Every day a steam engine operates, a little bit of wear occurs. It is our fundamental belief that we have an obligation to the future to put more life into Frisco 1630 than we take out of it through regular operation so it can operate far into the future. Every year, during our annual inspection, we have tackled discrete mechanical repairs to make the locomotive just a little better than it was the year before. And, looking towards 1630’s next 1472-day inspection[1], which was scheduled to begin in 2029, we had developed a list of larger tasks to be completed. These include replacing a number of components original to 1630’s time on the Frisco Railroad.
Unfortunately, during our annual inspection of the locomotive this year, we discovered a thin spot on a superheater flue.[2] Further investigation led to the identification of additional thin spots, prompting the difficult decision to take the safest course of action: remove the 1630 from service and accelerate the start of the 1472-day inspection and rebuild.
In addition to the tasks required by the 1472-day inspection, as part of this rebuild we plan to renew or replace the following items:
- Replace 194 boiler tubes plus spares[3]
- Replace 28 superheater flues plus spares
- Rebuild or replace all 27 of 1630’s superheater units[4]
- Replace the tender tank
- Repair metal wastage in the cab
- Inspect and make other required boiler repairs
We are passionate about this project. Our goal is to have the locomotive in service before the Museum’s 75th Anniversary in 2028, and we believe that we can make it happen. But we need your help.
Steam Department volunteers have already made significant donations towards the 1630’s restoration, but there remains a lot of money to raise to complete this restoration. We are inviting our friends, families, fans, and supporters to join us in our efforts to return 1630 to operation by sponsoring a Superheater Flue ($1,300 each) or a Boiler Tube ($115 each). Please consider donating so that we can return North America’s last operating “Russian Decapod” to the rails. And, if sweat equity is more your style, please consider volunteering in the Steam Shop to help us with this effort.
We will keep you updated as work—and our fundraising efforts—progress.
-The IRM Steam Department
Sponsor a Superheater Flue at $1,300
Donate Other Amounts to the Project
Click here for more information and fundraising updates related to the Frisco 1630 restoration project.
[1] The “1472” is a comprehensive inspection of the locomotive’s boiler shell, firebox, and tube sheets, with accompanying replacement of boiler tubes, that is required to occur after 15 years of service or 1,472 operating days, whichever comes first.
[2] A superheater flue is essentially a larger-diameter boiler tube (in the case of 1630 5.5” in diameter). The purpose of these larger flues is to accommodate the superheater units.
[3] Boiler tubes are the numerous smaller diameter tubes (in the case of 1630, 2” in diameter) in the boiler which carry hot gases and, inevitably, some ash from the fire from the back of the locomotive to the front to be exhausted through the stack. The hot gas passing through these tubes helps heat the water in the boiler, but since the gases and other products of combustion are forcefully drawn through the tubes by the engine’s exhaust, they wear down and need to be replaced regularly.
[4] A superheater unit is a section of pipe acting as a heat exchanger through which steam flows back and forth multiple times after leaving the boiler through the throttle valve but before it is sent to the cylinders. It is designed to heat the steam in the hot gases of the fire that pass through the flue so that it becomes a dry vapor reaching a temperature well above the boiling point of water at boiler pressure. This “superheated” steam contains more energy than “wet” steam and is less likely to condense back into liquid water before reaching the cylinders.