Engine Tear down-Boiler removal-7 1/4 George the Vth

[thomaskremers]

Marty's building us a new boiler for our 1930's George the Fifth...so now we have to tear the engine apart to pull the old boiler and drive it out to him. Does anyone have any advice/suggestions on tearing this old engine apart, other than take a LOT of pictures and label EVERYTHING?

Also, any estimates on how long this might take? I'm hoping we can tear it down in about 12 hours or less and then hit the road. I'm assuming it has an Asbestos wrapping. What other surprises might we find?

[Pontiacguy1]

You really should plan for a lot more than 12 hours.
A really good way to keep up with stuff: Get a bunch of plastic storage bags, like a ziploc bag, in a couple of different sizes. Write on the bag what is in it, and then put the items and all of the fasteners in with it. Label any big items with masking tape and a marker or pen. Keep them in a big box together, or storage container. Take pictures of everything. Get some penetrating oil in a spray can. You will need it at some point. While you have everything apart, clean the chassis and check out anything loose. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, take the chassis to someone experienced and have them give it the once-over.

Spending a few extra hours now can save you a whole lot of headaches and a lot of time when you go to put this back together.

[ccvstmr]

Thomas...now finishing up a re-boilering project of my own. The original boiler was 23 years old. Have been thinking about writing a re-build article for Chaski...but not ready to do that just yet.

When the old boiler was removed, the frame was cleaned, painted, examined. For the most part, the engine was in good shape as I've been working on various parts of the engine for the last several years. Sometime after the 1st of the year...will get together with some other club members and we'll pass the original boiler thru a band saw...lengthwise...to make a display. The other half...I want to cut across the front/rear firebox water legs for examination. Should be interesting.

Have to agree with many of Pontiacguy's comments. Bag the loose parts. McMaster-Carr bags work well for this if you have a stash of these in the shop as do sandwich bags. Label the bag contents. Can't have enough bags to keep things sorted.

Take pictures. If you think you have enough photos...take more! You'll be amazed how you forget the way items were oriented. Consider putting tape across parts (like boiler jacket sections) with reference lines so the metalwork goes back in the right order and proper position.

Think you'll find the locomotive can be reduced to a pile of parts in short time. However, getting things back together once you have the new boiler will take MUCH LONGER than you think! Might consider making a boiler cradle and do as much work off the locomotive (like boiler insulation and jacket work) and lift the boiler back on the frame when ready.

You're getting a good boiler to go forward...might as well make the best of the rebuild to correct anything you thought could have been done better. Just sayin'....Carl B.

[Bill Shields]

I designed my 2-8-0 to have an easily removable boiler so that I can get to the chassis and valve gear when and if needed.

At that, the work of just removing the boiler and REINSTALLING the SAME BOILER takes significantly more than 12 hours...more like 3 days...this with a lifting bar and all that is needed right there on hand....and doing no work on the boiler except lifting it off the frame and rolling the frame out from underneath.

I would plan 2 weeks....but that's me....

[Glenn Brooks]

Plus 1 for lots of bags and photos. Also, a package of 3x5 cards to label parts, and a description and diagram of how they came apart. A Card( s) goes into each bag. Maybe number each bag sequentially, so months or years from now you can lay them out in the same order you dissembled them.

ALSO, find a big box to store all the bags of parts together in one spot! I’ve had no end of trouble finding all my parts when I put them in more than one spot - particularly nuts and bolts and uncommon fittings.

FWIW, I figure my current planning cycle is running about 5:1. If I estimate 1 day to do a job - it usually takes 5 days to complete. 1 week - well, 5 weeks from now ill see the end... next spring? Hahaha. Nothing to it!

Glenn

[Dick_Morris]

After watching way too many Youtube videos, I can see a real advantage of getting a video camera and using it to film the process, possibly with stills as well. With a video, you can describe what you are doing and any thoughts as you take each part off and then hold the part you just took off up to the camera.

[B&OBob]

By all means save the hardware in such a way that you can match nuts and bolts to their original location when youi reassemble the engine. British locomotives of your KGV's era used bolts with BA (British Association) threads and usually had oversize hex heads. They are numbered from BA 2 (largest) and upward as size decreases; Google lists tables of thread and head dimensions. Heads are metric! They are still available from several suppliers in England. Very large threads, as on pipe fittings, generally conform to other standards that were widely used in that era.

You are embarking on a very complex operation so forget setting time goals. Given the historic value of your locomotive, you will hopefully be able to make the boiler substitution with minimal deviation frm its original construction. Good Luck!!!

B&OBob

[Fred_V]

Label bags for right and left side too. You will be surprised how stuff gets crossed up.
The worst part of the job will be in the smokebox. Do as much cleaning as you can and watch out for the bottom of the smokebox; it is probably insulated with asbestos too. There will be some sort of bolting method that attaches the boiler tube to the smokebox so look carefully for that. All those bolts will surely break off when loosened.
There will be a copper tube going to the stack blower. These often run through a hollow stay back to the backhead and up to the blower valve. You probably can just remove it from the blast pipe and let it come out with the boiler. Just depends on how it's put in there. If there is a smokebox throttle there will be more fittings and control rod to disconnect.

Then, of course, all the external plumbing has to be removed. Here again mark tubes with R and L as them may look similar but won't fit the other side. plumbing usually will only go back one way.

If you do engine inspection like removing cyl heads be sure to mark the head as to where the top is. Most engines are match drilled so the head will only go back one way.
Good luck,
Marty is a great guy to work with.

[thomaskremers]

Thanks everyone, engine is apart and boiler is delivered. Sometime next year we will have an adventure putting it back together. It came apart fairly easy for its age, biggest issue was getting it out of the frame because the fire bow was so deep and the smoke box wasn't the normal steal tube but just bent metal. I was surprise it was also fairly light. Amazing to see a riveted boiler that lasted 85 years...but I bet the legs are completely solid with rust and debris.

[NP317]

Pictures, please!
~RN

[Bill Shields]

the question begs to be asked...

how long did it take you to tear down the loco and have a 'clean' boiler sitting on the....whatever...?

[thomaskremers]

my dad spent 3-5 hours before I got there and we finished in another 3-4 hours...we were lucky as my grandfather had taken it apart in the 70's and it hadn't been used a lot since then. I'm assuming it will take a solid week of work to get it back together as one pipe was bent and we are removing the super heater from the system and have to rerun the steam line to the cylinders