Clover Valley Lumber Co. #4

Current Work Update  (Click Here For Archives)
Unless otherwise credited, all photos are by Alan Siegwarth
07/03/2010

Gerald working on cutting out a rusted, worn out piece of the smokebox liner.
One of the many pieces taken out of the smokebox - ready for replacement!
07/03/2010

CJ grinding on the smokebox.
Henry making welded repairs to the front cab wall.
07/03/2010

Gerald chiseling out another piece of the smokebox liner.
Another addition to the scrap pile.
07/03/2010
The smokebox looks to be much better than expected once the liner was removed.
Errol shows off the two marker lamps that he restored for the #4.  Almost ready to be installed - just require a little wiring by our electrician, Dan.
 
06/19/2010
The new fuel line is slowly taking place under the oil tank.  Upon disassembly a rag was found stuck inside the strainer.  A water leg with drain has been added along with the new spring loaded emergency shutoff valve.
06/13/2010

Henry preheating a staybolt in preparation to bead the head over.

John doing a beautiful job beading a staybolt head.
06/12/2010

Jim and Gerald rolling tubes in the front tubesheet.

Jim and Henry rolling tubes.
06/12/2010

Cody seal welding tubes on the firebox end.

 Henry cutting off staybolts in preparation for hammering the heads over.
06/12/2010
End of the day Saturday, we pulled the Mallet out of the tent and Henry and Wes installed the steam dome cover in preparation for a pressure test.  Thank goodness for the White Crane truck as we do not have a forklift with a high enough reach to do throttle/dome work with the Pettibone out of service.  I took the picture during a break from operating the crane, unfortunately it is taken into the setting sun.
06/05/2010

Front tube sheet with 12 unfilled holes to go.

The 12 tubes set up ready to be prepared for installation.
06/05/2010

Henry, Jim and Gerald all working to get the last few tubes installed.  The access to these was difficult and required moving the tubes from hole to hole as the drypipes were in the way of installing them directly.
05/22/2010
Jim and Henry handing tubes up to Alan in the smokebox. 
Alan using a hammer to do a little persuation on a tube.

Patrice Warren Photos
05/22/2010
Chris painting a brakepipe before reinstalling it.  This section of pipe looks so good now that the rest of the pipe needs to be cleaned/painted to match = ).

Patrice Warren Photo
05/22/2010
Dave welding in a patch on the smokebox front. 
Jeff Schwab taking a break from tubework while waiting for a hammer and prybar.

Patrice Warren Photos
05/22/2010
Completed repair on the front tube sheet waiting for the installation of the tubes.
Henry welding in a patch to repair the lower portion of the smokebox door sheet.  The lower section of the smokebox front was corroded just like the front tube sheet by an acidic water mix created by the soot left in the smokebox when the engine stopped operating in 1985.
05/22/2010

Alan repacking flexible staybolts that Wasatch Railroad Contractors made sleeve repairs on.  The graphite and oil mix is essential to keep the flexible ball joint lubricated but a messy job to install. 
05/22/2010
Dave removing some more plumbing off of the engine.  The air piping under the cab had to be removed to allow access for weld repairs on the rear washout plug holes.
Henry removing another stud from the boiler.  The stud was corroded to the point that it needed to be replaced.
05/22/2010
Jeff and Pam in the firebox working on grinding tube holes in preparation for tube installation.
Pam and Jim grinding tube ends to bare metal.  Mill scale, oil and any oxidation is removed by grinding down the section to be rolled in the sheet.
05/22/2010
Pam inside the belly of the beast!  Awaiting another tube to be run down through the boiler - being down in the bottom of the barrel is a fun spot to get into/out of as you have to crawl around the superheater flues which are shown just above Pam.  Definitely not a comfortable job.
05/15/2010

One of many conferences about where to run piping - Les, Chris and Henry.

Gerald drilling staybolt telltale holes.
05/15/2010
Pam in a rather tight spot under the boiler tapping out one of the many washout plugs.

Chris working on the steam turret valves.
05/15/2010

Blake setting up the magnetic drill to bore out another tube hole in the front tube sheet.
05/08/2010
John working on removing the mechanical lubricator for the low-pressure engine in preparation for cleaning/operation checkout.
Pam working on the rear boiler support braces.  These need to slide properly to allow boiler expansion.
05/08/2010
Gerald drilling tell tale holes.  Each staybolt has a telltale hole which will leak water if the stay breaks while the boiler is under pressure.  However, if the hole is plugged with rust or boiler cement they will not work as designed.  There are a lot of staybolts on the #4 and every rigid stay has a telltale hole - a "hole" lot of drilling!
04/26/2010
Jeff grinding the rear tube sheet preparing for tube installation.  Henry is on the right, removing a stay.
Closeup of Henry burning out an old staybolt.
04/26/2010
New Member Jim wire brushing one of the many tank support brackets.
Les working removing plumbing from the blowdown valve.
One more preplacement stay to go in the boiler backhead.
04/17/2010
Pam and Gerald threading staybolts on the engineeers side of the cab.
John tirelessly wiring brushing the frame and running gear to remove all the rust, caked grease and dirt built up over many years of service.  Not a glamerous job, but thanks to John the engine will look much better when it returns to service.
04/17/2010
Another not so glamerous job, Jim is wirebrushing the tank support brackets in preparation for painting.

