JR East - C61 20 back in service soon?

[miyakoji]

Just found this on Ompuchaneru:

 

 

source: http://rail-uploader.khz-net.com/index.php?id=940235

 

Here's a page hosted on a JR East website about its restoration: http://jres.jp/c6120/index.html

 

I'm not actually a huge steam fan, but I do like the surrounding history, so it's cool to see this work happening.  I had read about this work a while ago, but confused it with D51 498--maybe because C61 20 was constructed by Mitsubishi Heavy from D51 1094's boiler (according to wikipedia), or maybe just because that's how my brain works  .  This had been on static display in Kezouji Park, Isezaki, Gunma, since January 1974.  It's great to see JR East put this back on the rails.  I never took count, but there is lots of rolling stock on plinths all around Japan, it would be great if they continue to take the more important and more salvageable equipment and get it sheltered and ultimately fixed up.

 

And while I'm thinking of it, JR West needs to get D51 200 (kept near C61 2 at Umekoji) off that job pushing those wagons 250 feet back and forth and on to the main line!

[angusmclean]

I think I read that it is to go into service in April. Microace are re-releasing their model of it that month.

 

Angus

[bikkuri bahn]

Yes, it's great that a for-profit railway (JR East) is proud enough of its heritage to devote the time and money to restore a locomotive.  Hopefully the restoration work is being done with the participation of younger staff, in order to hand-down knowledge of steam locomotive maintenance.

[Martijn Meerts]

Looking at the photo, it could very well be a new engine rather than a restored one. Looks amazing :)

[westfalen]

Looking at that photo, the glossy finish on Kato's D51 498 is not far off the way JR East turn out the real thing.

[miyakoji]

Here's a new post in that same thread, I see some torches being used here, I wonder what that was all about.  I assume they didn't cut anything important as parts are probably no longer available and I doubt they can or want to fabricate major components from scratch, like rods or wheels.

 

 

- it's a large image, click through to see the original or go to the thread at Ompuchaneru, URL in the first post.

[bikkuri bahn]

I think those are old pictures, when they were preparing to move the loco out of the park.  They were probably using the torch on the rodding points where paint, debris, etc, had clogged up the works, preventing removal.

[westfalen]

I've seen engines stuffed and mounted in parks that have had moving parts welded immovable to stop injury or vandalism, they may have been freeing things up. It's also not unusual to use a cutting torch to remove unusable items, I took the photo below in April 2007 at the steam shop in Tiefa, China of workers starting an overhaul of an SY class 2-8-2, at first we thought it was being scrapped.

[marknewton]

Here's a new post in that same thread, I see some torches being used here, I wonder what that was all about.  I assume they didn't cut anything important as parts are probably no longer available and I doubt they can or want to fabricate major components from scratch, like rods or wheels.

 

Looking at those photos, they dont appear to be cutting anything, merely using the oxy to heat up the nuts on the crankpins to make it easier to get them off. Heat 'em up so they expand, drown 'em in penetrating oil and let 'em cool, and then they usually come off without too much drama.

 

Looking at the other photos, you can see that the restoration crew have indeed fabricated major components newly from scratch. They've made, or had made, new coupled axles, crankpins, tyres, and a new smokebox tubeplate. They've also made new superheater flues, and put a dirty big patch into the front and middle courses of the boiler barrel. Elsewhere, they've renewed all the tubes in the feedwater heater, and by the look of it replaced all of the rigid and flexible stays in the firebox.

 

I could go through and tell you what's being done in every photo and why, but I doubt anyone has the same professional interest in steam loco rebuilding as I do, so I'll spare you the details. The short version is, it's a big job, and judging by the photos it all appears to be to a very high standard. Although it's nice to see the smokebox door hasn't lost all the hammer marks gained from years of service. I'm hugely impressed, and not a little envious. 

 

I think I'm safe in saying that this loco will be running for a long time to come after a rebuild to this high standard.

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

I'm not actually a huge steam fan...

 

Jeez, I am! Thanks for posting this!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[miyakoji]

I could go through and tell you what's being done in every photo and why, but I doubt anyone has the same professional interest in steam loco rebuilding as I do, so I'll spare you the details. The short version is, it's a big job, and judging by the photos it all appears to be to a very high standard. Although it's nice to see the smokebox door hasn't lost all the hammer marks gained from years of service. I'm hugely impressed, and not a little envious. 

