Our friends at Meskan Foundry recently came across some old casting patterns from about 25 years ago that are labeled for IRM, but they didn't know what the patterns were for. They handed them to Frank Kehoe who lives close by, and he sends us these pictures. I'm stumped too. We don't even know which department this could be for. The patterns are about 24" across and 18" wide. There are two of each for some reason. Don estimated it might cost $3,000 to replicate something like this. Identify them and they could be yours!
Randy- What's the number around the middle on the second one? I have some ideas, but nothing solid.
ReplyDeleteR. W. Schauer
All I have to go on is what he sent me, so your guess is as good as mine. (Almost certainly better!) But he will be bringing them out to the shop at some point, so you can see them then.
ReplyDeletePure guess based on design -brass contactors for an MU control system. the nubs on the upper image being the contact point. I don't know why there were two round bubs in each mold, perhaps to put a ball bearing in to help center the mould. Bob Bruneau used to be a maker of casting molds. This seems like a later type than his work. O. Anderson
ReplyDeleteThey are the upper part of a pantograph. The hinge mechanism that sits directly under the shoe. David Johnston.
ReplyDeleteThanks, David. That certainly sounds plausible.
ReplyDeleteBut that raises the question: which of our very few pantograph-equipped cars needed these parts that long ago? And who was in charge? Did we ever actually get new parts made using these patterns? Here at Hicks Car Works, nothing is ever too trivial.
I seem to recall Doug G. making some parts for the ICMU cars after they broke a pantograph during testing of the pan jump wires at Johnson Siding. I'd have to look.
ReplyDeleteR. W. Schauer
There was some talk that these could be ash pan hinges for the 1630
ReplyDeleteI would have thought that ash pan hinges would have to be a lot bigger and stronger than this. The IC cars seem like a much more likely explanation.
ReplyDeleteAsh pan hinges seem unlikely, especially as Meskan does only non-ferrous castings. I could see pantograph parts being cast in aluminum, especially if they're supposed to be a sacrificial link.
ReplyDeleteR. W. Schauer
All great guesses and one may be correct but consider:
ReplyDelete1 according to Meskan’s records the pattern dates to 1999
2 There’s no record as to who or what department commissioned the pattern
3 while Meskan is a brass and aluminum foundry, they did make us cast iron parts for NWERR 24
These are for the I.C.M.U cars, as well as the South Shore M.U. cars, and the 803.
ReplyDelete-Jimmy