North Yard Project - Official Work Thread

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Boy did this thread get hijacked sent down the wrong pipe  

Ya know ... we're building a restroom facility not Xanadu.  Instead of a lottery raffle for squatters rights in the new restroom, how about a raffle for something better.  We recently found a railroad lantern up in Alice's room in the shop building.  It's from the group the museum had made 13 years ago.  Some of you will remember the Adlake kero short globe lanterns that were made as a fundraiser.  This lantern is from that group of 50, all stamped WW&F RAILWAY.  Most of them sold in the first 6 months but a few were saved for use by train crews.   The lantern has never been fired - it's been hanging from the rafters for years. 

The raffle could be run during the Spring Work Weekend, with proceeds to benefit the new upper yard (see Ed I did bring this back home!).

Is anyone interested in a chance to own the last 2000 era WW&F lantern?  Let me know and the gift shop crew can put things in motion.  It will be announced in the newsletter as well.

Stewart

[Richard "Steam" Symmes]

I'd much rather have an original WW&F (preferably "marked") toilet seat. Everyone has lanterns.  Imagine a genuine wood WW&F hopper seat?   There must be one stashed someplace.

I remember years ago hearing tales of someone up in Maine connected with an unnamed electric railway museum who had a vast collection of toilet seats.  Ask Dwight Winkley about that.

Now, back to the main(e) subject if we must.

Richard

[Mike Fox]

Are you talking about the leaner Fred? I had thoughts of tring to fall that one sometime soon, being on how I am probably the one that can run the fastest!

[Wayne Laepple]

I knew a guy once who collected wooden toilet seats. I believe he was a member of the Birch John Society.

[John McNamara]

I knew a guy once who collected wooden toilet seats. I believe he was a member of the Birch John Society.

The young 'uns aren't going to understand that, but I do. 

-John

[Richard "Steam" Symmes]

Oh, that was BAD !   But I love it.

"Right on Maude"

[Matthew Gustafson]

LOL I think we are going off topic now since I see we are talking a lot about Toilets and restrooms right now and I see nobody talking about the North Yard Subject. 

[Wayne Laepple]

While you folks were working up in Alna today, Dave Crow and I, with the help of Baltimore Streetcar Museum master machinist CJ, worked on parts for 33-pound frogs for the North Yard area. I was mostly the go-fer and holder of the other end, while Dave operated the hydraulic press to put a small bend in the rail before CJ set it up in their BIG Cincinnati milling machine. Then Dave monitored the machine as it milled off portions of the head and base of the rail, which will become one part of a switch frog. We bent the rails for three switches and three rails done. Then CJ reset the machine for the mating portions of three more rails. I had to leave before that part of the operation began. I've attached two photos. The first is of Dave running the mill, and the second shows one of the rails after the milling operation was completed.

[Dave Buczkowski]

Make sure to keep track of your time while at the WW&F (temporary) annex.

[Mike Fox]

Thanks Wayne.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Hey Dave and Wayne,

Youz guys do good work!

Stewart

[John McNamara]

Hey, Wayne, inquiring minds want to know whether there will be a writeup and pictures available by March 10th or thereabouts. Please send in plain brown bits to your friendly editor's email. Thanks!

-John

[Wayne Laepple]

But of course!

[Dave Crow]

Here are a couple photos from this past Saturday showing the progress of the rail pieces for the frogs:

Side of rail almost finished being milled off:



Another piece of rail being shaved:



The two halves of the frog point; now to machine the 9/16" radius curve so the rails nest tightly together:



Close-up of the joint area of the two rails:



Thanks to Wayne for coming down to Baltimore to help out!

Next step (after creating the 9/16" radius) will be to drill both rails, bolt them together, then run the mill along both outside edges so that the rails taper to a point.

Dave Crow

[Dave Crow]

Happy Easter, everyone!

I went down to the Baltimore Streetcar Museum's machine shop for a couple of hours this afternoon.  I finished off the third "B" rail that Wayne and I almost completed last weekend.  The first photo shows all three "B" rails next to an "A" rail.  I then cleaned up the mill and set the cutting head to a 6-degree angle so I could start making the taper along the outer edge of the "A" rails.  This taper is what forms the "point" portion of a rail switch frog.  The first "A" rail really should have been cut with a 5-degree angle, which I proceeded to do for the second "A" rail (second photo).  All in all, a productive couple of hours.  Now to find the angle grinder and form the 9/16" radius in the end of the "B" rail so that it can nest snugly into the notch in the "A" rail.  Once the third "A" rail has its taper milled and the radius ground into the "B" rails, I can drill holes to bolt pairs of "A" and "B" rails together.  Then the mated pair gets set on the mill so I can make a much longer pass down the side of the "B" rail and then along the "A" rail to complete the point.

Dave Crow