SubwayGuy Posted November 24, 2009 Share #1 Posted November 24, 2009 Note: Special Thanks to Y2Julio and Joe for photos. Some of my own made their way in here too. Also a big thanks to both of them and BroadwayBuffer for helping out with the work. Well, as many of you may know if you have come up to BERA, our R-9, #1689, is currently out of service due to motor problems and has been for most of the past two years now. Keeping it simple, one of the motors went bad, and needs replacement. What you may not have known is that we are working hard to nurse the car back to good health with some TLC in the shops. We had decided some time ago that even though only one motor was bad, both should be replaced under the car because the one that had not failed was overdue for some inspection and minor maintenance. So keeping that in mind, in summer and fall/winter 2008, two spare R9 motors were reconditioned and stored away to be placed under the car. Since a car as heavy as the R9 (at about 85,000 lbs.) had never been lifted in the shop before, most of the spring and summer was spent on miscellaneous projects to get the shop ready for that, as well as supply the jacks with the proper power to lift the car. On Sunday, everything was prepped, and it was time to begin the repair of the car, by taking the motor truck out from underneath the R-9, and replacing it with a dead "shop truck" to support the weight of the car in the meantime while we replaced the motors. We got an early start. The R-9 was coupled iron to iron with our R-17, #6688, which a few from here have actually operated before under supervision. With the R-9 non operational, the R-17 supplied the power. Here's a look at the coupling from in tight. These are two H2 head couplers, an H2A on the R9 side (left) and an H2C on the R17 side (right). Using the R17, we operated the R9 into the barn. Once the R9 was in position, we did the "cut" between the two cars, which was complicated slightly by the variation in coupler type, but ultimately worked. The R9 was chocked against movement of course, while the R17 was backed off a safe distance, then operated out of the barn lead to clear track space for the crane car, Montreal W-3, which we'd use to tow the R9's truck clear of the car. And here is the crane that will tow the R9's truck away: Now it's time to raise the car on the jacks about halfway. They do their thing: Before we can remove the truck or raise the jacks the rest of the way, all of the connections under the car must be broken. There are several. It's tight under there but a handful of people can get in there and work away at it (faces hidden by me, these TA logos are not in the original photos). Of course, we block the car for safety before going under there. Now the truck is free standing and can be moved safely. The car is raised the rest of the way so that the center casting which seats the car will pass safely underneath the bottom of the electric portion of the coupler. It clears, and now can be moved out by hand. Once it is fully clear of the R9, the truck is safe to be towed out by the crane. At this point the crane tows the truck back out. The shop truck is now placed underneath the R9 in much the same way as we just took the R9's actual truck out...just in reverse this time of course. No need to make up the connections between the shop truck and the rest of the car since we aren't going to run motors, use the brakes, or connect the car to power while it is on the shop truck, which appears below in all its rusted glory. With the R9 now safely lowered onto the shop truck, the jacks are removed and the car is moved back out of the shop and into storage. The R9 truck returns to the shop once the barn track is clear, and is stored inside to be worked on at a future date. All in a day's work. Hope you enjoyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INDman Posted November 24, 2009 Share #2 Posted November 24, 2009 Great job guys. I wish I could have been there this weekend, but I will be there for the rest of the work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoSpectacular Posted November 24, 2009 Share #3 Posted November 24, 2009 Wow, that's pretty interesting! Hope you can fully restore that train back to "brand-new" condition! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Concourse Posted November 24, 2009 Share #4 Posted November 24, 2009 Very nice picture narrative! And good luck with the train! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share #5 Posted November 24, 2009 Thanks guys...and INDman I won't know yet about Sunday...depends on how the weather holds up over the weekend as well as what the plan is at Seashore, but I'll let you know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan05979 Posted November 24, 2009 Share #6 Posted November 24, 2009 wow, man can you tell a story. awsome work there good job! :tup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Louis Car 09 Posted November 24, 2009 Share #7 Posted November 24, 2009 Its like the discovery of the titanic.Nice job.:tup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INDman Posted November 24, 2009 Share #8 Posted November 24, 2009 Thanks guys...and INDman I won't know yet about Sunday...depends on how the