Can we restore this 7-1/4" gauge steam engine? Let's take a look...

[@michaelmasi5220]

Man this restoration's gonna be a tall task to get done

[@MillBrookRailroad]

You're not wrong.

[@katherinemorey6517]

What does tall task mean? Cory Mears

[@MillBrookRailroad]

@katherinemorey6517 , it means that there are a lot of things to do to get it running and it's going to take a long time.

[@katherinemorey6517]

@@MillBrookRailroad thanks for letting me know!

[@tomhiggins6116]

Thanks for all your content, here’s a little something to help you with your worthy cause.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Wow! Thanks à

[@martythemartian99]

"Can we restore this 7-1/4" gauge steam engine?" he asks. (Marty puts on bad Drill Sergeant voice) OF COURSE YOU CAN SOLDIER! DO YOU WANT TO EAT, OR DO YOU WANT A WORKING LOCOMOTIVE? PRIORITIES SON. NOW REPEAT AFTER ME. THIS IS MY LOCOMOTIVE. THERE ARE MANY LIKE IT, BUT THIS IS MINE. NOW MOVE IT SOLDIER, DOUBLE TIME!. (as you may have guessed, I was never in the military, but I've seen a few old movies) 😄

[@Jaydhore345]

Good go

[@marcsummerlott3965]

Start with compressed air for the running gear. Good Luck.

[@GWIRailroad]

What a great winter project.

[@henrynelson2265]

Live steam on the Milbrook? Wow!

[@MillBrookRailroad]

It'll happen eventually.

[@katherinemorey6517]

Yes it will be AMAZING!!! Cory Mears

[@mischef18]

Looks like a lot of love needs to be put into it bro but I am sure you and your friends are quite capable of doing it in time. Safe travels. Ken

[@garyruxton5226]

Use a small soda blaster to clean it all up. It won't harm the metal at all (works on a Corvette) and rinses off. All the paint, gunge - gone. It would clean out smoke box nice and shiny to cleanly take care of bad tube

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I have a small soda blaster. I didn't think it would be up to the task, but it's probably worth a shot.

[@garyruxton5226]

@MillBrookRailroad Cool. Let us know how it goes by doing a video on it so we can see how it works.

[@TheDaf95xf]

Hi 👋🏻 buddy. This I’ll be a great project for the Millbrook railroad and help your channel grow with lots of ideas and help coming in I’m sure 👌🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@TSMGL_Youtube]

Can't wait to see more progress! I'd imagine you're planning to give the tender a refresh as well?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I certainly am.

[@marknewell7355]

Have you the cab and steam turret and regulator or even the reverser ? You need the boiler cladding and as for the flu I'd be tempted to put two more 15mm in the bottom it's quite a big fire box maybe the reason it's melting the silver solder could also be old age like too, but yeah it definitely needs completely stripping down the cylinders will be rusted wouldn't hurt to put a lubricator on it too but yes it's a good project can't wait to see it unfold

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I have all the parts, bagged and labeled in a big box. It has a mechanical lubricator. All the cladding is in the box as well. I think the tube leaking has more to do with age than anything else.

[@marknewell7355]

MillBrookRailroad yeah definitely if it's as old you mentioned how often do you guys have to have them overhauled and or inspected we have to have boiler test and inspections

[@MillBrookRailroad]

@marknewell7355 , regulations vary from state to state here. Most states don't require any testing at all with small hobby boilers. That doesn't mean we don't test them, though. It just means our safety is our own responsibility.

[@VelociraptorsOfSkyrim]

I wish you the best of luck with referbishing this engine! I am excited to see it in action

[@HillOrStream]

I know the full sized steam engines have boiler rules (Fed?) where they need inspection and rebuilds at certain intervals. Wouldn't think they'd apply to 7&1/4" but I wonder at what point they do apply? You get up to 12" or bigger and it's a pretty big boiler.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Non-railroad boiler laws vary from state to state. Since this is narrower than 2 foot gauge, it's technically not a railroad by federal standards. I don't know when this boiler was last inspected, but it's going to get a thorough going through now.

[@jaybird4095]

Lovely engine. I hope you keep the patina.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Unfortunately, the patina has to go in order to fix the boiler. It has to be absolutely clean inside and out to get a good silver solder bond.

[@katherinemorey6517]

Hi Aaron, I am a very very big fan of steam locomotives they're just so awesome. Especially the streamlined steam locomotives. Cory

[@s16100]

yep, gonna be a lot of work. Will be awesome when you do the first fire up. So cool!!!! Yep copper boilers don't require as much boiler water perfection. One thing if you will allow me to say. A flue is the large ones that super heater tubes would go in. A Tube is the small ones to be technical! :)

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Well, either way, that one needs to be replaced.

