[SEL] Dismantling the IR Steam Compressor Day 1

[Richard Strobel]

Zara...Rick needs a propane fired space heater (torpedo) for Christmas! 
Tough to work in those conditions.  One doesn't take/have the time to clean 
the threads and such.
  Congrats to you both and we're rootin' for ya.

RickinMt.







----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Todengine at aol.com>
To: <relisses at gmpexpress.net>; <Stationary_Steam_Engines at yahoogroups.com>; 
<steam_lizards at yahoogroups.com>; <steam-engine at lists.stationary-engine.com>; 
<TodEngine at yahoogroups.com>; <sel at lists.stationary-engine.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 5:15 PM
Subject: [SEL] Dismantling the IR Steam Compressor Day 1


> Well wouldn't you know it the heavy snows finally came last night, and
> completely covered the compressor engine!
>
> The dismantling crew (myself and my wife Zara) arrived at the Park drop
> forging plant in Cleveland about 12:30 pm, and I started to work removing 
> misc.
> small parts including the exhaust steam lines, lube lines and mechanical
> lubricators, piping etc.  I started to remove the throttle valve and 
> governor but as
> usually happens one of the nuts stripped out, so more drastic measures 
> will be
> taken on it later.  I also removed the nuts holding the air crossover pipe 
> and
> the main bearing caps nuts.  By 2:30 pm I was frozen solid and we left the
> plant to head back home with a pickup load of steam engine goodies.
>
> I'll be back at the plant tommorrow afternoon to continue the work.  I 
> hope
> to be able to hijack a forlkift and operator for a few minutes to take off 
> the
> air crossover pipe, and pull the flywheel and crankshaft out.  I also hope 
> to
> crib up under the compressor end of the main bedplate to support that end 
> so I
> can remove the air lines underneath the compressor cylinders, and to get 
> the
> compressor cylinders themselves ready to pull off.
>
> Assuming things go according to plan tommorrow I'll be back on Friday to 
> move
> more parts to Youngstown.
>
> As I was packing up to leave one of the maintenance men was getting into 
> his
> car and mantioned that "someone from the Smithsonian had looked at the
> compressor at one time". If I had a dollar for each time I have heard that 
> phrase
> when it comes to old machinery I would be rich by now!  He also said that 
> it was
> a good running machine and worked when they stopped using it.  If that is 
> so
> then why are one set of eccentric rods disconnected and tied up out oif 
> the way
> and the packing glands on the valve rods missing?  I think it was running 
> on
> one cylinder at the end of its career.  I just hope I don't find any major
> problems inside.  But if so, heck I work at a foundry and we have a lathe 
> and
> milling machine so there isn't anything we couldn't remake!
>
> More phjotos of todays work are online at
> http://community.webshots.com/user/todengine
>
> Rick Rowlands
> Executive Director
> Tod Steam Engine Historic Landmark
> William Tod 34" x 68" x 60" Cross Compound Steam Engine
> Youngstown, OH
> www.todengine.org
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