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Messages - Alan Downey

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16
Ted,

There is no motor in the base. The one you see on top is the main and only drive motor. 25HP, 440/220 3 phase.

17
Keith,

I'll have some pictures of the new lathe next week, and more once it comes over to the shop. It's an incredibly nice machine. To give a sense of scale, it's a 40" swing x75" capacity machine, 15' long end-to-end, and about 13,000 lbs. Factory scraping marks are still visible on the cross feed ways.



As for 10EE's- I ran a couple while I worked at the machine shop at UT Dallas- they are fantastic machines. But I struggled to justify us bringing in a lathe that has such (relatively) limited z-capacity. They also fetch a premium if they are in good condition, and while their constant torque drive system is one of their selling points, it can be a costly repair in the event of failure. In the end a donor purchased a Monarch 12CK for us which came out of Lie-Nielsen's tool and die shop. It is in fantastic shape and will make for a nice improvement over the current "small lathe" (less wear, cam-lock spindle nose, quick change gearbox, quieter, higher top-end speed) while matching it's capacity.


18
Work and Events / Re: Electric Building - Official Work Thread
« on: November 25, 2020, 05:59:35 PM »
Note,

The enthusiasm about getting 3-phase to the shop is appreciated. However, please understand that this topic has been discussed at length by us stakeholders in the shop, and Josh Recave (our electrician).

That said, here is where the 3-phase situation stands, and where it is going:

We currently have three major machine tools which run on three-phase power- our horizontal mill, the large vertical mill, and the large lathe. Power to these machines is supplied by a diesel 3-phase 480V generator. We have a transformer to step it down to a lower voltage for the one machine that requires 220/208. While the generator has served us well for many years, it is very noisy, and it's capacity is already taxed when by our large mill.

In January, we will be taking delivery of a new "wheel" lathe to replace the New Haven. This new machine will be underserved by the existing generator. In addition to a new largest load, I have three other machines which I need to add to the 3-phase circuit: a new small lathe, a pedestal grinder that we've had kicking around, and the radial arm drill. The increased machine count and growing activity around #11 on the horizon, there is a much higher likelyhood of multiple simultaneous users, further taxing the capacity of the existing generator. Long story short, we need more 3-phase power, and we'd like it to be quieter.

That leaves two reasonable options- having CMP run 3-phase from their substation to the shop, or getting a shop sized phase converter. Before my time, CMP quoted a 3-phase supply, and due to poles needing to be changed and upgraded to hold the necessary hardware, it was a 5 figure quote. I don't know the exact number, as that discussion predates my involvement with the museum. As Bob put it, it wasn't affordable then, and isn't the cheapest option now. Individual phase converters for each machine might be cheaper to roll out over time, but the cumulative floor space losses, and number of machines which already need 3-phase make this a really unprofessional solution, and steer us towards a single phase converter large enough to meet the needs of the entire shop. A large phase converter is a reasonable and readily available option. Depending on the capacity and where it is placed (heated or unheated space), the cost will be up to $5K if new, less if used. We can get by with the generator we have for the time being, but hope to make a switch within a year. Josh is an active member of our planning for this upgrade, as he has the experience and credentials to tell us what we can/can't do, and where we can/can't put it. The machine tool voltage requirements and our existing transformer mean that very little will need to be done to switch over to a 220/240V supply. I stress that we are working very closely with a licensed electrician for both planning and execution, and his experience has been a tremendous asset to the museum over many years.

Hope this clarifies things.

19
Work and Events / Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« on: November 12, 2020, 09:58:02 AM »
I'm with Mike on this. I assume the potential resale value of Big Joe is less than value of what we might be able to get out of it. With it's moveable tamping heads, I suspect it's a bit more flexible for tamping switches and other odd locations. No harm in holding onto it for those occasions. It's worth mentioning that MNG acquired a re-gauged commercial tamper, so it is unlikely they would want to borrow Big Joe. All in all, I'm very curious to see the difference in effectiveness and speed which Wilmar will be capable of. I suspect a lot of "what ifs" will be naturally answered once it is in service and we've gotten familiar with it.

I'd be interested in seeing if wire or laser guided lifting controls could be added to it over time.

20
Volunteers / Re: October 2020 Work Reports
« on: October 28, 2020, 09:32:45 AM »
There are some machine shop equipment changes in-progress. I will be cleaning up and preparing a lathe to leave the shop, and maybe doing some cleanup on the radial arm drill in preperation for re-assembly. I'd welcome help!

21
Volunteers / Re: August 2020 Work Reports
« on: August 16, 2020, 07:48:51 AM »
I spent Saturday going over the new radial arm drill. The machine was working until we unplugged it for the move, but I wanted to "wipe the slate clean" so to speak, before putting it in-service. That means a general cleaning, getting chips out of the T-slots, making some adjustments, and re-oiling the machine. I'm about 50% finished now. I'd also like to install a coolant pump soon. Overall the drill is in nice condition considering it's age, and how we intend to use it. For large workpieces, one can fixture directly to the base of the machine and work from there. For day-to-day use on more moderately sized pieces, there is a table that bolts to the base and raises the work up to a more comfortable level. All of the drilling and feeds are run off the 7.5 HP motor, and the various levers change drill RPM, feed rates, direction, and move the head up/down and in/out. I'll be working with Josh Recave to get our electrical system prepped for the changeover.

