Author Archives: Jeffrey Lentz

Coach Shed #2 to Open September 21st

Posted on by September 16, 2019

The biggest expansion of indoor exhibit space at Mid-Continent Railway Museum in 43 years is set to officially open on September 21, 2019. The Laurence Dorcy Building, also known as Coach Shed #2, will add 10,500 sq. ft. of indoor display space to the museum and is planned to hold ten pieces of rolling stock.

Starting at 1:00 PM on September 21st, the new building will be opened up for all museum members and visitors to explore and enjoy. The building will be open each day thereafter when trains are operating (see Train Ride Info page for full schedule). Admission to the self-guided museum, including Coach Shed #2 is free – only train rides require a ticket purchase. Join us for opening day, or for a behind-the-scenes tour inside normally locked areas, visit us on October 5th and 6th for our Vintage Rail Car Tours event.

A walkway inside Coach Shed #2. Wisconsin Fish Commission #2, aka “Badger #2” on the left and Lake Superior & Ishpeming steam locomotive #22 is on the right. MCRM photo.

The rolling stock placed in the new building includes several items that were previously stored outdoors. Exposure to the rain, snow, and sun is the primary cause of degradation of historic railroad equipment. The ability to now keep a larger percentage of Mid-Continent’s collection indoors while still available for public viewing is a great advancement in helping preserve and protect Mid-Continent’s award-winning restorations for future generations.

Wisconsin Fish Commission #2, Mid-Continent’s “Fish Car” is rolled inside Coach Shed #2 in preparation for the building’s opening. MCRM photo.

The locomotive and cars on display in the new building include the following:

Item Type Year Built Status
Great Northern #A-22 Business car 1905 Unrestored
Duluth South Shore & Atlantic #701 Coach car 1902 Unrestored
Montana Western #31 Gas-electric self-powered railcar 1925 Original
Lake Superior & Ishpeming #22 Steam locomotive 1910 Restored, non-operational
Duluth South Shore & Atlantic #996 Gondola car 1899 Restored
Duluth Missabe & Iron Range #7122 Refrigerator car 1912 Restored
Chicago & North Western #10802 Drovers caboose 1909 Restored
Wisconsin Fish Commission #2 Fish car 1912 Restored
Copper Range #60 Coach car 1903 Restored
Copper Range #25 Baggage/Coach car 1903 Restored
Average Age 111 years

Want to learn more about the construction process? View previous construction updates.

Early September 2019 Boiler Update

Posted on by September 12, 2019

The busy bees at Continental Fabricators have been making excellent progress on C&NW #1385’s new boiler. By late August work on staybolt installation was wrapping up. The next few photos show that work taking place.

The first shot is looking from inside the firebox at the firedoor ring and we can see the finished welding.

In this second picture we’re looking toward the front of the firebox at the crownsheet and rear tubesheet. The small group of staybolts not yet welded in are the flexible stays and the larger holes in the firebox sheets will accept the arch tubes. The arch tubes have a dual purpose in that they will form a structure to hold the arch brick in the firebox. They will also promote much better water circulation around the firebox while the locomotive is in operation.

This third shot shows the outside of the staybolts yet to be finished and with the boiler rotated on its side. We’re looking at the top of the vessel in the center of the picture.

This fourth picture is looking down through the steam dome inside the boiler at the braces welded in place to support the rear tubesheet. Those braces were discussed in an earlier update and this is a look at the finished product.

With the structural welding completed, as people across the nation were getting ready to fire up their grills for Labor Day weekend cookouts, the folks at Continental Fabricators were preparing a roast of their own. C&NW 1385’s boiler was moved inside Continental’s enormous heat treating oven for its Post Weld Heat Treatment (or PWHT). This process helps to relieve stresses built up during the welding process. The following two photos were taken while the boiler was cooling off after completing the heat treatment.

Next up, the boiler will get sandblasted and painted. The interior will receive Apexior paint which will help protect the steel from corrosion as it boils the water for steam.

