B&SR 7

[Joe Fox]

Very exciting. Always nice to see an engine restored. Is the running gear oil or grease?

[Bill Piche]

Very exciting. Always nice to see an engine restored. Is the running gear oil or grease?

Hard grease screws on the drive rod pins, and oil everywhere else.

[Bill Piche]

For anybody who isn't on Facebook, the boiler for #7 went down to Delaware for heat treatment this week.

Here's a pic of the boiler being winched up to be put into the oven.

[Glenn Christensen]

That's GREAT news about your progress restoring #7 to service, guys!

Your dogged persistance in the face of many challenges is really starting to pay off and it does you great credit!


Best Regards,
Glenn

[Roger Cole]

Where in Delaware is that heat treatment taking place (from a former long-time Delaware resident)?

[Bill Piche]

Where in Delaware is that heat treatment taking place (from a former long-time Delaware resident)?

Atlantic Heat Treating in Wilmington

[James Patten]

Any news of 7?  Will it steam this year?

[Bill Piche]

Progress update on #7 for those that don't follow the facebook page.

3 side sheets are done with threaded stays and the flexi-stays are 95% done. Half of the mud ring rivets went in today.

All that's left with the boiler itself is the throat sheet stays, the welded stays, the other half of the mud ring rivets, and welding on the steam dome collar. Once that all is done we can put tubes in and hydro the work.

Link to video of riveting from today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRgjk9naeAs

[Bill Piche]

For those that haven't had the opportunity of hearing in person from myself or other members of the MNG steam team via the facebook group, there have been a large number of steps forward for the B&SR 7 project.

Two weeks ago all of the tubes were loaded in the boiler, rolled, and seal welded.

Between then and last Friday the last of the rigid and flexi stays were headed over and stay caps installed on the flexis. The lower 4 rows of stays were seal welded inside the firebox on on the outside wrapper sheet.

Boiler plugs were test fit and installed on all of the openings so that the first water test can take place. The throttle and turret will be reinstalled when this is taking place.

The first test fill will be planned to take place sometime in the next week to two weeks. Once we check for any and all leaks we'll do a test hydro and place the boiler back on the frame.

Stay tuned.

[Mike Fox]

Great progress.

[Bill Piche]

More good news!

Today water was placed in the boiler and pumped up to regular operating pressure (150 psi).

A few small leaks were found around some stays and rivets, but overall the results were very encouraging.

We're currently on track for a boiler lift sometime on or before Labor Day.

[Bill Piche]

Yet more good news from just slightly to the north of Sheepscot.

Yesterday we set the boiler into place and welded on the first of the 4 supports to the firebox. This marks the first time since 2008 that the frame and boiler have been together and was the last major (projected) hurdle in the reassembly process.

Next steps will be finishing up installing the support brackets, plumbing, grates, brakes, smokebox, and tank work, (probably in that order).

Our current goal is to have the boiler "fire ready" by the time the FRA inspector makes his annual visit in November. Not saying that this will be when the first fire is placed, but just that we have the ability to do so if he requests it.

[Mike Fox]

Very nice!

[Jeff Schumaker]

I second what Mike said.

Jeff S.

[John Kokas]

Any possibility of #7 doing any test runs on the WW&F?