New Brake parts

I got both brake cylinder pistons freed up. One of the return springs was broken into many pieces. I called Westinghouse Air Brake. Sadly it took 3 or 4 calls and return calls to find someone at WABTEC to research our brake piston cup and spring. Finally I got to Michelle in Chicago who found the part numbers for our 8 inch cylinder. The bad news was that there was a minimum order of 12 pieces at 60 dollars a piece. I called Bill at Pittsburgh Air brake. He pretty much fixed us up with 2 new piston cups and a spring. I made 4 each, eleven inch flange gaskets from a 12 x 24 sheets of neoprene from McMaster Carr company.

Brake cylinders

Hank went up to the museum with me and we took the brake cylinders apart. I did not know how they worked or if they would come apart, but there were unions on the air line pipe fittings and a row of bolts at each end so we took them apart. Both brke piston rods were rusted and stuck. A lot of water and rust came out of the cylinders. One side we had to put a wood 4x4 on the piston and hammer it out. We were able to get the ends off the cylinder and the pistons and push rods out from around the brake rigging. The cylinders were cleaned up with 4.5 angle grinder with a wire wheel and greased. The return springs springs inside the cylinders were broken. The options are to get new springs and rubber parts or whole new generic replacement cylinders. The cost of the new cylinders ranged from 800 to 1000 dollars. We plan to fill some of the pits in the cylinders with epoxy and get new cups and springs. The cups are 85 dollars and the springs 35 dollars. All will be packed in air brake grease.

Best blocks and pistons

Many of my friends have farm workshops and work on trucks, tractors or 7.5 in trains as a hobby. One of my friends Hank said he would like to see the museum and agreed to help fix up the whitcomb. We took all the remaining pistons, blocks, and heads up to the frieght house. We worked to loosen the bolts on the hood and radiator that have to come off next spring. Many of them broke off and were replaced with new ones. We honed the cylinders on the three best blocks. One block needed new studs. We installed them. The best blocks and pistons and rods are being cleaned, polished and fitted. The next day we wire brushed and painted 6 engine hand hole covers.

Modifing Aluminum piston to fit older style con rod

The pistons and connecting rods were different in the two engines. The engine from the locomotive was 10 years older and had cast iron pistons. The donated engine had aluminum pistons. I was not able to get all the old pistons out and decided to go with the aluminum pistons. Trouble was there were only 5 connecting rods for the newer pistons. I had to modify an aluminum piston to work with one old style connecting rod. Bronze bushings were made and pressed into the piston so the piston pin could pivot in the piston.

The pistons are pushed out

I took Whitcomb block (cyl 5-6) and 2 blocks from the spare engine to J&M welding in Rock Creek Ohio. Joe used a 100 ton press to push out 4 stuck pistons. The newer Aluminum pistons seem to stick tighter than the cast iron ones. Then my friend Al and I chiseled the rings out of the pistons. The three best blocks were degreased and honed with a glaze breaker. The two best blocks are in fine shape. The third best block has a few small pits in the cylinder but is serviceable.

Disc clutch

After the torque converter there is a single plate clutch operated by a foot pedal. The foot pedal controls an air cylinder. When the foot pedal is pushed down it puts air into the cylinder and disengages the clutch. A large spring returns the cylinder and engages the clutch. The clutch did not move under air pressure. I tried to move the cylinder with a large bar. The cylinder was rusted stuck. I took the cylinder out of the loco and took it home. I hooked the cylinder up to the winch on a tow truck and put some tension on it. after 4 days it broke loose.
With the linkage disengaged, the clutch plate was stuck between the flywheel and the pressure plate. I worked on that for a couple days. I finally got the clutch adjuster freed up and the with the adjuster backed off the clutch plate freed up.

Torque converter

Locomotives need a way to apply power to a load (of cars), exerting a force on the load until the rolling friction is broken and the cars start to move. You dont want to do this by 'slipping the clutch'. In our Whitcomb gas mechanical loco the power is exerted through a torque converter. Whitcomb called it Hydro-Motive. I so fortunate to get a copy of the operation instructions for the Twin disc torque converter. The torque converter is basically two fined plates which operate in oil. The instructions recommend light turbine oil or 10 wt oil. I am planning on using 10 wt. hydralic oil. Our model is a 24 HU-00 which takes 18 gals of oil. The book says to fill it until oil comes out of the fluid over flow level hole. Apply a small amount of lubricant through the fittings every 50 hours. I wonder when that was last done ? I hope that the seals are still good after 67 years.