To answer Keith, I meant it when I said that all of us in the shop are very fond of the old drill press for what it is, even if it's not up-to-snuff anymore. We are actively discussing what's next in store for it, but scrapping is 100% off the list. Everything else is being discussed.


So this is the new radial arm drill:



Another angle:


For grins, I put our largest drill bit in the spindle (2-3/8"). It looks right at home! Note the 17" of spindle stroke.


In addition to mounting morse-taper bits in the spindle, you can of course us a drill chuck. It came with a Jacobs 20N chuck, which can comfortably hold a 3/8"-1" shank. Side by side with my favorite drill bit... moral of the story with this machine is that it's big, can drill big holes, and hold big stuff.


This is the table, and vise that came with it as well.

22
Volunteers / Re: August 2020 Work Reports
« on: August 14, 2020, 01:31:09 PM »
Quote
*  Unloaded the large drill press and staged in the machine shop. (don’t know proper name)

To elaborate on Steve's post, we purchased a radial arm drill from a fab shop in Alna that was closing down. ML&M (Brian and Hannah) helped with the short distance trucking move. The intent of this machine is to replace the large drill press which is currently in the shop. While all of us in the shop love that drill press for it's age and really classy design- it is very tired- and we need something that is more reliable for large drilling operations. The new drill is large, but only slightly larger in footprint than the existing drill (believe it or not), but with a much larger capacity. My plan is to keep the existing drill press in-service until all preparatory electrical work is finished and the new drill can be put in the old one's place. Until then, "Lathe Alley" will be a bit crowded, so I am hoping to execute the changeover relatively soon.

It is a 6' Cincinnati Bickford Super Service Radial for anyone curious.

Thanks again to the crew for the unloading help on Tuesday!

23
65 doesn't have any brake rigging on it at this time. Due to its limited service useage, it's been low on the priority list for getting its own brake system. It had one (of two needed) brake beam mounted when it was first built, but this was "borrowed" for either coach 8 or 3 when those got brake upgrades in May of 2015. other than my uncertainty about whether 65 will have body hung or truck mounted brake hangers, Boxcar 309 would be a close representation of how 65's brakes will be configured whenever they are installed.

24
General Discussion / Re: EBT Couplers vs. 3/4 size Sharon Couplers
« on: April 05, 2020, 09:04:52 AM »
Rick,

I don't know the answer to your question, but I have been working with Irwin on a Climax coupler project. I'll send you an email with the contact information of the person at Irwin who would be able to help.

25
Volunteers / Re: March 2020 Work Reports
« on: March 14, 2020, 09:20:33 PM »
Carlos and Jerry deserve all of the credit for this project. I've just been providing logistical and technical support to keep them going, and they've been working on it most Fridays and Saturdays (and most of Carlos's spring break!) since after the first Grand Reunion.

Very little was needed in terms of internal repairs. Most of the work has been external. There's really not that much internal, but the piston bore was in nice shape- not perfect- but not worth machining. The control valve needed to be rehabbed, all of the seals needed to be replaced, it needed cleaning, fresh lubrication, and one of the mechanical links needed repair. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the renewed machine move under power again soon.


Also worth noting today, is that the castings needed for coach 9's frame arrived. Cattail Foundry did a really nice job on those parts.

26
Other Narrow Gauge / Re: EBT is SOLD! New non-profit to open RR in 2021
« on: February 18, 2020, 12:14:39 PM »
I listened to the episode of The Roundhouse, and it sounds like the newly formed EBTF will still rely and work closely with the FEBT. It seems that the EBTF views it's role as the operating , management, and fundraising organization, and wants to work with the Friends to be the source and core of the volunteer base to continue and expand on the work that they have been doing. It's an interesting approach which seems similar to the way the C&TS is set up.

27
Volunteers / Re: January 2020 Work Reports
« on: January 24, 2020, 09:36:01 PM »
I'm really not! Have you seen the types of characters I hang out with?  ::)

28
Volunteers / Re: January 2020 Work Reports
« on: January 11, 2020, 06:49:40 AM »
Paul, ordinarily I prefer not to discuss speculative completion timelines for major projects including #10. But can I say that regardless of the progress on #10's smokebox, the rest of #10's boiler will not be ready for the summer. The bulk of the work still remains ahead of us.

I am generally planning on making progress on #10's smokebox this winter/spring. This will likely include rebuilding the squeeze riveter to rectify some issues we've had with it, making our own rivets for the non-code work, and performing the actual riveting. And all of that will fit in between photo charters, crew availability, and other shop concerns. We're just going to pick away at it as we can.

29
Work and Events / Re: Coach 9 - Official Work Thread
« on: November 28, 2019, 09:59:46 PM »
Thanks Bill, but I've been meaning to get down and meet the folks at Cattail for awhile, and I set this up to finally make it happen.

30
Work and Events / Re: Coach 9 - Official Work Thread
« on: November 28, 2019, 03:32:01 PM »
Oh yeah! I forgot that I was going to do that. Thanks for the reminder!

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