# A 2ft gauge Locomotive Boiler



## RonGinger (May 20, 2009)

Maine was a hotbed of 2 ft gauge locomotives in the late 1800's to about 1930. I live just a couple miles from 2 museums still running 2 ft gauge. The Boothbay Railway Village http://railwayvillage.org/ is a museum with a short 2 ft railway, 3 operating steam locos, and about 100 antique autos. They have a shop that is a code certified boiler shop. 

When I retied to Maine I started to hang around the shop and help out. Like any non-profit volunteers get sucked in as deep as they are willing, and I now help a bit at the shop, and serve on the board.

The Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway http://wwfry.org/ was one of Maines more important narrow gauge lines. The museum there has re-built more than 2 miles of track, many buildings and lots of rolling stock. It is an amazing, all volunteer railroad. They were able to acquire the last loco to run on the line in 1933 for the estate of a collector. It needed a new boiler, so a deal was struck and BRV set out to build the new boiler.

I have a few pages of some of the work at BRV on my web site at http://plsntcov.8m.com/BRV/Railroad1.htm I did some of the hammer forming of the 1/2" steel plates, I Made lots of the 240 1"-12 stay bolts, and I used my CNC mill to cut 3" pipe threads on the throttle valve and dry pipe.

On May 20the boiler was finished, the inspection and testing complete and the 'S' stamp was hammered into the nameplate. I cut the nameplate on my CNC mill. 






This is a bit bigger than most model engineering projects, but it could also be looked at as a one-half scale model of full size railroads!

This is a major tourist area, if anyone reading this plans to visit Maine be sure to look me up and Ill give a shop tour of the railroad, and maybe even work out a cab ride in one of the locos.


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## b.lindsey (May 20, 2009)

Wonderful post Ron! Its nice to see all the old machine tools still being put to good use as well. Sadly, were it not for such "working" museums and the volunteers supporting them, youngsters today would have few if any opportunities to even see live steam engines. I can recall growing up in Atlanta, GA, when Southern RR would bring out its #4501 locomotive a few times each year. Dad and I would sit along the main line and watch her go by or at times or follow along in the family station wagon as she steamed down toward Manchester, GA on a lazy summer afternoon. 

Regards,
Bill


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## PhillyVa (May 20, 2009)

Good job...I will never make it out there sooooooo th_wwp It would be neat the see some kids smiles too.

Regads

Philly


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## Mainer (May 20, 2009)

Here's a few shots I took of the completed boiler a day or two before the final inspection, and a picture (of a picture) of the locomotive it's going in.


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## ChooChooMike (May 20, 2009)

WONDERFUL WORK RON !! :bow:

Please keep us informed with lots of pictures of course, of the ongoing restoration ! I'm quite fascinated with steam loco's and love learning as much as I can about this kind of restoration work !!

Mike


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## shred (May 20, 2009)

That's a neat little loco. Be sure to get some more pictures/drawings when it gets put back together.. it would be fun to make a 16mm live steam version for O-gauge track...


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