New Axle Lubrication System Takes Shape

Posted on by August 23, 2019

Work continues at SPEC Machine in Middleton which includes creating a new lubrication system for the main axle journals on our engine. The Chicago & North Western’s drawings give specifications for either using oil or hard grease on the axles and as the 1385 came to us the engine used hard grease.  As the serious running gear work was begun, the decision was made to convert the journals to oil lubrication.  The largest change necessary was to design and build oil cellars to replace the grease cellars that had been used previously.

The first picture shows old and new side by side.  The next picture shows the simple box the grease cellar is.  It is shaped to hug the axle to keep big chunks of ballast out and the holes in the bottom are there to allow the indicator chains to hang down to give the servicing crew an idea of how much grease was left in the cellar.  While it works well in this service it won’t hold much oil for very long.  To use oil you need a sealed box to hold some extra oil to constantly feed the lubricating pad that will be pressing up on the journal.

Shown below on the bottom of the oil cellar from left to right are a drain plug, the water drain/oil fill port and the plug for the oil level standpipe.  The eight small holes are there for the mounting bolts that will attach the mounting lugs to the bottom of the cellar.

The next shot shows the cellar in place below the axle and in the bottom of the driving box.

The next picture shows how “form-fitting” the cellar is in following the shape of the axle.

 

With the end cover removed you can see the oil level standpipe standing up into the oil space.  Once we receive the custom made pads from Armstrong they will also tell us where the oil level should be kept while the engine is in service.  Knowing that we will cut off the standpipe to the proper level to indicate when the cellar is full.

The C&NW’s history of frugality earned it the nickname the “Cheap & Nothing Wasted.” It is easy to see how that nickname came about when you see things such as the engine number 135 stamped on the right-hand jaw of the driving box next to the machined surface.  On the other jaw is stamped 1385. The photo above is repeated below with the stamped text enlarged for easier viewing. Even years ago the railroads practiced recycling and “repurposed” useful parts to keep the R-1 fleet running.

As a reminder, SPEC Machine is a private facility and the 1385 is not accessible to the public nor open for tours. We are looking forward to showing off the 1385 to everyone upon its return to Mid-Continent Railway Museum.

Early August 2019 Boiler Progress

Posted on by August 2, 2019

August has arrived and with it is a new update on 1385’s boiler as it progresses toward becoming a finished vessel.

The fire door ring has been fitted to the firebox and backhead sheets and will be welded in place.  The firemans’ shovel will pass through this opening many, many times feeding the fire that will keep 1385 running.

fire door

Looking at the other end of the firebox we can see where the rear tubesheet braces will be installed.  Those are the wider-spaced holes below the field of closely spaced 2” tube holes.  The braces are necessary because the holes in the tubesheet are above the top of the throat sheet so the braces are welded to the inside of the belly of the boiler.  The braces are shaped like an elongated and squished “Z” so they can enter the hole in the tubesheet at a right angle and also lay flat on the boiler shell belly as they are welded in place.

The shot of the top of the boiler shows that just a ‘few’ stays need finish welding.  You can also see that the steam dome base has been finished. The holes that do not have stays inserted are going to be some of the flexible stays and are awaiting the installation of the sleeves on the outside of the shell before the bolt itself can be applied and welded in place.

We do not have an anticipated return-to-service date for the 1385 but every weld is one step closer. Stay tuned to this webpage or our official Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up with most up-to-date information on 1385’s progress.

We appreciate the public’s enthusiasm to see the 1385’s progress first-hand; however, the contractor shops where the #1385 work is taking place are not open to the public. Anyone showing up at our contractor’s locations requesting to see the locomotive will be turned away. Please help #1385 return to operation as expeditiously as possible by respecting our contractors’ wishes.

Late July 2019 Boiler Progress

Posted on by July 25, 2019

Welding and patience continues at Continental Fabricating as more stays are completed on the R-1 boiler.  No, the pictures are not upside down, that is merely the positioner at work to allow the greatest productivity and weld quality possible.  The steel forging which makes the base of the steam dome has been tack welded in place and you can see the welder’s feet as he makes the root and fill-in welding passes while he’s standing on the floor.

The other parts of the steam dome are being fitted together and the welding has been partially completed and soon will be done.  For the new boiler we have adopted a more European approach by having a removable steam dome.  This will make maintenance and inspection tasks much easier in the years to come.

Photos are courtesy of Continental Fabricators.