Southern Pacific 4-6-0 No. 18, which is being leased to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad from the Carson & Colorado Railway, blew its right cylinder and shattered the piston during a run from Durango, Colo., to Cascade Canyon, Colo., on April 9, 2019. The “Slim Princess,” as it’s affectionately called, is a Baldwin steam locomotive built in 1911 for the Nevada California Oregon Railway.
The train was carrying approximately 100 passengers during an excursion when the incident occurred between Hermosa, Colo., and Rockwood, Colo. The fireman on the train was taken to Rockwood to return with a diesel locomotive. The disabled steam engine was set out on a siding and the four passenger cars were taken back to Durango under diesel power. The direct cause of the cylinder failure wasn’t immediately known.
D&SNG Railroad is working to convert former Denver & Rio Grande Western 2-8-2 K-37 No. 493 to burn oil, and SP No. 18 is an oil burner. D&SNG leased No. 18 in order to give its crew experience with that kind of fuel. The lease is up in June 2019.
Hope the train crew had AAA for a tow.
Her sister #9 lives in the Laws Museum in Bishop California. There is another display (location unknown) that is the third loco of the series built for the Carson and Colorado. It may be possible to make patterns from either one.
Hopefully the lease didn’t say, “You break it, you bought it.”
Mister Cook:
While I agree that it is possible to use the left piston as a template, do not the fabrication drawing for this engine (and this piece) exist in archive somewhere? If not what happened to them, and if so why can they not be used?
The above comments are general in nature and do not form the basis for an attorney/client relationship. They do not constitute legal advice. I am not your attorney. Find your own damn lawyer.
PS: to my message below. The left piston will be a pattern for a new cast piston. It can be put into a 3D printer and measured, and a new pattern created by the 3D printer oversize to adjust for the metal shrinkage that must be calculated to get an exact size copy. A replacement piston might be borrowed from an engine on display while the casting replacement will be made.
A cylinder ring broke and piece got in the steam pork which shattered the cast piston. A broken piece of the piston punched out a hole in the cylinder head. New piston will be cast and both cylinders will receive new piston rings. A cylinder head will be cast or a new cylinder head plate will be used. All repairable as no damage was done to the cylinder. None of the crew or shop were at fault. Thing happen just like on modern railroads when rails break. The railroad is well equipped and had engines spaced on the line. Credit Mr. Taylor of the CRRM for his up date on the cause.
It happens to the best of us
Can’t help but cringe at the sound of sick locomotive.
Ouch. Yes, hard to watch. All of us who have run steam have had times where we have heard a noise that makes us stop and say “What was that?!!”
New piston and cylinder will have to be fabricated. If spare parts in the form of pistons and cylinders already exist for Number 18, that would be perfect.
Armchair fireman, I’ll admit, but what’s the likely hood they we’re accidentally working water in the cylinder?
Hurts to watch (and listen to.)