Rebuilding the Central of Georgia #408

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John_S
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Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:21 pm
Location: Cumming, GA

Rebuilding the Central of Georgia #408

Post by John_S »

Originally built by Bud Bartholomew 46 years ago, with a boiler built by Paul Brien, now owned by one of the members of the CSPPRY.

The locomotive does steam and run very well, but is overdue for a new boiler and repairs to the equalization of the drivers. It's been a slippery loco for a while as a result of the springs being all out of whack. The right rear driver can be lifted off the rail with two fingers!
Rich_D running 408 in 2012
Rich_D running 408 in 2012
408 being loaded up at CSPPRY
408 being loaded up at CSPPRY
408 in my shop
408 in my shop
Cab removed
Cab removed
Beginning to remove plumbing and appliances
Beginning to remove plumbing and appliances
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John_S
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Re: Rebuilding the Central of Georgia #408

Post by John_S »

More pics of the tear down.
Cab, appliances, and some plumbing removed.
Cab, appliances, and some plumbing removed.
What's left of the stack extension!
What's left of the stack extension!
Running boards and more plumbing removed.
Running boards and more plumbing removed.
Running boards and more plumbing removed.
Running boards and more plumbing removed.
Turret and boiler jacket removed.
Turret and boiler jacket removed.
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John_S
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Re: Rebuilding the Central of Georgia #408

Post by John_S »

More tear down.
Another view of the boiler wrap after jacket removal.
Another view of the boiler wrap after jacket removal.
Asbestos removed from boiler.
Asbestos removed from boiler.
Other side after asbestos removal.
Other side after asbestos removal.
Currently working on getting the throttle out of the smokebox and finishing up disconnecting everything attached to the boiler so I can pull it off the chassis.
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John_S
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Re: Rebuilding the Central of Georgia #408

Post by John_S »

Forgot I was going to show a detail photo of the steam dome on this boiler. Interesting design!
Home made pipe plug steam dome cap
Home made pipe plug steam dome cap
I gave that plug a go with a crescent wrench but it's not budging at all. For all we know it hasn't been removed at all over 46 years.
redneckalbertan
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Re: Rebuilding the Central of Georgia #408

Post by redneckalbertan »

I would take a torch and heat the dome to try and get that to expand and loosen the plug so you can spin it out.
kvom
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Re: Rebuilding the Central of Georgia #408

Post by kvom »

Or a soak in PB Blaster or Kroil.
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John_S
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Re: Rebuilding the Central of Georgia #408

Post by John_S »

Once I get the boiler off the chassis I'll work on getting all the plugs out of it for a thorough inspection of the inside. I'm anxious to see how the years have treated the steel flues, stays, and mudring.

I spent about an hour trying to get everything inside the smokebox disconnected last night (sorry, no photos) with few results. Everything is either locked up solid or impossible to get to. It's quite the puzzle how it was assembled to begin with. I believe most of it was put on the boiler before it was put on the chassis and mated with the smokebox -- it looks like I'll be able to disconnect the supply pipes at the smokebox saddle and then pull the whole mess out with the boiler.

Some of the plumbing in the front end, i.e. the 1/4" copper blower line, was like paper tube. It simply disintegrated while I was taking the fittings apart.
Pontiacguy1
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Re: Rebuilding the Central of Georgia #408

Post by Pontiacguy1 »

When you put it back together, I would recommend you use Flare fittings and stainless steel tubing. I've started using that on the inside of the smoke box for all of the lines, and it has worked extremely well. You can buy 303 or 304 stainless tubing from the internet, and the flare fittings from ACE hardware. A little more work to bend, flare, and install, but after 10 years of use, the ones in my 989 look almost like new after some cleanup. I had them out this past May, and got a really good look at them at that time.

Great to see this ol' girl get some attention. I remember seeing her run at Mid-South when I was a kid. I don't personally remember Bud Bartholomew... I believe he was gone by the time I started coming around. If I remember correctly, the locomotive was built using Little Engines switcher valve gear and cylinders, and used the Allen lead truck, drivers, etc... basically most everything else. Is that right?
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John_S
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Re: Rebuilding the Central of Georgia #408

Post by John_S »

Pontiacguy1 wrote:When you put it back together, I would recommend you use Flare fittings and stainless steel tubing.

If I remember correctly, the locomotive was built using Little Engines switcher valve gear and cylinders, and used the Allen lead truck, drivers, etc... basically most everything else. Is that right?
The supply piping is flared SS. When Bill Bryan, jr. owned the locomotive he replaced the original supply pipes with the SS set. Everything else in the front end is copper tubing.

You are correct, most of the running gear is Little Engines. I'm not sure about the lead truck as it looks as though it may have been fabricated -- I haven't taken a close look at it yet on the stand. The drivers I'm also unsure about. I believe they're 9" and may have come from Little Engines.

I'll learn more the farther into this project I get!
Pontiacguy1
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Re: Rebuilding the Central of Georgia #408

Post by Pontiacguy1 »

I think that they are 8" diameter castings, the same as those used on the Allen mogul. I might be wrong about that, since it's been decades since I've seen it in person. I remember that he built an atlantic and used the same cylinder/drive wheel combination. That locomotive is now up at the Eagle Point railroad. I've seen it run a couple of times over there in the past few years.
Jawn
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Re: Rebuilding the Central of Georgia #408

Post by Jawn »

Good looking engine. You're not too far from here... if you need an extra pair of hands for the work, I would enjoy the learning experience with it.
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John_S
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Re: Rebuilding the Central of Georgia #408

Post by John_S »

Getting more done today to get the boiler pulled. There were four plain steel bolts holding the boiler to the smokebox with nuts on the inside. Needless to say, they were not easy to get out! The top two came out ok but the bottom two might as well have been welded in place. After drilling them out and pulling the bolts in the rear of the boiler (slip joint at the base of the backhead), the boiler is finally ready to come off.

I've got help coming in a little bit so I'm taking a break. Here's a couple pics.
Inside the smokebox, everything disconnected
Inside the smokebox, everything disconnected
Boiler ready to come off
Boiler ready to come off
The drivers are, in fact, 8". For some reason they always appeared larger to me. Not sure if these are Allen or L.E. though without my mogul here to compare them to.
8" driver
8" driver
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