Some useful info in the notes... Locomotive Details Conway Scenic Railroad Steam 0-6-0 Location/Date of Photo Woodland Pines (MP 63.3) Lower Bartlett, New Hampshire, USA January 03, 2015 Locomotive No./Train ID CN 7470 Extra 7470 Remarks & Notes Run-by at Woodland Pines. With her pops lifting, CN 7470 brings her Steam in the Snow consist across the East Branch of the Saco River and through the property of a residential development known as Woodland Pines. Here, the train will stop for one last series of photo run-bys before heading back to North Conway. When she finishes todays excursion, the 7470 will officially run out of service days and will come due for a 1,472-day inspection, as required under the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49, Part 230. I often hear folks refer to this requirement as an overhaul or rebuild, but neither is correct. The 1,472 is a boiler inspection. First, the flues must be removed....not because they expire....but because the required inspection is virtually impossible with them still installed. Once the boiler shell is cleared of the flues, all boiler surfaces must be cleaned down to the bare steel, inside and out. Then a complete ultrasound survey must be done, to ascertain the thickness of the steel throughout the pressure vessel. Any spots which do not meet FRA requirements must be either patched, or replaced, depending on the extent of the non-conformance. In addition, hundreds of rigid and flexible staybolts that hold the firebox and crown sheet areas together must all be inspected, and if necessary, replaced. The dry pipes, water glasses, safety valves and a host of other boiler features must also be inspected and repaired as needed. When the inspection is complete, a Professional Engineer must then recalculate the maximum operating pressure, based on a complex formula. For a boiler that is in good shape, this inspection can take anywhere from a few months to several years, depending on the manpower and money available. If any significant repairs are required, such as replacement of entire firebox sheets, one can pretty much throw the schedule out the window. Folks, this is why there are only perhaps 150 steam locomotives in this country that can operate, and this is why running steam is so expensive. A 100-year old steam boiler can be very dangerous if it is not cared-for properly, and the 1,472-day inspection was put in place by the Feds to ensure that all railroads that are operating steam are running safe operations. So, the next time you visit a steam railroad, please buy a ticket or drop a few bucks in their gift shop. Only our patronage of these operations will keep these historic machines that we love out there on the rails for all to enjoy.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 00:33:17 +0000
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