 

I think I'm safe in saying that this loco will be running for a long time to come after a rebuild to this high standard.

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

Mark,

 

This is JNS Forum, I doubt anyone will mind if you expound on aspects of steam loco restoration that you find interesting .  Bikkuri brought up a good point about younger workers: how many people still have this expertise?  As he wrote, it sure would be nice if this know-how is being passed along.  If anyone would do that, I'd think it would be the Japanese, but, who knows... 

 

I went back and looked more closely at the site hosted by JR East, now I see what you're talking about, I had only looked at the more recent images, not the earlier ones.

[miyakoji]

C61 20 lives:

 

pic below from http://rail-uploader.khz-net.com/index.php?listing_count=50&id=945547

 

and some videos:

 

 

 

Looks good!

[westfalen]

I always say a steam locomotive's just a pile of metal until you fill the boiler with water, light a fire in the firebox and run it along the track. That they can take an engine that's been sitting in a park for years and turn it into this is a credit to JR East's shop workers.

 

But regarding the last video, why does a shinkansen always go past in front of the train you are trying to video?

[gmat]

What I wonder is how that guy was able to get away with being on the ladder across the tracks.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[keitaro]

lol must've been knowing no train would pass pretty gutsy

[bikkuri bahn]

IIRC the track is inside the museum grounds, and is not a running line.  I assume that photographer got permission from museum staff to set up his ladder there.  The track the C61 is running on I believe is a test track for the Omiya Depot- I've seen an EF65 being run light back and forth on this track while on a visit I made to the museum.

[marknewton]

I always say a steam locomotive's just a pile of metal until you fill the boiler with water, light a fire in the firebox and run it along the track.

 

Then it becomes a temperamental pile of metal with a mind of it's own... 

 

That they can take an engine that's been sitting in a park for years and turn it into this is a credit to JR East's shop workers.

 

Seriously though, I agree completely. The folks responsible for this rebuild deserve every credit for their efforts.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[Martijn Meerts]

Wonder who'll be the first to do a model. Normally I'd have said MicroAce, but I'm thinking Kato might just win this one :)

[westfalen]

I always say a steam locomotive's just a pile of metal until you fill the boiler with water, light a fire in the firebox and run it along the track.

 

Then it becomes a temperamental pile of metal with a mind of it's own... 

 

That they can take an engine that's been sitting in a park for years and turn it into this is a credit to JR East's shop workers.

 

Seriously though, I agree completely. The folks responsible for this rebuild deserve every credit for their efforts.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

Just as amazing is they've done it in just over 12 months, admittedly they are not a group of volunteer preservationists working in their spare time and holding cake stalls and raffles to raise money, but still quite an effort.

[westfalen]

Wonder who'll be the first to do a model. Normally I'd have said MicroAce, but I'm thinking Kato might just win this one :)

 

I thought Micro-Ace were re-releasing their C61 in April but if Kato announce one I know which I'll be going for after seeing their D51 498.

[miyakoji]

Just as amazing is they've done it in just over 12 months, admittedly they are not a group of volunteer preservationists working in their spare time and holding cake stalls and raffles to raise money, but still quite an effort.

 

I thought that myself.  Perhaps that indicates that there's enough expertise alive amongst all the workers that the work went smoothly and without too much referring to services manuals--if such things exist.  If they do I'm sure Japanese railfans would wet themselves about it.

 

 

from the Ompuchaneru thread linked above:

[angusmclean]

Wonder who'll be the first to do a model. Normally I'd have said MicroAce, but I'm thinking Kato might just win this one :)

 

I thought Micro-Ace were re-releasing their C61 in April but if Kato announce one I know which I'll be going for after seeing their D51 498.

 

Correct. Microace announced this late last year, due out in April.  Bet they are sold out already.

 

Angus

[Martijn Meerts]

Wonder who'll be the first to do a model. Normally I'd have said MicroAce, but I'm thinking Kato might just win this one :)

 

I thought Micro-Ace were re-releasing their C61 in April but if Kato announce one I know which I'll be going for after seeing their D51 498.

 

There's bound to be some sort of new "restoration" version coming out. I must've missed MicroAce's announcement of this one though..

[disturbman]

Looking at MicroAce's release planing I can tell you this C61 is not going to be released anytime soon. It's now in the list for May but I think it's going to be pushed back. There is simply too many releases planed for April and May. Pre-orders are still open at HS.