Whitcomb background

The Whitcomb Locomotive works was located in Rochelle Ill and founded by G Whitcomb. Its 6 cylinder LeRoi engine is a whopping 1,500 cubic inches. That's 4 and a half Chevy 350 engines or about 5 times a normal car engine. It is an over head valve engine with cylinders cast in pairs The pistons are 6 and 3/4 inches and the stroke is 7 inches. The horse power is close to 200 hp in 1941 measurements. The crankcase holds 7 gal of oil and the radiator 20 gal of antifreeze. It runs on regular gasoline and uses 2 Stromberg up draft carburetors. Each cylinder has 2 spark plugs with dual ignition, Battery (coil & distributor) or magneto It has a torque converter connected to a 4 speed transmission with a reversing differential. Both axles are chain driven with 36 inch wheels. As I understand it the locomotive was bought new by the Erie Iron Works in Erie Pa. The engine was used into the 50's or 60's. when it seized due to overheating or lack of oil. The locomotive was vandalized in the 60's . Most of the copper lines and battery cables were stolen. The windows were broken and the dash smashed. Various control levers were bent or broken. At sometime the heads were removed from the engine and the cylinders badly rusted. The bottom of the radiator was broken by water coming in the radiator and freezing. In 1967 the locomotive was donated to the Lake Shore Railway Historical Society. At some time the museum acquired a spare engine.

I drafted a plan to put the good parts from the spare engine on the crankcase in the locomotive.My first job was to remove the remaining rusted and stuck cylinders and pistons. When the front block (2 cyl.) came off the bearing inserts stuck to the crankshaft. The surface of the bearings were galled and not use able. I worried about the main bearings. would they be stuck and unusable too.