[@s16100]

@@MillBrookRailroad LOL yep it sure does. shouldn't be too hard to do. hopefully that is all that is wrong with her. This is pretty exciting. :)

[@armandoperez7967]

A steam locomotive like this one would be a great addition to the Mill Brook Railroad.

[@armandoperez7967]

It can be adapted to burn many liquids.

[@armandoperez7967]

A little steam locomotive like this will look and sound great on the MB RR!

[@kenshores9900]

Looking good. Good luck.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Thanks

[@chrisgage1051]

Will it run and drive steam engine style. Good stuff

[@solarusthelonghaulerrailfa3226]

Would be a good idea to replace all of them Aaron considering when the last time it was fully inspected and serviced

[@godzillaking3347]

You are going to be having a steam train now and is it the same gauge as your track if it is I can't wait to see more videos

[@MillBrookRailroad]

It is the same gauge as my track, and it's going to run again at some point. I'm not going to put a date on it, though.

[@kayakingphotos]

Any exciting railroad related photos in the slide carousels?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Probably plenty.

[@kayakingphotos]

@@MillBrookRailroad And likely not looked at in years? I'm about halfway through digitizing about 10,000 family slides. Onto some I've never seen before currently.... and likely have never been looked at in decades by anybody

[@toadjam12000]

I would change the brakes to air. Vacuum is almost gone. Interchange with air brakes running on other RR's would be easy. The conversion is easy too. That boiler tube looks like they tried to solder it while was dirty.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Air would be a good choice for now. The boiler tube has two gun brush ends stuck in it.

[@wesbrackmanthercenthusiast4695]

Nice shay is it a Loco parts shay on that other table I saw one of them at Millcreek central Thursday for their buckeye limited advent

[@MillBrookRailroad]

It is a Buckwalter Shay, being built for a local farmer.

[@wesbrackmanthercenthusiast4695]

@MillBrookRailroad so it is the same manufacturer cool ,you said it's being made for a farmer, is he planning on using it for family rides or to actually preform farm task like the one I'm getting tools to build, just to name some of the instances mine is needed for manure,hay,maple sap,stone,and log hauling for my 1888 size 0 frick circlemill

[@wolftrainservicesltd6418]

I guess your expansion is on hold

[@MillBrookRailroad]

This is the discovery phase. I'll have to go slowly with the boiler repairs. That will give me time to do the other projects.

[@DieCastoms]

would really like to see you get her up on some blocks and put a LITTLE compressed air (and lots of oil) through her, just barely enough to get her to cycle a few times ...

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

Cool 😊

[@gbwdude]

Are you keeping it OCRR or will it be relettered for MLBK?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

At the moment, it is staying in OCR paint.

[@ronz101]

You can do anything you put your mind too. Keep your steam fitters phone number handy.

[@ЛЬВИНИ]

Very nice video, likes from me 🤩!

[@robertliepe6766]

🚂TRUE HISTORY 🚂🍻👍🏻🇺🇲

[@carolinecleaveley]

Hi Arron. You got a bargain for all that railroad.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

You're absolutely right, but the steam engine isn't the most valuable part of it. It's the $4500 hopper car.

[@benhancock1408]

I see two axle pumps hidden there between the frames.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Indeed, you do!

[@erniepike3902]

FYI I didn't recognize Black Five when it showed up for a merch purchase, nearly canceled.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Thanks for letting me know about that. I'll have to put a notice on the web page. Your mug should ship on Monday or Tuesday, by the way. I had to order more.

[@how_to_hallagon1]

As soon as I run into some money 💰 I'll donate. Because I want to see how you get it running and then run it on the mill brook railroad

[@kennethbean1587]

4:11. 52 flues, 48 little ones and the 4 big ones on top

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Thanks!

[@paleemperor4089]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@schudder1623]

where do you get your engines from? its adreamof mine to have one of my own

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I build little electric locomotives for people. I bought the steam engine at an estate sale.

[@williamcannon3885]

Are you going to have to retune the whole boiler and do a hydro

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I'll replace the bad tube. Then, I'll do a leak test and proceed according to the results.

