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Gurley Story (continued)

After delivery, work continued in the roundhouse for the next several weeks through November and December, and into January. Parts were attached, additional painting and striping was done, the valves were adjusted, and piping and plumbing was installed. A sticky throttle issue was soon resolved.

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This is how the engine looked in late December, 2007. Notice the pilot (cowcatcher)
still hasn't been installed, and protective tape still covers the brass boiler bands.
You can see the placement of the "XO" plate on the smokebox, just in front
of the black angled boiler brace.

With great pride, Boschan determined the centerline of the boiler, and installed the new builder's plates on the smokebox, along with the "XO" plates signifying the boiler as "new." The engine was rapidly nearing completion, with its first steam-up scheduled for the first week in January. After Christmas, Paul had the engine towed outside the roundhouse for a better look.


A close-up of the engine's new builder's plates. The smokebox will soon receive coats
of boiled linseed oil and powdered graphite, which will cover the various stains
seen in this shot.

On Friday, January 4 2008, late in the day, the engine was steamed up for the first time since receiving her brand-new boiler, and things went well. At around 40 pounds of pressure, steam was admitted to the cylinders, but the engine, being "tight," didn't move. That didn't matter; this was really just a test of the boiler, and aside from a leaky throttle valve, everything went off without a hitch. At around 50 pounds, Boschan yanked on the whistle lever, and the polished three-chime Lunkenheimer whistle shrieked for the first time in nearly a year, truly signifying that she was now, one again, "alive" and presumably happy to be back.

A day later, after a new gland (packing to keep steam from leaking out) was installed on the throttle to eliminate the leaking from the previous day, the engine was steamed up again. Around 4pm, Paul told the roundhouse lead that he was going to try moving the engine. Following two toots of the whistle to let people know the engine was about to move forward, Boschan squeezed the throttle release, and gently inched back the polished steel lever. The power of steam began exerting its massive energy on the engine's pistons, which eventually gave way under the mighty force. The energy of the steam pushed the pistons, and the main rod slowly began delivering rotational power to the shiny red drive wheels.

Slowly, the tiny engine began moving under her own power--something she hadn't done in over a year. Chuff!…...Chuff!…..Chuff!..Chuff! The little locomotive's exhaust blasted skyward as she rolled through the open door of the roundhouse, and into the yard. The engine rolled smoothly, and the four exhaust chuffs that accompanied every revolution of the drive wheels were sharp and "square," meaning the engine's valves had been set properly. The locomotive was guided into the sharp "S" curve in the yard--the tightest curve on the Disneyland Railroad--and the new "swing bolster" truck flexed exactly as it was meant to. Back and forth the engine steamed, eliciting Cast Members nearby to begin snatching photos on their cell phones.


This is how the engine looked in early February 2008. The pilot has been re-installed,
and most of the painting is done. The flat plate with the handle on top of the
smokestack prevents water and debris from entering the smokestack
when the engine is not under steam.

On Tuesday, January 8, at 3am, in the complete darkness of a new moon, the engine began her "Acceptance and Test Plan," or ATP--the series of real-world trials that would determine if she was ready to begin hauling passengers again in daily Disneyland service. The ATP was far more stringent than it had been in Walt's day, when the engine was run for a single day before entering service.

The first morning of the ATP, the engine was run "light," meaning no cars were attached. This would allow Boschan and his crew to make sure the locomotive performed as she was supposed to. Bearings would be checked to see that they weren't overheating. Steam and air systems would be checked, and corrections made as required. On the first trip around, however, a knocking noise was heard. Seems one of the pistons was hitting the back of the cylinder on each stroke. Wishing to avoid damage, the engine was run back to the roundhouse, where corrections to eliminate the noise would be made. A 3/16-inch shim took care of the problem.

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© 2008 Steve DeGaetano

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