Dave,

How do you overcome the effect of decreased valve travel to maintain lubrication?

~Wesley

This would only be true if the drive link to the mechanical lubricator were connected to the radius rod. If connected directly to the link, the motion would always be constant as its motion is derived from the eccentric crank and doesn't change.

Russ is right, didn't make it clear enough - brain running ahead of words, I still type with 2 of my remaining fingers. The victim was an outside frame Baldwin Latin American 2-8-0 with piston valve conversion kits so outside admission Walschaert and superheaters retrofit at the same time. Sammy will know her well I think.

You compensate by overfeeding in full gear so there's enough feed at cutoff. Steam oil is inexpensive compared to heavy machine work. Which reminds me, hooking her up was an almost terrifying task....... thrown forwards than back by the Johnson bar.

Slightly OT, but she sounded like a cement mixer full of bowling balls when the time came to hook up. I had to plant one foot on the front of the cab, while putting my other one on the neutral position because I had to pull with all my might, and I was afraid that once she moved, she'd go into reverse !!! Pleased to say, under the capable guidance of Phil Johnson and Sam McCloskey, they not only got the Johnson bar to work right, but they've ground a new cam for the front end throttle. Hot Diggity Damn !!!!

Those outside-admission piston valve conversions will do that. I think having the live steam on each end of the valve spool, makes the spool want to shoot back and forth in the cage. One has to get into the rhythm of the gear and hook it up when it wants to move back. Trying to fight it just pisses everyone (you and the engine) off.

Nevada Northern #40 has outside admission piston valve conversions. And she could take you for a serious ride if you weren't careful.

I have seen and run some Stephenson-gear engines with the mechanical lubricator driven off the valve stem. They seemed to not care how for you hooked up, when it came to valve lubrication, the valve stems always seemed to have a nice oil film on them.

You can also get fairly consistent lubrication by attaching it to the combination lever, seeing as that is tied to the motion of the piston itself. This is where the H6s like 1309 had their lubricators driven from originally.

Back to arguments had much earlier in the thread, I don't really understand the perceived lack of communication some of you complain about, even as a proclaimed donor who feels entitled to it. The WMSR made it very clear from the beginning that the pistons needed repair, they then went about the process of determining what those repairs were and how to accomplish them, evidently this involved consulting mechanical engineers. All the while the same team who were and still are working on the steam engines are also working to restore the railroad's expanding fleet of passenger cars so 1309 can take more people when she returns, maintaining an ever growing diesel roster to eventually handle 2 railroads worth of traffic, all while trying to get a second line up and running. They've been posting regular updates on all those fronts as and when updates occur.

It's well documented how their offering of any expectation before work is actually completed has bitten them in the past, so it's understandable why they won't necessarily talk about what's next publicly, because as we all well know steam engines have a tendency to decide what's next whether or not it fits into your plan. Certainly better than underperforming and leaving stakeholders lacking any confidence in your abilities.

Hi
The MaineLocomotive .com has done work for the Conway scenic RR, and well as the Wiscasset Waterville & Farmington, RR in Maine.. In fact the shop is just up the line from the WW&F..from Sheepscot Station in Alna, Maine.

The shop build the current boiler on WW&F #9,, and they also build the new tender for Conway Scenic # 7470.. and they are also helping in the construction of a new locomotive for the WW&F a 2-4-4-t,, the build # 11 project..
The shop is also building the new boilers for both WW&F # 10, and the build #11 project..
So the shop is more than qualified to do the work for the Western Maryland Scenic RR..
As with everything it all takes time,, I would also like to see the WMSR
1309 back in service also.. Having rode behind her in 2022,,, the work is being done, by a shop that has qualified people doing the work..

So the 1309 will be back in service,, but it all takes time,,thank you, Pat.

Not to dispute the universally good advice contained in the last two sentences of this quote, but the engine that Dave and I are talking about has inside admission piston valves. It is true that the FIdeCA had some 2-8-0s with outside admission piston valve conversions, but they've all gone to the big roundhouses in the skies over both Guatemala and El Salvador, possibly for the reason that you mentioned.

Consol 117 in Salvador was active in 1975. The late Henry Luna & I rode in her for a few miles to Bebedero in November.

A lot of interest in two sentences, Tom. First, I looked up this class of engine in my FEGUA folio book dating from nationalization of the Guatemalan divisions in 1968. #117 at that time was assigned to the Guatemalan part of the FIdeCA. There were 19 locomotives in this class, presumably the other six built to this design were Salvadoran Division engines. The only notation regarding valves was an entry saying that they all had Walschaerts gear. Nothing regarding inside/outside admission.

Then, there's the word Bebedero. At first I took it to mean "midwife" (bebe = baby. Ninera = "babysitter".) That seemed odd, so I looked it up, and found that it means "drinking trough" or "place of drinking" (beber = "to drink"). I guess they are saying "tank town" in RR context, which very well might include a place for people to drink. Interestingly, this location does not appear in the railway station index of the Official Guide. A named water stop would certainly be a location where time applies, but the FIdeCA Salvadoran Division is not included in any detail to speak of, and the Ferrocarril de El Salvador is completely omitted.

To get back on topic: You can't keep a good "Beast of the East" down...

1309's piston(s) in Maine (not sure if it is two or the same one in different states) a week or so back: https://www.facebook.com/WMSRailroad/po ... QVhsqn7UFl

I was thinking of taking my grandson and others to Cumberland to ride the Polar Express if it was going to be steam powered. It's being promoted on their website with the 1309 but I wanted to be sure.

Their written reply said the the Polar Express will be diesel powered.

Therefore my brood will be satisfied with a Santa ride behind #40 at New Hope.

Thanks, Ross Rowland

You have a higher likely hood of getting steam on the East Broad Top for Christmas in Coal Country, than ever seeing steam in Allegany County.

I get that 1309 is a neat Loco, but in terms of having operating steam, she has seen more down time than road time, Hope 1472 doesnt rear its ugly face before on her without having much road time

I won't reveal where I heard this, but it's one of the most memorable crew quotes about steam I've heard in my entire lifetime.

Just standing there after a run, under the cab, admiring it from trackside. Rider, ignorant about steam but fascinated anyway.... walks up and yells the engineer a question....

"What does she burn?"

"Money, managers and volunteers".....Oh, and coal....

Wow. That says it all.

AMEN!