Author Topic: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread  (Read 41844 times)

Wayne Laepple

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #90 on: January 16, 2021, 06:33:12 PM »
My thanks to everyone who encouraged and supported me through this adventure. While it really was not an ordeal, the past two weeks have been a real test of my patience. I especially must thank my wife, who didn't throw me out of the house when I expressed my frustration and anger more than once at the bureaucratic delays and hassles getting the machine out of the marine terminal, clear of US Customs, stripped from the flat rack and finally on the truck and on its way to Maine. I just hope this thing lives up to the hype!
« Last Edit: January 19, 2021, 07:41:45 PM by Ed Lecuyer »

Bill Reidy

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #91 on: January 16, 2021, 06:34:19 PM »
Dave shared these photos today for posting:







What a tremendous job Wayne has done to make this happen.  Many, many thanks to him and Wilmar Sugar Australia.
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John Kokas

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #92 on: January 16, 2021, 07:07:39 PM »
Looks to me that Wilmar will need a trip to the beauty parlor after that long voyage.  Hope we have a lot of wire brushes, angle grinders w/brushes, and possibly a needle scaler.  Get down to metal, some new primer and paint and Wilmar will be one handsome dude !!!  I'm sure Mike and Brendan will give the engine and hydraulic lines a thorough check.  Looks like a great SWW project for those folks who love shop work.
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Mike Fox

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #93 on: January 16, 2021, 07:49:28 PM »
I gave it a quick once over. There are some original hoses that probably should be replaced, but nothing immediate. Everything is clean, until you look at the motor. That is in less than pristine shape. I did say that if there were thoughts of painting it, that should happen before it goes into use. Very clean.

Speaking of clean, Alan got the dip stick out of the hydraulic tank and it was clean. Coolant was green, almost too green if you know what I mean. So that needs a test. And Jason has the idea to try draining some of it to see if any crud has settled, and make sure the drain works.

It needs an engine service. Oil and all filters. But other than that, the engine compartment looked as it should, no big leaks evident. The engine shut offs were located and tested, and both functioned. What I think was the throttle also moved freely.



It has 2 onboard fuel tanks that will have to be clearly marked. One cap says oil, but is a fuel tank.

Operational controls. On the electrical side of it, the push buttons were checked and were not stuck, but I did not try the switches. The controls for the hydraulics were tried. The levers infront of the operators seat moved freely after initial movement. The push/pull controls from ground level did not. Probably need some PB Blaster or Knocker Loose to lube up to free them.

Cylinders did not show evidence of leakage, but it was steamed before it departed. The exposed shafts were all clean and shiny, not pitted or rusty.
Mike
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Wayne Laepple

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #94 on: January 16, 2021, 08:16:48 PM »
From what I was told by my contact at Wilmar Sugar, this machine was retired because the company was consolidating track maintenance and construction functions, rendering this machine and several others redundant. The plan was to disassemble the excess  machines to provide parts to other similar machines that were being retained. He told me the machine was running until just a short time before we actually had it shipped. So it should all work.

Jeff Schumaker

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #95 on: January 17, 2021, 10:55:09 AM »
I'm looking forward to seeing Wilmar on the rails at Sheepscot.

Jeff S.
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Graham Buxton

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #96 on: January 20, 2021, 06:25:11 AM »
Is there a place that the WW&F could re-use the gen-u-ine Australian ties and rail that came with Wilmar on his journey?
Graham

Bill Reidy

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #97 on: January 20, 2021, 10:20:24 AM »
Regarding the Australian rail and ties under Wilmar, one thought I had is for an outdoor exhibit showing:
-- Lighter rail on wood ties set in gravel, showing typical track structure for the historic Maine two-footers;
-- 56-60 pound rail on wood ties set in stone ballast, showing our typical main line track structure, with explanation this was the heaviest rail used on the historic WW&F, and our use of stone ballast is in part to avoid mud season derailments that were not unusual for the historic WW&F;
-- Panel track set in sand, showing how cranberry farmers in southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod used light two-foot equipment to build and maintain their bogs in the mid-1900s, with reference to Ellis D. Atwood’s Edaville that saved so much of Maine’s two-footer equipment, and mention of our "Cranberry Special" Brookville; and
-- The track under Wilmar used to ship the tamper from half a world away, showing how light railways are still used by farmers, highlighting the extensive two-footer network in Australia and Wilmar Sugar’s donation of their tamper for our railway.
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Bill Baskerville

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #98 on: January 20, 2021, 10:39:42 AM »
Perhaps we can get a sample of South African track, and some British track to round out the world wide acceptance of 2-footers.
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ALAIN DELASSUS

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #99 on: January 20, 2021, 11:51:17 AM »
And why not a 60 centimeter gauge Decauville portable track pannel.

Roger Cole

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #100 on: January 20, 2021, 03:17:05 PM »
Perhaps we can get a sample of South African track, and some British track to round out the world wide acceptance of 2-footers.

Don't forget German dock railroads.

Dave Crow

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #101 on: January 20, 2021, 09:14:15 PM »
What about the trackage in the Guinness brewery in Dublin? Is the track construction in India based on English railway engineering?

Philip Marshall

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #102 on: January 20, 2021, 10:48:08 PM »
What about the trackage in the Guinness brewery in Dublin?

I believe the Guinness brewery railway was 22 inch gauge. Is that close enough to count?

Wayne Laepple

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #103 on: January 26, 2021, 05:01:31 PM »
The final chapter of Wilmar's World Tour can now be written. On Jan. 26, Wilmar touched down on WW&F rails, courtesy of Maine Locomotive & Machine's Landoll trailer. This brings to a conclusion the epic which began more than 18 months ago. Wilmar's part began a mere 10 months ago. Now it's up to the folks at Sheepscot to get the old girl running, and then there will be a period when the machine will be tested and people will be trained to operate the machine. If you're interested in being one of them, be sure to talk to Jason or Brendan or President Dave.

Bill Reidy

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Re: Wilmar (the) Tamper - Official Work Thread
« Reply #104 on: January 26, 2021, 05:29:40 PM »
Amazing.  Thanks, Wayne.
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