weather holds up over the weekend as well as what the plan is at Seashore, but I'll let you know Ah ok and the following weekend, Sunday might not be a great day. PM if you need the reason why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2Julio Posted November 24, 2009 Share #9 Posted November 24, 2009 Put me down for the next trip up. FYI, I won't be available the weekend of Dec 12-13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share #10 Posted November 24, 2009 Ah ok and the following weekend, Sunday might not be a great day. PM if you need the reason why. Sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share #11 Posted November 24, 2009 Put me down for the next trip up. FYI, I won't be available the weekend of Dec 12-13. Yup I will keep everyone updated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted November 24, 2009 Share #12 Posted November 24, 2009 It's tight under there Just how I like it. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share #13 Posted November 24, 2009 Just how I like it. :cool: LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Louis Car 09 Posted November 24, 2009 Share #14 Posted November 24, 2009 Lets keep this rated G fellas LOL just kidding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INDman Posted November 24, 2009 Share #15 Posted November 24, 2009 Lets keep this rated G fellas LOL just kidding. Just be glad were not talking about air brake work here. That conversation would be rated "X". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share #16 Posted November 24, 2009 Just be glad were not talking about air brake work here. That conversation would be rated "X". Heh...yeah a certain four letter word has a way of repeating itself over and over again when air brakes get brought up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KNIGHTRIDER3:16 Posted November 25, 2009 Share #17 Posted November 25, 2009 wow, man can you tell a story. awsome work there good job! :tup: Tell the other (M)embers great job and thanks for getting this underway:tup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeystoneRegional Posted November 25, 2009 Share #18 Posted November 25, 2009 Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INDman Posted November 25, 2009 Share #19 Posted November 25, 2009 And the work on the R9 has just begun. In the up coming weeks, the motors will be swapped out and the car retrucked. Once that is done, the really fun part begins, testing the new motors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted November 25, 2009 Author Share #20 Posted November 25, 2009 And the work on the R9 has just begun. In the up coming weeks, the motors will be swapped out and the car retrucked. Once that is done, the really fun part begins, testing the new motors. You know it. The fun part will be when 1689 is plying the rails again. Since I know you can say "shameless joy ride" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted November 25, 2009 Share #21 Posted November 25, 2009 What else has to be done on 1689? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INDman Posted November 25, 2009 Share #22 Posted November 25, 2009 Actually replaceing the motors, retrucking the thing, and it could use a paint job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted November 25, 2009 Share #23 Posted November 25, 2009 Ah, painting. Everyone always thinks painting is easy till they realize you've got to strip and clean the thing first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted November 25, 2009 Author Share #24 Posted November 25, 2009 What else has to be done on 1689? LOL A lot: -Drag the two reconditioned motors out of storage...megger them, test them, make sure they are still OK. -Remove the current motors out of the truck, which involves disassembling the retaining bracket, axle end caps, and using the crane since the hoist is not rated to lift a subway motor of 5,000 lbs. -Clean and lubricate the truck, likely including lubricating the waste in the journal boxes (a good idea). -Place the reconditioned motors into the truck, seating them carefully and lining up the bull and pinion gears and replacing the axle end caps and retaining bracket. Lubricate everything that's a moving part. -Test the reconditioned truck on the welder at slow speed to make sure the motors are wired correctly and to make adjustments if needed -Bring the R9 back into the shop and swap the reconditioned truck under the car. Connect all motor leads correctly. and put the shop truck back in storage. Do NOT yet move the car under its own power though. -Finish lapping the slide valve of the UE-5 universal valve (brake valve) in the air brake shop so that it passes a test pattern (doesn't leak too much air) -Put the UE-5 back under the car, and test its performance doing standing tests with the car chocked. -Connect the #1 grid to the main motor circuit. -Hope and pray that it runs with no problems. Then by that time, the car will almost definitely need a new paint job and some "spruce up" work on the interior. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted November 25, 2009 Share #25 Posted November 25, 2009 Sounds like fun (and I mean that too). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.