Project RGS 41

News

 

 

9/30/03

Kim has finished all but the mud ring on the fire box and is working on the steam dome. (when can I expect pictures? CB) I expect a great deal of assembly will occur this next month.
I have begun the cab on the locomotive and have the 2 rear doors done as of this writing and will begin the front doors next week. Working from Chris Burns' drawings; redrawn from the original 1881 drawings from DRG and other sources, I have cut all the pieces for the doors and windows. Kims' spouse, the lovely and talented Linda, works at a local glass shop and has procured all the glass for the doors and windows...Thank you, Linda!
Chris will make drawings available for the cab when they are finished and they will be posted at a later date on this website.

Ken Burns

 

8/6/03

The boiler is now well under way.  Kim has been working on it since our return from the Train Mountain Triennial.  Tonight, Kim has taken a "breather" from construction of the boiler and is working on a velocipede to debut at the Bitter Creek and Western narrow gauge meet in a week and a half.  RGS 41 and my two rail cars will be at Bitter Creek and Western on display.

 

7/16/03

It has been awhile since an update, but after Train Mountains’ Triennial we have a few things to share.
The boiler has been started, see attached photos. Although the pace of work has slowed due to vacations and job commitments some work has been done. Kim has cut out nearly all the pieces for the boiler and chamfered the edges for good weld penetration. The firebox has been tack welded in place and the tube sheets have been cut, chamfered and match drilled for the boiler tubes.
Kim and I and families attended the Triennial and had a wonderful time. I took my two nearly complete freight cars for show and tell and use. Thank you all for your positive comments of my work. See attached photos. I would like to also thank Kevin Doe of Georgia for “toting” around my two freight cars behind your DRG&W #340 along with Rudy vanWingen of Como Roundhouse fame for many of the detail parts used on the boxcar. Being pulled behind the DRG&W #340 was a real treat as it is nearly identical to RGS #41. Thank you Rudy for also toting around my freight cars behind your new addition to your roundhouse, the C&S #13.

Photos by: Ken Burns, Kim Beard and Hubert Wetekamp

Ken Burns

MSVRR and Train Mountain pictures.

 

03/08/03

The small videos of the first test on air are finally available. They are in MPEG format.

Large video (10 second 892K)

Small video 1 (15 second 344K)               Small video 2 (15 second 344K)

 

03/03/03

Kim began construction of the pilot this past January and finished it up the middle of February. Using a jig loaned to us by Peter Mosley, a BIG thank you Peter, Kim heated the 10mm tubes in the jig and bent them to shape. He built the bottom triangler shaped piece from 1/8" strap bent to shape and then welded another strap on the bottom to form the "L". The tubes are held in place with bolts with the heads machined to look like rivets. Kim has also made the pilot braces from the smoke box to the pilot.
Tonight, Kim made the cut lever for the pilot from 1/4" rod, having previously made the brackets from 1/8" X 1/2" strap formed around a 1/4" rod and drilled for clearence. The 90 degree angle of the bracket was made in our sheet metal break.

Images are large.

 

02/25/03

The web page finally has a new host!!!   If you didn't know by now RGS 41 ran on air for the first time on December 22, 2002.   I hope to have pictures and video of the first run on the web page soon (meaning this week).   The engine also appeared at the M&SV monthly show in January where it ran for many hours on air.   Ken has kept himself busy with the gon and has started a boxcar.   Pictures of the boxcar below. The finished gon and boxcar will be at Train Mountain for the first Triennial this June.

Images are large.

 

11/07/02

Kim has machined the crosshead guides and crossheads and hung them on the locomotive. Just prior to the the Crossroads show, I received the stack and stack base castings from Rudy vanWingen at Como Roundhouse. They are some of the best raw castings we have gotten for this project so far. Kim immediately faced off the stack and turned a step in the bottom ala the prototype. He ground out clearence for the nut and washer in the stack base and then turned a taper on the inside of the stack. Next will be pistons, connecting rods and main rods. We should be running on air by the end of January 2003!!

Ken

Pictures of Bitter Creek Western Railroad and Crossroads show here.

 

08/12/02

No new work on the web site.  However Kim has all of the main rods done on the locomotive and should be starting on the cylinder heads soon.  He has also just completed a cardboard mockup of the cab from my drawings.  Kim and Ken will be taking 41 down to Bitter Creek Western Railroad for the second annual narrow gauge meet August 17 and 18.  And be sure to ask Ken about his recent trip to South America.

 

07/06/02

Work has progressed slowly on the web site, I hope there is has been more work done to the locomotive.  As you have probably already found out there is still no links page.  Sorry to everyone; but when its 105 degrees outside and my roommates and I are so cheap we don't run the air conditioner, I dont get much work done.  I have been slowly making drawings of the cab using pictures of the real RGS 41 and drawings of C16/19 cabs I got from Rudy.  Thanks Rudy. The first look at the cab is here.

Pictres of the 5 "C" class locomotives on desplay at The Golden Gate Live Steamers 2002 Spring meet here.

 

05/30/02

I've made a change to the construction photos page to hopefully make it easier to explore. Just two days to go to the Golden Gate Live Steamers spring meet and the 50th anniversary of the Redwood Valley Railway, hope to see everyone there.  I've heard that there will be at least 10 15" gauge locomotive there.  It should be a good time.
I have just reloaded my system (you guys running a Microsoft operating systems know what I mean) and I am trying to get back up to speed.  I finally got a web creation program on the hard drive last night.  Oh and Rudy if you are actually reading this here is a link to The Joshua Tree & Southern Railroad Club & Museum.  I know you've been asking for one.

 

05/21/02

Ok, so I didn't update the links page and Im not sure when I'll get around to it.  For links go to Discover Live Steam a great site full on information and links to clubs and manufactures.  I have however just uploaded all of Kim Beard's pictures he took last January at the 50th Anniversary of the Ghost Town & Calico Railroad at Knott's Berry Farm.  I hope to have more pictures and some descriptions up soon.
Also last weekend was the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers spring meet.  Much fun was had by all. And we hope to see our friends again at the Golden Gate Live Steamers spring meet on June 1 and 2.  Visit their web page for more info and see you there.

 

04/30/02

Its been a while since I've done any work on the web site, I apologize for that.  I do however have a lot of photos to go through and edit before uploading to the pictures pages.  And now Im currently finding web sites and links to add to the links page.  The links page should be updated sometime this week.
And I just heard last weekend that the 2" extension to the frame of the tender doesn't allow the trucks to swivel.  Im told that Kim is cutting the end and side sills down and modifying the bolster.