November 2007

Sometimes It could be better not to work at the locomotives but to provide better conditions for work. There are 50m track near the own house in the open air, thus it was only possible to work on the machines in good weather and in the warmer season. Therefore already for a long time the idea of a small locomotive shed existed. During the last months this shop has been built widely by myself. A direct track connection to the shed doesn't exist. It will be provided by flying track and a "frog" (portable turntable). An oddity is the fact, that the existing track lies under a corner of the shed, that's removeable if required.

August 2007

Now the RL3 drove the first, longer distance from own strength and without forcing, however there were some "smaller" problems thereby: after some time the copper seals at the injection nozzles did not withstand the pressure and the Diesel atomised the environment. This could be eliminated by a reduction of the injection pressure on 100atm, in addition the engine runs substantially more cleanly. The other problem is already more unpleasant: it's not possible to brake the loco by the motor, thereby an increasing knocking noise is to hear in the gearbox. There's waiting something work for the winter time! But during the event "day of the monument" at the beginning of September the locomotive run in Glossen!

July 2007

In the reconstruction process of the RL3 loco the difficult chapter of the axle repair obviously could be finished now. After a measurement resulted that the angle between the two front wheels was 94° it was clear that the locomotive thereby could not drive properly. Unfortunately it was not possible and it would have the danger of breaking the wheels to dismount them by a hydraulic press from the axle. So it was to be needed to bore the axle from both sites and to slit it too. Than a new axle had to be manufactured. To provide future difficulties and not to make the same error like O&K fitting keys were necessary as anti-twist locking devices. The work was expertly made by the Elbtalwerk Heidenau. A first test run from own strength showed the correct function of the loco, now some fine work is still to do. The engine runs very calmly and evenly, but it produced an exhaust cloud as a steam locomotive. Hopefully it will be reduced after some operation hours.
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The open RL1a did not have any oil pressure at the engine during the last start. In addition it lost cooling water, without any puddle under the locomotive. That let assume a leakage inside the engine. When opening the oil drain valve at first approximately two litres of cooling water ran out only once, which confirmed this suspicion. During a closer investigation it was to see that the cooling water found a way to the crank case from the zone of the push rods. To reach the leaky it was necessary to slice the external part of the cylinder barrel.
This procedure showed a large frost damage, which had been repaired many years ago with epoxy resin. This stuff had now aged and become brittle and could not seal the fractures any longer. It will not be simple now to close the tear by welding.

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May 2007

Unfortunately the axle of the RL3 did not return yet again to their place in the locomotive. It was impossible to dismount the wheels from the axle by a hydraulic press. So it is necessary to bore the axle and to manufacture it new after this. This work is finished in the meantime, when shrinking arose however new difficulties, which are not yet solved.
But the repair of the cylinder head of the L180 is in progress, it was welded by a specialized firm. After a valve refused itself to be dismounted, it was bored, so that at least the valve seat could be saved. Further several threaded bores at the head must be regenerated, a toilsome but inevitable task.