of a course, as long as the procedure is submitted to the FRA and approved before work starts. As long as you can show the boiler will still have a safety factor of 4 at working pressure, there's a lot more latitude for repairs, so the need for a new boiler is actually reduced, not increased.
JAC