Steam Car Network Blog

Auburn Heights Workshop steam car report

5/9/2019

March Activities on the steam cars in/around the Auburn Heights Workshop

Mountain Wagon

The Winker stopped winking in this car on the trip back to Auburn Heights after Tom’s Funeral. Upon inspection of the car’s pump box, it was discovered that the oil pump’s packing nut had come unscrewed because the keeper wire had also come loose. The packing nut was retightened, and the packing nut keeper wire was reattached. The car was fired up and driven outside. The rear axle was jacked up so the rear wheels were off the ground. The car was run in place to check winker operation. The winker winks again with each stroke of the engine.
A steady stream of water was found to be squirting from the front water pump’s outlet check cap with each stroke of the engine. The pump’s outlet check cap was removed, a lot of corrosion had formed under the cap’s seal, this was cleaned off and the cap was reinstalled. The water leak has stopped.

Model 740

New check valves were placed in the steam oil line and the car was fired up and taken out for a road test (about 15 miles).The oil delivery gauge appeared to be working properly.
Steam case packing valve nuts were tightened.
Volunteers drained and flushed out the water tank and replaced the oil socks. They also filled the oil tank.

Model 76

A new superheater was made up, ends of pipe were threaded for new pipe union fittings, which were then installed. The new superheater was installed under the boiler of the car. The rebuilt burner was re-installed under the boiler and all fuel lines were re-connected, then it was mudded up. The next day the car was fired up to check if the burner backfiring had been corrected, and there were no leaks in the piping of the new super heater. The car ran well and eventually siphoned. Siphoning was delayed for a whole day because of stuck check balls, which were subsequently replaced.

Model 607

The superheater was removed and measurements taken for creation of a new one.
A new battery was installed to power the lights, which were tested successfully.

Model 725

A new superheater was bent and modified to fit the burner, with the ends trimmed and threaded and then installed in the car. The burner was then installed in the car, the main fuel and pilot piping was hooked up and the burner was then mudded up.