Tapping another staybolt hole.
04/17/2010
Gerald and Pam continue working on staybolts on the engineers side of the cab.

Pam threading in a new flexible staybolt.
04/17/2010
Henry threading backhead stays.  The second tap sticking out of the sheet is being driven by Pam in the firebox.
Gerald cleaning up stay threads with a die. 
Tapping stays two at a time. 
04/10/2010
Chirs retheading the side tank suport bracket mounting holes on the boiler.

Henry tapping the holes in one of the new flush patches installed in the firebox in preparation for installing  new staybolts.
04/10/2010
C.J. painting one of the many tank support brackets.
Gerald is cleaning the threads on PLA's stock of staybolts.  Many of these stays will be used in the $4 but those that are not will be checked for size, cleaned, colsmolined and stored properly for use in the future.
04/10/2010
Alan threading in a new flexible staybolt.  (David Loyola photo)

Two new flexible staybolts installed, two more to go in this area of the firebox.
04/10/2010
Henry in the firebox working on tapping staybolt holes.
Jim (or at least his hands) threading a new rigid staybolt into place on the engineer's side sheet from outside the cab.  Great place to work - right next to the cab floor and wall.  The power reverse and other linkage had to be removed for this work.
1/23/2010
Completed tube sheet installation after riveting and welding.

One of the completed firebox flush patches in the firebox.
1/23/2010
Blake backing rivets with Johnathon Kruger providing added force by pushing on Blake's arms.
John with Dave adding weight riveting another one.  Doug stands by to tell the backing crew how the process is going.
1/23/2010
Blake backing a hot rivet underneath the boiler.  Down below, Johnathon Kruger is helping by pushing on Blake's arms to back the riveting.
Using tongs to handle the hot rivet, Henry Chandler puts a rivet in the hole while Blake waits to start backing with a 90 pound gun.
1/23/2010
Rivet being heated until white hot in the rivet oven.
Dave Loyola and Doug Vanderlee listen as John Rimmasch explains the top side riveting procedure.  Dave will help John by adding weight on John's shoulder to keep the air gun down.  Doug will communicate with the rivet heating crew.
1/23/2010
The lower portion of the front tube sheet had to be removed had reduced the thickness of the knuckle below safe levels.
Wasatch Railroad Contractors welder Blake welding up cab wear on the rear door sheet.
12/12/09

The new section of cab wall formed and fitted but yet receive the holes necessary for the appurtenances that have to pass through it.
12/12/09

Henry drilling holes in stay bolts that will be removed from the backhead.
The new Mallet house.  The number 4 sitting inside the completed tent which was finished just in time as it as been raining continuously here in the Bay Area.
12/12/09

Les cleaning the plate cut out to replace the engineers lower cab wall.
Chris drill mounting holes for the new fire pan.
11/19/09
Not a common sight when you look through the firebox door - the ground!  The bar across the opening is actually the axle on the rear driver.  The fireman is in the process of being cut out and replaced as it has been modified beyond believe over the years of service on the Clover Valley.  Actually, we are in the process of cutting out TWO firebox pans as the lumber company just added another floor over the old one (with an one inch area in between filled with Bunker C!) when it was time to repair the firepan. 
11/19/09
Gerald DeWitt and Dan Dornbrach installing cable stays to tighten up and square the tent support structure.
End of the day, the Mallet is backed down into the new structure for the night.  Hopefully just one more day to finish the tent installation so the engine will inside protected from the weather all winter.
11/19/09
When all else fails - READ THE DIRECTIONS.  Dan, Jim, Henry and Gerald demonstrate this long lost art.
There is sure a lot of this reading directions stuff today.  Johnathon and Charlie in action.
11/19/09
Henry, Pam and Gerald lay out one of the tent support hoops.

