Thursday, July 16, 2009

July 2009 Work Weekend

Lots of mundane tasks this weekend!

The two primary achievements were the cleaning of 9's (Shay) fuel tank and spraying for weeds on the entire layout of the MCRR.

Before any work starts, the "oracle" is consulted. Here, Griffin W., Brian B., Dustin B., Tiff, and Matt C., discuss what is happening on the bench separating everyone and tactics for weed spraying. Not pictured are Abe C. and Elliot H.

Matt was starting to reassemble the German turbine/generator for the 16 (Henschel). The housing was cracked; it was being prepared for welding. The cast iron shell needed to be heated and then stick welded. At one point there was a complete "oven" built around the housing.



















The weed spraying used the Model A firefighters' car and a little trailer which housed the spraying equipment.




































To keep anyone from drinking from the trailer's water tank, an appropriate symbol was painted onto the tank.



















Abe C. was caught filling the pump's gasoline tank.



















Not more than 15 seconds after leaving the shop doorway, the spraying trailer left the rails. This delayed the staff for a while as they got it back on the rails.





















































Abe C. uses the handheld wand to get the weeds around the switches. The spray rod attached to the trailer only reaches from outside one rail to the other. Areas further than the ties needs hand work.




































Griffin W., is operating the Model A while Abe was doing the real work.




































While spraying was going on, others were emptying the fuel tank on the 9 (Shay). Elliot H. was moving the "vacuum" hose around in the tank while Rebeca N., holds the flashlight as appropriate.



















After sucking most of the oil out from the top of the fuel tank, the pump hose was attached to the tank's water drain. from time to time, the pump was turned on to suck the goop which had accumulated in the hose into the tote (not shown).




































A few problems from the July 4th "Running of the Shays" were remedied. Jesse V., Dustin B., and Griffin discuss what else needs fixing on the 9.



















In the general shop work area, Jesse V., Dustin B., and Elliot H. prepare for tank diving. If you look closely, Dustin and Elliot are holding forced air respirators deemed necessary to go inside the fuel tank. It was a real surprise to find the respirators since none of the three even knew they existed. They had been tipped off by the president of their location and last use -- approximately 1995!

There was 14 years of dust on the two respirators which was easily cleaned. Not so easy to deal with was the rotted straps on the full face respirator. Originally, it was thought with two respirators, both Dustin and Elliot would enter the tank. Luckily for Elliot, the respirator which he choose was the one with the broken straps thus Dustin was the winner of the tank dive.



















It was expected that the tank dive would be a classic "world's dirtiest jobs" entry. To eliminate some of the oil from getting onto Dustin's skin, Brian B. tapes his rubber gloves to his tyvek suit's sleeves.



















Looking down into the fuel tank, Dustin's backside is on the left, the milk crate used to step into the tank, the drop light, and the forced air hose.



















Dustin shifted to the fireman's side of the fuel tank.



















After over an hour in the tank scooping about 15 gallons of sludge from the tank's bottom, Dustin emerges from the tank.

The bright white tyvek suit turned an oily black from wandering about in the confined space. We had to cut Dustin out of the suit.
























































































A few miscellaneous pictures round out the day.


























































































































-steam.airman