1 : 1 scale modeling

[e-paw]

Just got back from playing with the world's biggest toy trains.

Our operating season is winding down, with just a few weeks left till we put em in the shop till spring. We still have a few trips left ( East Stroudsburg, Tobyhanna, and Delaware Water Gap ).
It looks like the B will not be going on any on these trips. we gave her a close inspection today and decided against putting her out on the main because two air leaks. We don't need any unscheduled stops on the main.

We also finished up the 92 day inspection on 664. We discovered that the main generator will need some maintenance, nothing major just a cleaning and some new brushes.

In this pic of 664's generator you can see the black carbon dust building up on the bronze brush holder. This is caused by normal wear of the brushes against the turning commutator. But, if you get too much,,, you can have some arcing. It's evident that this has happened as the clean spot on the left side of the holder shows.
   

It also has a lot of worn (low) brushes. This pic shows the difference between the two.
   

We cleaned off the carbon build up with some contact cleaner which will be good enough for now. After the operating season is over we'll hit it with a pressure washer and change out all the brushes.
We also have a modern controller to install for the cooling system to swap out for the old one.

[ngauger]

Interesting stuff!! Thanks for sharing.
Shame the "B' won't be ready.

[e-paw]

Inside the shop, work is progressing on B&M 3713. The drivers have been removed from the frame. They will have their journals checked and serviced, and tires re-profiled or changed out.
   

   

For the time being the boiler and frame are resting on a set of shop dollies.
   

   

[e-paw]

A few pics from yesterday's excursion. Our trip got off to a late start because a DL freight train that was on the main just east of Steamtown hit a car parked too close to the tracks. Our boarding time was pushed back well over an hour and we could only get clearance for a few miles of track at a time. This was to give room for the freight that was also now running behind and had switching to do. We did eventually get to Cresco and back without any other trouble. While 664 gets some much needed shop time Dl&W 663 and CNJ 1554 provided power for oud 5 car set.

Here we set waiting for to ok from the yard master to head over to the platform.    

This shot was kind of into the sun , but it shows the yard shuttle that was also affected by the SNAFU with the freight train.    

After we dropped off our passengers at Cresco we broke the engines apart for a saw tooth move on a siding to get the train turned around.    

The remains of a past derailment, I don't know the particulars of it so I won't speculate, but they appear to have been empties.    

Our engineer Chris at the controls. In this pic you can also see the new (blue) horn cord. The old one had broken just before departure, some wire was all I had to fix it.    

[e-paw]

I mostly took pics from inside the CNJ RS-3 and almost all on the return trip. This was because I have tons of shots from inside the F-3's and the sun was really harsh in the cab going east.

A look over the long hood heading west.    

Pulling into Scranton. Somewhere around here was where the freight rearranged the body work on a rubber wheeled vehicle.    

Mathis tower and the old DL&W erecting shop.    

Here is a shot that you can only get in north East PA. One working RS-3 (in original paint) passing three other working RS-3's. This was taken after we dropped off the passengers and were yarding our train.    

I have some other shots on my cell phone, if they look good enough on the computer I'll post them here.

[e-paw]

Here's the cellphone pics of us turning the train around.
   

   

[ngauger]

WOW!! lots of fun there!!!

[JaBear]

and change out all the brushes.

Just curious but are the brushes still commonly available, or are they new old stock?
Cheers, the Bear.

[e-paw]

The brushes are just like brake shoes, and most of the consumables. They are still newly manufactured.

[e-paw]

More work was done this last weekend (yesterday). We developed a problem with low oil pressure in 664 towards the end of the last excursion season. We traced this down to leaky fuel injectors that were dumping fuel into the engine oil. This thinned the oil to about 40% of what it should have been. This problem shows up on about half of the cylinders, and the only way to fix it is to replace the injectors. For this we are hiring an outside contractor to do the work. They will replace, tune and adjust the injectors on all 16 cylinders to get the maximum horsepower out of our 567 bc block. We drained and mopped up all the contaminated oil from the block today so that after the work is completed in a few weeks we can add fresh oil. I did get a few pics of this but I can't get them to load into my computer. :evil: You can check out the Anthracite Railroads Historical society, or the Steamtown Facebook page to see a vid of how we used a black light to find the leaks. Other worked scheduled for this winter on 664 is the installation of a new fan controller and a cleaning and new set of brushes for the main generator. We also located the missing fuel filler trim for the "B" in our box car. This will be painted and installed.

Another project that was started today was winterizing an Alco 244 prime mover that we received from a tourist railroad. It will be used to replace the engine in our RDG RS-3 on display near the parking lot of the museum. But for now, it will be stored outside, as shop space is limited with several other projects going on. This engine was removed from an in-service working unit ,and we want to keep it that way.
   

We removed all the engine covers , cleaned off the old gaskets, and replaced them with new ones.
   

All the openings that snow and rain could get into were covered with plastic.
   

We took measurements and drew up a plan to build a canopy over the 244 as it sets in this X-LV Gon for the winter.

[e-paw]

Well Christmas is only days away and we took off next weekend for the holiday. Lets catch up on what we have been up to.

We built a roof over our Alco prime mover so it can survive the winter outdoors.
   

The injectors were all changed out in 664 ending the oil pressure problem. We were able to test this out over last weekend as we took the F-3's out on a run to the Water-gap to qualify a new engineer. This would be the last time any equipment is going to leave Steamtown till the Spring. It was a chilly day in the Poconos with a few inches of fresh snow on the ground as we started up our 70 year old EMD's. As air pressure built up we all talked about our Christmas plans, train orders, and track conditions. Hot chocolate and coffee were handed out. Today we will deadhead east without any coaches, we wanted to tack on the Lackawanna caboose that has just been repainted, but it still needed to have its air brakes inspected :cry: . Our crew will consist of a conductor, engineer, engineer trainee and two mechanics ( Rich Jahn and myself ) . No other trains will be running on the Pocono main till tomorrow afternoon, so we have the whole railroad to ourselves. It was a very relaxed trip with a stop at the pizza shop for lunch and a few photo stops.

Here we back down the gang plank towards bridge 60 as a foamer gets into position to take our portrait. Soon we will take the main and head east out of Scranton.
   

Here we pass one of the DL&W concrete towers that dot the main.
   

Here we pass one of the grade crossings just outside of Stroudsburg, and look,,,,it's that railfan again.
   

East Stroudsburg tower.
   

[e-paw]

Another view of East Stroudsburg and the Dansbury depot, at one time this was the late Bils hangout.
   

I don't know the name of this cut,,,I just call it Walmart cut as the store is just round the bend.
   

McMichael's creak.
   

and the Water Gap... Here we are just north of the Hinesburg viaduct that crosses over the Delaware River and our first photo stop.
   

   

[e-paw]

more from the gap...
   

   

   

Leaving the gap, goin back to Scranton.
   

Passing under rt 80.
   

[e-paw]

A paper mill near the gap.    

A set of the DL's Alco's idles away on a siding at Tobyhanna.
   

   

Another view of that concrete tower.
   

[e-paw]

Another one of our photo stops.
   

   

   

   

And with this I say Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.. See you in January.