Getting Ready

It's only ten days until the first big operating weekend of the year, and the CA&E wood cars are due up, so there were a few tasks to complete today.   Not many pictures, I'm afraid, because I was busy, but things went well.

The first thing was to do all of the lubrication on the 36.  The armature bearings on the GE 66 motor are of a very archaic and inconvenient design.  However, on the 36, they are somewhat easier to access than on the other cars, because the 36's motor truck has smaller wheels.   So I can even take a couple of pictures.

Here's what the motor looks like from the side.  To the right, we have the wheel, and you can see the top of the brake shoe.  The wheels have picked up dust from crossing the streets and deposited it on the shoes.  Behind that, though, is the cover for the armature bearing.  It's a cast plate with a part number, and a small handle for lifting.  It rotates around a bolt out of sight to the left, and is sprung to keep it closed.  You can easily pinch your fingers.

When the lid is open, there is an open chamber divided into two vertically.  You can just see the top of the divider.  To the left, the chamber is filled with waste, and this goes down to the bearing surfaces about 8" down.  It's nearly impossible to see anything.  The right-hand chamber is empty, so we push the dipstick down until refusal, and then check the oil level.  If it's less than about 2" or so, add more oil.  It's that simple!  

But then there's the main bearings, the axle caps, the gears, and the compressor.  They're all much easier.  The armature bearings are the only place where you need to be careful not to add too much oil.

The 36 was coupled up to the 319 and the train air was tested.  No leaks, and the brakes work as advertised.  After some investigation, I determined which control pipe glad hand was leaking between the 308 and 309, and moved it to an end we won't be using.  And then the 308 was pumped up to test the train, and everything appears to be OK there also.  There was a slow leak under the 308, due to a loose union.  Luckily it was over the trailer truck, so it was easy to get to, and that's been fixed. So both two-car trains are ready for revenue service.   

Most of the Car Dept. regulars were at work on their various tasks.  Here is John Faulhaber working on the windows for the Sand Springs car.

But I was busy for most of the day, and had to leave early, so that's it for now.  But keep in touch, we'll have more historic photos to put on display soon!