[@williamcannon3885]

So you will be doing it differently than the what we do on the big locomotives

[@the_mississippian_railfan]

Its a start

[@lisapeters5554]

well, i tell you, in my opinion, i think you need to clean it up real good, maybe replace a couple minor things, fix the flue if you know a good boiler maker / tube welder, and then give the loco a good selling. at the Mill Brooke, you are not set up for live steam, and, based on your operations i have watched, by the time you got it out of the shed and got it up to working temp, you could have carried the wood pellets in by hand. let alone draining the water and dumping the fire box and putting it away for next time. besides, as you said, you're on the hook for, several thousand dollars. plus you're going to spend a ton on a complete restore. much better off to sell the loco and apply what it brings against the over all debt. whatever you do, i wish you much success. keep on keepin' on my friend. and get us more videos as soon as possible.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

The steam engine will need a lot of work. It'll also take a long time to do. One thing I've said a lot over the years is that I wouldn't have a steam engine again (this is my second steam engine) until I had a place to put it inside. I have that place now. It's not connected to the mainline at the moment, but it is in place. The one stipulation to my friend Hank selling this to me was that he would be able to run it when he visits the MLBK. Since he's holding the note, I expect he'll be more patient than a bank. Either way, I'll figure out a way to pay it all off. Along with the steam engine comes everything to maintain it. That includes a water tower, over a gallon of steam oil, and about a metric tonne of steam coal. I don't plan on running pellet trains with the steam engine. It's hard enough on the electric locos! If I tried it on the pellet train, I'd probably have a runaway on my hands, and I don't want that. No, the steam engine is for the public passenger runs that never make it to youtube, because I can't safely run a passenger train and a camera at the same time. If I spill a wood pellet train on the ground, it's an inconvenience. If I spill a passenger train, it's a liability.

[@lisapeters5554]

@@MillBrookRailroad well, good luck on making it all happen. i hope the project goes well. by the by, i was wondering if maybe, in an effort to raise money, you might be giving thought to selling the box cab now. i am still interested in buying it.

[@chrisgage1051]

Might as well get ahead of it and soak pretty much the entire thing in WD-40, lol

[@railroadactive]

What is the fuel source for the engine?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

It's a coal burner.

[@twentysevenlitres]

Is "Flu" the correct term in the US? We call them "Boiler Tubes" here

[@gravelydon7072]

Yes "Flue" is the correct term.

[@iblskeith]

@@gravelydon7072 Not entirely…superheaters go through flues, the bulk of the tubes are boiler tubes or fire tubes.

[@gravelydon7072]

@@iblskeith Not true. You don't have to have a superheater for the boiler to have flues. Take a look at a return flue boiler as an example. Or early boilers that only had one flue and no super heating elements. A Cornish boiler is an example. The sheet at the front of a boiler on a locomotive is called a Flue Sheet even if it isn't superheated. Flues there are simply tubes that are larger in diameter but still called flues.

[@iblskeith]

@@gravelydon7072 We are not talking marine or stationary boilers here. Proper locomotive terminology differentiates between flues and fire tubes. And flues are larger diameter to accommodate super heater elements. And the sheet at the front of a locomotive boiler is called The Tube Sheet. I’ve been doing this for sixty years and was a Road Foreman of Engines on a Class One Railroad so I have some experience in these matters.

[@bradfordthompson8326]

You be better off to make all new tubes...New Tube Sheets New Fire Box...Hopeyou do a. RVI OF INSIDE THE FIRE BOX AND TUBE SHEETS (WATER SIDE) YOU ARE NOT alone OUR 2-6-0 engine has a Steel boiler WoW our tubes leaked in same Area.. We always blow down boiler after each run and removed safety valves so boiler will vent Dry...We used regular well water and tested it for Water treatment for .....zHow fun love to Donate to help you rebuild the Girl...looking forward to seeing it in a "Millbrook Central & VERMONT RAILWAY Wood pellets Unit Trains...Hopefully you can use Alise Donation in a "ADOPTION A TUBE "😮😢😢🎉😂❤ M

[@danielfantino1714]

Forget that steamer completely for now. $$$ and labor required. You don´t need it. With permission, start OCR track dismentling. Nothing left down there to use it anyway. A left flat is ideal to carry track panels that can already put at use on your unfinish siding. Easy quick project. Then plan enginehouse and car barn location. Cheaper little by little than rush 2024 ultimate day. If you can bring both buildings before this fall, great. Rebuilding can wait . Then only track will be left. OCR turntable and jack will be nightmare full of surprises. You can do it at the end. Simplest cheapest tasks first. That steamer is a big stone in your shoe. May be also some trackwork on MILB RR too. Don´t drag your feet !!! You´ve found brut diamonds. They´ll need work to become jewels they really can be.