Pam, Dave Loyola, Henry Chandler and Gerald DeWitt raise up one of the tent supports after assembly.
10/31/09
No better way to move material than shovels.  Alan Siegwarth spreading asphalt chips.
Nice picture of the new improved walkway/work area with asphalt chips spread out and compacted alongside the track.  Once the tent is complete, it will almost be as nice as working inside the shop.
10/31/09
Dumping asphalt chips to use as a raised walkway inside the tent using one of the PLA's recently acquired Central California Traction ballast cars.
Henry Chandler, Johnathon Kruger, Jim Adams and Dan Dornbrach take a break from shoveling.
09/26/09
Jeff and Gerald DeWitt reinstalling the firemans side cab step.  The bolts holding the steps on were rusted and corroded to the point that the step was no longer safe for use.  A simple job right?  No, of course not.  The repair required removing the step/welds, fixing and straightening the bent step, cutting and repairing the cab floor, building a doubler plate to support the step and finally - shown here - reinstalling the step.
09/26/09
Henry Chandler and Jeff Schwab making fine adjustments on the Mallet's cab.  All that is required is a little heat and a large sledgehammer.  Cab damage is being repaired in preparation for reinstalling the steps on the fireman's side.

09/12/09
Chris drilling out staybolt telltale holes inside the firebox.  Another long tedious job that requires patience because their is always the potential to cause a bigger problem if one of the drills breaks in a stay.    A lot of work happening on the engineers side of the locomotive.  Jeff and Dan discussing piping that needs to be replaced.  In the background, Henry and Les are working on cab repairs. 
09/12/09

Les drilling and fitting new angle to support the cab floor.  Years of exposure to the weather has rusted out sections of the cab that are being rebuilt for safety. 
09/12/09
Jim wire brushing and priming the saddle tanks.  Dan painting (after wire brushing and priming) one of the air tank supports on the firemans side of the locomotive.  The entire locomotive needs to be cleaned and repainted which Dan has graciously started - there is a lot to paint!
  Alan Siegwarth  Photos
09/12/09
Loading bridge timbers at a PLA storage yard in preparation to erect the new Mallet house - a tent building purchased to keep the engine dry through the winter.  The steam department is preparing to install the tent but needs to complete the unfinished shop track work including ballasting and lining the tracks before the tent can be installed.  Hopefully we have another dry month to complete the installation. 
Photograph by Alan Siegwarth
09/12/09
Henry crawling along the bottom of the boiler barrel after spending a morning cleaning inside the boiler.  This is a fun experience crawling along under the superheater flues - volunteers always accepted = )
08/29/09
Based on Jeff's smile, this picture must have been taken before he entered the boiler.  After a few hours crawling in the confined space of the boiler, volunteers coming out seldom have big smiles on their faces.  Gerald removing the fireman's side cab steps that need straightening.  Logging service was not easy on the step as it has hit numerous things along the right of way in its 30 years of service with the Clover Valley Lumber Company.
08/29/09
Henry working on washing the boiler to remove additional scale.  As usual with all PLA projects, the fire truck had to be repaired before this work could begin so the high pressure/flow PTO driven fire pump could be used in boiler washing.  The use of the fire truck made a difficult project much easier.  To the right of Henry, Gerald continues to work on removing the step.
08/29/09
Pamela Cravens packing flexible staybolt caps and sleeves with a nasty, grimy mix of graphite and oil. The graphite and oil mix keeps the flexible ball joint lubricated allowing the stay to move with boiler expansion and contraction.  Pam is shown reinstalling caps after months of work removing caps, cleaning the interiors and retapping the sleeve threads.  
08/29/09
Thanks to member donations to purchase parts and PLA volunteers like Pam, all the flexible staybolts that do not need repairing have been repacked with graphite and new gasket and cap installed. 

Alan Siegwarth Photo
08/07/09

Henry Chandler removes the last of the flexible staybolt caps on the backhead in the cab.

Alan Siegwarth Photo
08/07/09
Engineers side boiler support plate remounted on the boiler after repairs.

Jeff Schwab working on cleaning, removing caps on the lower backhead - hiding in between the frame under the cab floor.

Alan Siegwarth Photos
05/30/09
Painting and more painting.  Alan painting the wrapper sheet in the cab.

Henry using a little heat treatment to persuade rusty nuts off of the frame on the fireman's side of the engine.
05/30/09
Doug Vanderlee cleaning dirt and grease from the high pressure cylinder crosshead.

Les, Gerald and John working on the dirty job of graphiting and reinstalling flexible staybolt caps with new gaskets.
05/02/09

Les working in great conditions.
New caps and studs installed.
Alan Siegwarth Photos
05/02/09
Henry removing flexible staybolt caps for inspection.
Chris and Les show the extreme dexterity required to remove the throat sheet flexible staybolt caps.
Alan Siegwarth Photos
05/02/09
Dave and Les working on the rear furnace bearer plates.
Jeff installing new recessed flexible staybolt caps.
 
Alan Siegwarth Photos
05/02/09
Amazing what you get to work on in the name of keeping steam running.  Gerald and Al work on a PLA diesel welder, one nice machine.

