The following is based on press releases prepared by Shaun McMahon for
Locomotives International and are reproduced here with Shaun's permission. The
first dates from the end of June 2015 and the second the end of August 2015. Pictures of the
restoration work have previously
been posted on this site and there is a further October 2015 update
available with the locomotive in steam. See also a
November / December 2015 update.
Update on current project work in relation to steam locomotive rebuilding,
Sentinel S6 restoration and passenger carrying stock rebuilding.
Work is continuing rapidly in Buenos Aires in relation to the rebuilding of RFIRT locomotives 107 and 119, along with the Sentinel S6 steam waggon, whilst further south in the province of Chubut, the rebuilding of three original Rio
Turbio Railway passenger carrying coaches, as well as other new passenger stock, also continues to make steady progress.
Locomotive 119 of the second series, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Engineering during 1963 and delivered new
to the RFIRT during the first half of 1964, was the first to receive attention by
the company contracted by the Argentine national government to carry out the work; G&G Metalmecánica of Lanús, Buenos Aires. Due to the relative enormity
of the job in hand, G&G Metalmecánica has subcontracted areas of the work,
including skilled staff and workshop space along with engineering equipment. 119 includes modifications built in to the design at the point of manufacture
which are an improvement upon the first series, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Engineering during 1955 and delivered to Rio Gallegos in 1956. The
L.D.Porta modifications that were applied in Argentina to the first series and more
extensively from the outset to the second series have been in the main eliminated over a period of time, this downgrading commenced in 1975 once
Porta was not able to visit the railway as he had been able to do regularly via
his position at INTI between 1960 to 1974; Porta having been the full time General Manager of the railway from 1957 to 1960. Porta reappeared at the
RFIRT in August 1977 as part of a joint INTI-United Nations project summoned by the national government of the time in order to investigate and plan the
complete upgrading of the railway, including new modern steam motive power and heavy haul rolling stock; all on the existing 750 mm gauge. Much work was
carried out on design of the new Mallet locomotives in order to get
such to the point of public tender, however by the early 1980’s the government
had bigger problems to deal with nationally and with Porta’s departure from INTI
and Argentina to take up the position of Vice President of Engineering Design and Development with American Coal Enterprises in the United States, the
upgrade of the RFIRT was never carried out.
One goal of the current rebuilding scheme is to at least get the locomotives in
question back to ex works condition. Though quite evidently in run down state from detailed on site inspection and data collection test use of 107 from 2004 to
2007, the real extent of the poor state of the locomotives only came to light during the stripdown and overhaul/renewal stage of the work. Remodification
will be carried out in the workshops at Buenos Aires as time allows, however it
is important to remember that this particular phase of the project is dictated by
a political timeline rather than a technical schedule as this years sees national
general elections for executive posts such as national president, provincial governors and town mayors as well as 50% of the legislative body in the upper
and lower houses of national congress. As a result of this, 119 has been worked
on first with a view to sending it back to Rio Gallegos in rebuilt and working
condition (even if not fully remodified) by September of this year. At this point in
time full remodification is planned to be undertaken in Rio Gallegos once the locomotive has spent a period of time in service. During October it is planned
that it will be run in over the line and then haul test trains prior to
operating a local passenger service as well as charter trains during November. 107 will
follow suit along with the Sentinel S6 steam waggon, so as to be on site and working by November of this year. The initial batch of passenger carrying
coaches that are being rebuilt and built, in the province of Chubut will also be
sent down to the neighbouring province of Santa Cruz in order to make up the consist of the local passenger and charter trains.
119’s boiler is reaching the stage of completion having received inner firebox
repairs and full retube (smoke tubes and larger superheater flues). The number
1 tubeplate (firebox end) has been patched due to concentrated heat flux damage suffered in service, the said damage having been caused by
inadequate maintenance followed by the final complete removal of the brick arch during its last years of service on the mainline between Rio Gallegos and
Rio Turbio. The Kylpor exhaust system has been retained for obvious reasons of high efficiency (high smokebox
vacuum allied with low internal back pressure), however most of the system has been renewed due to excessive
corrosion suffered whilst laid up outdoors on site at the Rio Turbio locomotive
depot since 1997. On the mechanical side of matters, 119 has been stripped
down to bare frame condition followed by full sandblasting at the same time as
the boiler was sandblasted. Once clean and all components removed work could begin on the evaluation of the state of the chassis.
119 was involved in a head to head collision on the mainline of the RFIRT with
locomotive 107 and as a result both engines were sent to the ASTARSA ship building yards in Tigre, Buenos Aires during the early 1980’s for repair work to
be carried out; ASTARSA having had a rail repair and manufacture division active until its shutdown during 1994, the same year as the RFIRT was
privatised. The fact that both locomotives are once again under rebuild in Buenos Aires is pure coincidence. As a consequence special attention is being
paid to the condition of the bar frame chassis of both 119 and 107 during this
rebuild. Driving wheels have been re turned to profile as well as crank pin repair
and renewal. The brake gear has been fully rebuilt, indeed brakes on the locomotive were non
existent during the final years of steam operation, such was the poor state of repair and maintenance. Suspension has been
overhauled and both leading and trailing pony trucks rebuilt. Valve liners have
been renewed. The modified valve heads have been overhauled and the piston heads renewed along with valve and piston rings. The second batch have
modified, multi ring piston heads and valves fitted in order to maximise efficiency. The motion and valve gear have been overhauled as well as all ten
driving wheel axleboxes.
At the time of writing, the stripdown of 107 has started. Boiler cladding along
with what was left of boiler insulation has been stripped so as to begin evaluating the general condition of the boiler shell prior to removal, sandblasting
and full radiographic inspection and resulting repair work being carried out. Smoketubes and superheater flues have been removed so as to allow some
initial internal cleaning and inspection work to begin. Superheater elements are
being hydraulically tested and repaired as required. Once the reassembly of 119 has reached an advanced stage and the boiler is re fitted to the chassis,
the removal of 107’s boiler can take place. As for 119 the whole mechanical assembly will be stripped and rebuilt.
The tenders of both locomotives are being completely rebuilt in parallel and work is now at an advanced stage. Extensive platework renewal has taken
place and the Daihatsu mechanical stokers have been fully overhauled. Underframes and drawgear have been repaired as required. Tender bogies
have been fully stripped and overhauled including wheelset tyre turning, journal
profiling, brass bearing renewal and axlebox overhaul. Suspension has been fully rebuilt and the bogies are now reassembled and painted waiting to be
refitted to the tender bodies.
The Sentinel S6 steam waggon is currently having its motor overhauled. Upon stripdown a severe lubrication failure during its final years of service was
detected hence special attention is being paid to all component parts. Chassis
overhaul and control gear rebuild is taking place in parallel to this work. Once 119 has been sent back south to Rio Gallegos, locomotives 105 from the
first series and 113 from the second series will be dispatched from Rio Turbio
and be delivered to the workshops in Buenos Aires for rebuilding by G&G Metalmecánica. It is expected that this work will take place during 2016 and that
will be more time in order to carry out a full remodification to the Gas Producer
Combustion System (GPCS) on site in the national capital city.
During the past two months work has continued apace with the current rebuilding of RFIRT locomotives 107 and 119 along with the Sentinel S6 steam
waggon. Specific work has included the following:
Locomotive 107.
Locomotive 119.
