Noticed heavy equipment loads coming into town this AM. Wasn't sure for what. Saw same lequipment by depot here in town, about 15 minutes later, when I finished a Dr app't. Was the Denver based Hulcher crew, a derailment cleanup contractor? They were in town to make what should have been a simple locomotive repair. Pull the bad #1 axle/motor, replace with idler wheel, until formal repairs can be made. Removed the #1 axle, lowered, got idler ready, the relifted locomotive. That's when the entire front truck fell off! Photos of the excitement to be posted as soon as I've got 'em ready!
Took aout 90 minutes to get everything back on track, and in place. A few photos from the event. Preparing front truck for removal of #1 axle and traction motor. The lift begins. Lift complete. Bad traction motor being winched out from under unit. Lowering locomotive back down. Need to release temporary axle, and transfer bearings.
Close up of bad motor. Notice flat spot! Do not know if result from removal. Set back down, until temporary axle is ready. Moving bearings from bad motor to temp axle. Lifting again, to place temporary axle in.
We gots us a BIG problem now! About 30 seconds after truck fell from locomotive. Truck now chained to locomotive frame in order to lift. Successful lift. Preparing to install temporary axle. Aligning bearing before lowering. Everything back on track. Time to start putting hardware back, clean up tools and call it a day. Complete and updated photo album here: http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php?cat=2340
It is. That's a clip that was holding the locomotive truck in place. I think, when that broke, that's when the truck fell.
OK. Added all photos I had. Created NEW album. Replaced and updated original thread photos. One question: Still limited to 4 photos per reply? Some additional photos later.
That flat spot looks fresh. It would be interesting to know more about this incident. What failed which created the flat spot? Boxcab E50
If using the Attachment feature, software limits any one post to including five. If inserting photos, I am not aware of a limit. Seems like I have seen many posts with at least four. If unable to insert more than four, that again would be a software feature. It is nice to break them up, so one post does not take up a whole page. Boxcab E50
Wasn't sure if any previous upgrades allowed for more than 4 photos per reply. I'm sticking with that, since it does make things easier. As for the flat spot, as I said, I don't know if that was from dragging the motor out from under the unit, maybe from getting it ready to replace the motor or what. Never could see the other wheel, to see if there was a flat on the other side. Whatever the case, it was a mess! And I just lucked out in coming across it!
Now relegated to local switching duty in Longmont. Or was, before this. From Broomfield to Loveland/Ft Collins. Nice shot too, of the unit, in her better days!! Where was it taken? Still have a few more photos to post. Maybe in the AM, as I gotta go back to work tonight, after a 2 week medical LOA.
The flat spot is from a locked-up traction motor. I would think it would have been easier to cut off the pinion gear and remove the wires going to the traction motor, but I'm not an expert. That's what was done to our museum's GP7 when it suffered a failed traction motor enroute to the museum.
Terry, Thanks for the info. Goes along with what a friend tells me this morning. Says it's a 4-5" flat spot, caused by a bearing failure, or bird nest in the motor. Would be interesting to see what the motor looks like inside, once it's pulled apart for rebuilding.
Watching the professionals having problems like this performing so-called "simple" repairs makes this klutzy amateur feel better about my own misadventures. Thanks for sharing these pics.
It would depend upon the flat spot. In this instance, I would say they did not want to gamble with making the move. Why? A flat spot, even at restricted speeds, can cause incredible damage, including fracturing a rail with every rotation. (Not to mention simply breaking pieces off the rail head, cracking angle bars by the score or a derailment due to metal fatigue in the wheel, the rail issues...) It was a cheaper bet changing it as we see, than chancing hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in damage to try a move. Boxcab E50
