Southern Pacific Blueprints

[dnevil]

Here are several nice blueprints from the Southern Pacific RR rescued by former employee Fred Boland.

http://wx4.org/to/foam/sp/steam/boland_ ... m_bps.html

[Greg_Lewis]

WOW! THANK YOU for posting this. Much valuable information.

[Fender]

Drawings of steam appliances are difficult to find. Evidently, the manufacturers wanted to sell their own parts, and didn’t want them reverse-engineered by others.

[Greg_Lewis]

Drawings of steam appliances are difficult to find. Evidently, the manufacturers wanted to sell their own parts, and didn’t want them reverse-engineered by others.

Not necessarily on old steam, but what I've sometimes seen is the use of odd threads to prevent the attachment of other folks parts. I've got a Starrett caliper that needs a setscrew but the threads on it are 50 tpi. Not a 48 or a 56, but a 50. And, of course, my lathe won't cut a 50 without special gearing that I don't have.

[Dick_Morris]

Norfolk Southern Historical Society also has a number of suppliers' accessory drawings that were redrawn by the RR for their internal use.

Steamtown has an extensive collection of Nathan drawings.