Summer '08 Equip Repairs

[cjmlarson]

On July 5, there was progress being made on another addition to the Sandbox area. Louie can fill in the details on the name and model of the dragline being worked on. Wimpy, Louie & Bob were putting the finishing touches on the little Detroit engine they installed in the unit.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s319/cjmlarson/100_1857-2.jpg
Here, Wimpy & Jane are discussing what they are going to have Louie and Bob do next. You know you have to have a couple of supervisors on the job.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s319/cjmlarson/100_1859-2.jpg
Louie & Bob are getting the battery connected so they could start the little Detroit engine for the first time since installing it. Louie can fill in all the gaps. I have not been involved in this project, so I know very little about what is going on.

[louie]

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w54/louie14steam/woodpile2008001.jpg
Been a little slow about getting anything posted here about the little dragline This was purchased by Bill Rudicell and brought to the show grounds a year ago this fall. Don't much about it except when it came out there it had a Buick car engine and transmission of about the middle 50's vintage which was not in the best of shape So it was replaced with the little Detroit engine this picture shows Wimpy hooking up the chain so we could lift it in

[louie]

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w54/louie14steam/woodpile2008002.jpg
Getting ready to lift the engine in I am running the fork lift

[louie]

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w54/louie14steam/woodpile2008004.jpg
Wimpy is guiding the engine in

[louie]

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w54/louie14steam/woodpile2008006.jpg
Engine set into place rear view showing the drive sprockets and chain

[louie]

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w54/louie14steam/woodpile2008007.jpg
Wimpy cutting I beam for rear bearing mount

[louie]

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w54/louie14steam/woodpile2008005.jpg
Wimpy hooking up drive chain

[M Kerkvliet]

Did it ever run? How noisy was that chain?

I have to get around more... I knew the work was in progress, but I never got the scoop on how it all turned out.

Great pictures Louie!

[louie]

Yes it did run for the show Wimpy put a lot of time in on that unit all of the control levers were frozen with rust the old cable had to be removed from the winch drums. I think it was about a week before the show Bill and Harvey arrived that is when things started happening the boom was installed new cable strung the only thing that didn't get done was the drive chains which were also badly rusted and frozen So when we got all the cable on it we hooked one cat in front and one in back and pulled it down the hill on the east side of the sandbox installed the bucket It ran during the the show and as for the drive chain making noise you couldn't hear it for all the noise the engine was making