Where is the missing S160?

I think you want to try to get a copy of Robin Higgins excellent little 1980 publication "Over Here - The Story of the S160". This includes several photos of the inspection of 5820 in Katowice and one of it being craned off a ship in Hull. It was still very much in Polish condition then.

Peter James

 

This always happens when you have more than 1 boiler for 1 engine. At the MHR they have played musical boilers with the S15's and the N/U boilers! Now tell me which engine had which boiler?

 

When Derek first got 5197 I seem to remember him showing me that the boiler was from a different builder to the frames. Wasn't the original maker's plate on the smokebox covered up by a Chinese applied outer wrapper and discovered when Derek removed it? I'll have a look at the slides I took at Fushun - which incidentally, were the ones that prompted him to buy his "Chinese takeaway" in the first place. IIRC, although the boiler had had some odd repairs, including a large D patch on the bottom of the barrel, it was in reasonable condition. Ray.

 

If you look at the picture of 162's boiler, it has a D patch in the barrel, and a new front lower section.

These patches were a standard repair for leaking barrel rivets, and or, barrel joint. The joint problems were caused by sticking expansion plates, not allowing the boiler to naturally grow backwards, as it heats up. Over time, the weakest points [riveted joints] suffer stress fractures, which can only be repaired by removing the D section, by the barrel/throat plate joint.

 

I have a copy of that book, somewhere!

 

Zebiec scarpyard. This is a picture of one of the dona S160's, Just you tell me the number?

 

According to Tourret's USATC locomotives the numbering went up to 6078. Hope this answers your question.
It must be remembered that most of the surviving S160's are 'mongrels'. USATC 5820 on the KWVR is reported in "Over Here" as having an ALCO boiler (ex #4435), ALCO cylinders, left hand frame casting from Lima and the right hand one from Baldwin! Ray.

 

I'm not convinced that "sticking expansion plates" were the cause. The S160's had 'diaphragm plates' as used on most, if not all, U.S. style wide firebox designs and flexed as the boiler expanded. I can't see how they could "stick" as expansion brackets on our narrow firebox designs might do.
Cheers, Ray.

 

Thanks Ray - that's one mystery solved!

Keith

 

We have 3x S160 boilers at CVR for the 2x locos...

 

All the time I've been involved with locomotives, the frame number, has been the loco ID. Boilers have always been an interchangeable part, just like the wheels, and tender. So can we please not worry about the builders plates on the boiler? They are red herrings, just like numbers on wheels. The frame number, is the loco.

As to the boiler expansion issues. I've seen this repair done on so many engines, and I asked why it was, and the reply way basically the boiler sticks on it's rear mounts, causing the boiler to expand at the top, but this expansion causes stress in the bottom of the barrel, causing the rivets to flex and become loose. The barrel joint then lest steam pass, and builds up scale. Sometimes the scale holds the joint, but in most cases the boiler cladding rots, and you can see steam leaking. I've seen this on an Ol49 and Ty2 at Wosztyn, and Slask's. I knowsome of you think this is rubbish, but then ask yourself why would you do that repair, if there was no leak?

 

We have 3 S160 boilers at Cheddleton.

5197 ran with it's Chinese boiler for its 11 years in traffic (a 1 year extension was granted as the small tubes were replaced after 5 years)

6046 is running with the spare boiler (The engine is currently out of traffic awaiting a new cylinder block following damage sustained at the Nene Valley Railway)

6046's original boiler is being overhauled for fitting to 5197

Regards

Chris

 

So this spare is the Polish one, or a MAV boiler?

 

On an S160 boiler it's bolted to the cylinder block, then you have two plates supporting the barrel, then to blocks on the bottom of the throat plate. and finally the rear mounting plate. which bolts to the bottom of the backhead. The bit which causes all the trouble, is the two blocks at the base of the throat plate. These seize, and cause the boiler barrel joints to loosen. When I first steamed Ol49-12, the boiler was warming up, and all of a sudden there was a big bang. I was really worried, so I went to look around the boiler, and then I noticed the mounting had moved about 1" leaving a rusty mark, despite covering them in oil weeks before. When she was in full steam, these mountings had moved nearly 1 1/2"! Just imagine how much stress that would put on the barrel joints, if these mountings were rusted solid.

I drilled them and fitted greasing points, and used copper slip to lub them, and there was no more banging.

 

I found these on a military model site.



Somewhere in Europe, looks like Germany, by the coaling crane.









US-built S160 locomotives in French service at the end of 1944







Alaska

 

Thanks for the explanation re the blocks under the throatplate. The first 2 of the above photos also appear in Tourret's "USATC Locos". The first is of USATC # 2646 at Eddystone PA ready for shipment to Russia. The second is not a shed scene in Germany but Newport shed in S.Wales. The G.W. pannier tank (top middle) is a bit of a giveaway!
I've just been going through some of my S160 photos. One of them is of the ex MAV frames in Kirkby and they are as described earlier - rusty, missing rear axle, pony truck and piston/piston rod. I was in Olesnice works in Aug '93 and my pics show the S160 chassis has the number 162 clearly painted on the front bufferbeam. It's boiler was on a nearby boiler bogie with the bottom of the smokebox cut out. The matching missing piece was still on the smokebox saddle. All this was before they were grit blasted and painted in red oxide as shown earlier. Hope this confirms that the parts which went to Ian Riley were indeed 162.
Cheers, Ray.

 

Sorry John, I don't think the first three pics are somewhere in Europe, or at least, not Germany.

The first, on the flat car, is in the USA- the car carries a board saying "Return empty to Eddystone, PA." The second, of the yard, is somewhere on the GWR, judging by the 2 pannier tanks, "Toad" brakevans and short wheelbase wagons in the background. I think that I have seen the third pic before and believe it shows an S160 being loaded/unloaded at Newport Docks.
EDIT- Looks like Ray beat me to it!

 

Thank for the confirmation.

162 looked like this in 93.



162 looked like this in 97.



162 looked like this in 2014.

 

Would you have a picture of the spare boiler?

 

the spare boiler is ex Poland it sat in the yard at bury painted pink and had the stay heads on the outer wrapper ground off for many yrs