Beautifully captured image of an amazing engine. Looks more then factory fresh, almost instead as if out of the Lionel box. Odd, however, that for an engine displayed indoors, they would leave the boiler sheets off. Wonder how many visitors think that's how it actually looked in service? I don't even want to know. Great shot, Jeff.
|
Cool. I didn't know it was inside, and next to a GG1? I will have to make a trip up there to that museum. 4014 looked great just being dragged up Cajon and then through Vegas on her way to Cheyenne and I can hardly wait for her to be under her own power in a couple of years. I for one, will be there.
|
Jeff, you captured an ideal photo regarding successful railroad preservation. Well done.
|
This Museum is a must see.
|
"Daddy, why it is called Big Boy?"
|
Mitch, normally there was insulation between the boiler pressure vessel (the outside of which is visible here) and the outer jacketing (which would be what you'd normally see in service). This was probably about 2-3 inch thickness magnesia or calcium silicate block. So now there's nothing to hold the outer jacketing where it goes. Also, it almost certainly had to be removed for asbestos remediation, and may have been discarded as contaminated / too hard to clean / whatever at that time. (I agree it would be nice to see it put back, with some sort of spacer.)
|
I believe I heard some museums - Steamtown, for one, had fabricated new boiler jacketing after removing asbestos from some of it's engines and used foam blocks to aid in support and positioning of the new jacket.
|
|