NPS Photo, Bill Clark
The spoked wheels of a steam locomotive have separate tires about 4 inches thick. They are cut 50/1000 of an inch too small for the wheel. To install them, the tire is heated to about 350 degrees. The heat causes the tire to expand and, when it has expanded enough, it is placed on the wheel. As it cools, it shrinks to fit.
The new tires were placed on the Baldwin #26's wheels on February 1st and 2nd, 2007.
Baldwin Locomotive Works #26
Owners: Baldwin Locomotive Works, #26; Jackson Iron & Steel Company, #3
Builder: Baldwin Locomotive Works
One of two typical switch engines in the Steamtown NHS collection (the other is the Spang, Chalfont & Co. #8), Baldwin Locomotive Works #26 rolled out of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, Eddystone, Pennsylvania, in March, 1929. But instead of selling it to some railroad or industry, the Baldwin company retained the locomotive for switching duties at their massive Eddystone Plant. The switcher, after serving many years for BLW, was sold to Jackson Iron & Steel of Jackson, Ohio where it switched empty cars into the plant and loaded cars out to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad -- the two railroads connecting with the plant. It was sold in 1979 to a private owner, and remained in Jackson until June, 1983, when it moved to Grand Rapids, Ohio. In July of the same year, it moved to the Mad River & NKP Museum at Bellevue, Ohio. It remained there until 1986, when it was acquired by the former Steamtown Foundation in trade for Canadian National Railways 4-6-0 Locomotive #1551. It actually arrived in Scranton, PA, in January, 1990, after Steamtown had been designated a National Park.
This locomotive is currently undergoing a full rebuild.
A new firebox is installed. The rigid staybolts on the side sheets are installed, though they still need to be trimmed and hammered over. The holes for the flexible and radial stays are being prepared.
The frame of the locomotive has been trammed (aligned), a new cylinder sleeve installed in the right main cylinder, the left main cylinder has been bored. Work continues on the brake rigging and suspension.
The wheels were checked for cracks in the cast steel. One crack was found and repaired. The axles were re-centered (the dynamic augment, or unbalanced weight, will eventually move the center of the axle away from the center of the wheel which, of course, increases the pounding) and the bearing surfaces have been ground.
In 2007, new tires were sweated into place on the wheels. During 2008-09, staybolts were installed, mud ring riveting, firebox welding and the slide valve rebuild were completed. Cab, tender frame and tender tank repairs were also completed in this timeframe.
In the coming months of 2009, a contractor will apply tank epoxy to the inside of the tender cistern, the tender trucks will be rebuilt and work will continue on the driving wheel boxes. Additionally, we will prepare to install the front tube sheet and approximately 300 2-inch flues.
While there continues to be no definite completion date for this rebuild, the BLW 26 could be back in service within the next 12 to 24 months.