Alan Siegwarth Photos.
02/07/09

Pettibone in place ready to remove power reverse.
Jeff, Henry and Harrison Hollidge work on removing power reverse bolts
02/07/09

Air pump being removed in preparation for smokebox repairs
741:  Dave Burla lifting the power reverse into a boxcar for storage.  Henry Chandler and Paul Hollidge assist.
01/17/09
Henry using an air chisel to help remove flexible stay bolt caps.  It is evident that these were not inspected very often and many of the cabs/sleeves need repair or replacement.

Alan Siegwarth Photo
01/17/09
Jeff drilling out staybolt tell-tale holes inside the firebox.  Photo taken through a hole in the rear tube sheet.
Gerals and David repairing the worn and bent rear boiler support bracket.
Alan Siegwarth Photos
01/13/09
Charles Franz taking ultrasonic readings on the boiler.
Cab wall cut away to get access to stay bolts.
Several thin spots cut out of fire box wall.
H P Wise Photos
01/10/09
Gerald and Jeff removing boiler piping while Charlie and Chris remove the firemans side air tank for access to UT test and remove the flexible staybolt caps on the boiler.

Alan Siegwarth Photo
01/10/09
Henry washing and more washing the boiler.  What a mess!
Alan, Jeff planning on how to do firepan work.
01/10/09
Jeff and Charlie machining a brakeshoe head for the Mallet in the shop.

Gerald heating up the nuts holding the fireman's side support plate on the boiler.

Alan Siegwarth Photo
01/10/09
Alan demonstrates perfectly why the Mallet is so much fun to work on climbing over the low pressure steam delivery pipes to exit from under the boiler.  Baldwin built a compact, efficient locomotive but it is hard to get into to for maintenance and just as difficult to get out.  
Dave Loyola Photo
01/08/09
Picture of today's contract work on the Mallet front tube sheet.  The tube sheet came out really easy.  Notice the nice easy access to the bottom of the boiler now - no worry about taking some of the superheater tubes out now for access to the belly. 
A. Siegwarth Photo
12/23/08
The rear engine's center drive was repaired by the SP at Sacramento in 1936.  They left the proof in a stamping on the end of pin that says, "SAC 3.3.36", "TON 125" (the pressure need to press the pin in the wheel" and "R6 AXEL STEEL".
HPWise Photo.
12/20/08

Removing the throttle.  Henry Chandler steadies the casting while Johnathon operates the forklift.

A Siegwarth Photo
12/20/08

Alan Siegwarth working in the confines of the steam dome to get the throttle
ready to remove.
Henry Chandler Photos
11/29/08

Henry Chandler working in the smokebox pulling tubes.

A Siegwarth Photo
11/29/08

Al and John putting a protective coating on the bare boiler.

A Siegwarth Photos
11/22/08

Chris Holombo, Les Fisher and Henry Chandler (out of sight in the smokebox) pull tubes out of the locomotive. 
A Siegwarth Photo
11/22/08

Les Fisher working on the cab floor while Kevin Zimmerman is painting the boiler.

 A Siegwarth Photo 
11/22/08

Alan Siegwarth priming the firebox wrapper sheet

Johnathon Kruger Photo
10/18/08

Henry Chandler and Gerald DeWitt removing tubes.

Patrice Warren Photo
08/31/08

Carefully machining the weld/bead off of the tubes.

A Siegwarth Photo
08/31/08
Charlie and Jeff in the firebox with a tube cutter installed and ready to cut the seal weld and bead from the rear tube sheet.   Removing the weld and bead will allow the tube to be pushed out of the sheet from the firebox end.
A Siegwarth Photo


Now that the forklift is in place, how were we going to get this tank off again?  Chris Holombo, Henry Chandler and Johnathon Kruger discuss rigging the tank to the forklift.


Happy operator now that Pettibone is in place between the #4 and passenger cars stored on yard track #1
06/14/08

Pettibone forklift maneuvered into tight quarters ready to lift the side tank off of the locomotive. 

A Siegwarth photo
06/14/08

Henry Chandler removing tank mounting bolts in preparation for removing the firemans side tank. 

A Siegwarth Photo
05/31/08

Chris Holombo, Les Fisher, Henry Chandler removing lots piping to get access to remove the Mallets side tanks.
09/29/07

A proud cleaning crew - Chris Holombo, Gerald DeWitt, Dave Loyola, Charles Franz, Jeff Schwab and Alan Siegwarth
09/27/07

Cleaning scale out of boiler.  Chemicals were added to the boiler and water heated to boiling point for improved scale removal.  Notice the steam coming out of the open steam dome which was left uncovered to prevent pressure buildup in the boiler.

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