Submitted by Steve Winicker.
LAST WEEKENDS SHOP ACTIVITY
Friday was spent looking for parts and suppliers. The trailing truck wheels were returned to the shop with new bearings and reprofiled wheels. Zach welded up some of the trailing truck centering device which had cracked where welded to the locomotive frame. The throat sheet washout plug sleeves were fitted up and should be ready to install tomorrow. I took drawings of the pedestal liners to PWC to see if they could form them.
Saturday, we made progress on getting the trailing truck pedestal liners off the truck and cleaned up the surfaces so we can get some additional thickness readings that will allow us to put the truck back together with the axles properly trammed. The washout plug sleeves came back from the Machine shop so those have been screwed in and seal welded. Grant ground off welds all day and continued into Sunday. We also discovered the reason for the mismatched lengths on the spring hangers. Apparently, the railroad changed the axle size of the wheel sets at some point requiring new spring hanger lengths. The drawing we were using had not been updated while another had been updated but I missed finding, or at least noting, there was a difference on the original search for drawings.
Sunday, more cleaning and grinding on the trailing truck. All the old weld that held on the pedestal shims was removed and the surface scale and cleaned. Finished out the day removing paint so the truck can be painted. Fortunately, the weather was nice making working outside more desirable than in the shop.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
Work will continue prepping the trailing truck. We also need to get the steam dome cover off and the pop valves gagged so we can do a hydrostatic test. No date for the test is set yet but we are ready to begin some work on finding leaks and other defects.
SAFETY SENSE
It is estimated that number of cell phone users worldwide will exceed five billion in 2019. Cell phone use has expanded into every activity in our lives, from emergency communication to picking products from a grocery shelf. It sometimes seems people have no idea what to do with a spare moment other than make a cell phone call.
Whether you are in the presence of a user or you use a cell phone personally, using the phone is a significant distraction. Being distracted while driving, while operating tools and equipment and performing work activities, when walking across the street, when in public or at work, increases the risk of crashes and injuries.
Researchers have compared the level of distraction resulting from cell phone activity to a blood alcohol level of 0.08. Research also has shown that a cell phone conversation while driving is a greater distraction than conversing with a passenger. Drivers reacted significantly slower to unexpected events in the first two minutes of the phone conversation and are, for a large part of the conversation, unaware of traffic movements around them.
Many states have banned the use of cell phones without a hands-free device. Although that may help a little, the distraction is still present. Your best bet is to pull over to the side of the road or pull into a parking lot if you musthave the conversation.
Additionally, never utilize your cell phone while you continue to perform tasks in the Shop. Stop what you are doing and go to a non-active’ area, such as outside the Shop to make the call.
SAFETY IS JOB 1
SAFETY FIRST ALWAYS
