Track work – East Terminal Railway

The grinder solution is great. The procedure will work well, as it is used in autobody finishing. The switls would be covered with body putty as a finish coat prior to paint.

You are doing so well on the project. You were very luck in getting t53021 running so quickly. At the former Orange Empire Railway Museum (now the Southern California Railway Museum) in Perris had to restore an old Fairbanks Morse switcher that had not run in 20 years and was stored outside. The upper bank if cyulders were filled with water because the stacks weren’t capped. They had rusted almost solid. They had to pull the upper cylinder head and fill it with WD40, reclosed it, and left it for several months to break the rust free. After that, the emptied the WD40 out, cleaned it up, replaced the gaskets and hoses, filled her with oil, slapped some batteries in and put a huge pipe wrench on the engine shaft with an extension bar on it, and called everyone in to pull it through several rotations. When that was done, they cleared everyone away a few dozen feet and cranked it. After several tries, that ild OP engine started with a BOOM and settled in to purring (figuratively speaking). It took several more years to work out so e electrical issues, because like you, she wouldn’t load up. They now run her occasionally at the museum. She needs new Santa Fe paint, but that experience will stay in my memory forever. Returning an old “war horse” to operate is so satisfying. Im not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination or en expert on body work, but I’ve dabbled at both over the years. I bow to any and all experts. I watch all of your videos and get real joy in seeing your progress. Keep it up!!

4 Comments

admin

Thanks very informative!
Wilfred

Good job! That is a lot of growth from 15 to 20 years of not being used!
John Campbell

The grinder solution is great. The procedure will work well, as it is used in autobody finishing. The switls would be covered with body putty as a finish coat prior to paint.

You are doing so well on the project. You were very luck in getting t53021 running so quickly. At the former Orange Empire Railway Museum (now the Southern California Railway Museum) in Perris had to restore an old Fairbanks Morse switcher that had not run in 20 years and was stored outside. The upper bank if cyulders were filled with water because the stacks weren’t capped. They had rusted almost solid. They had to pull the upper cylinder head and fill it with WD40, reclosed it, and left it for several months to break the rust free. After that, the emptied the WD40 out, cleaned it up, replaced the gaskets and hoses, filled her with oil, slapped some batteries in and put a huge pipe wrench on the engine shaft with an extension bar on it, and called everyone in to pull it through several rotations. When that was done, they cleared everyone away a few dozen feet and cranked it. After several tries, that ild OP engine started with a BOOM and settled in to purring (figuratively speaking). It took several more years to work out so e electrical issues, because like you, she wouldn’t load up. They now run her occasionally at the museum. She needs new Santa Fe paint, but that experience will stay in my memory forever. Returning an old “war horse” to operate is so satisfying. Im not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination or en expert on body work, but I’ve dabbled at both over the years. I bow to any and all experts. I watch all of your videos and get real joy in seeing your progress. Keep it up!!
admin

John That is a great story! I have “0” experience on any Fairbanks Morse, you are more of a F-M mechanic than I am! Brian