Southern No. 722: Back on Track
Our mechanical team rebuilds and restores all aspects of steam locomotives, like the ones you ride in when you visit Strasburg Rail Road.
When the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad started restoring Southern No. 722 to its original condition, they asked for our help with the inspection and repair of the boiler as well as drive wheel machine work and refurbishing and manufacturing new drive axle boxes, crown brasses, and cellars.
A Brief History of the Southern No. 722
The Southern No. 722, built in 1904 by Baldwin, was originally designed for freight hauling on the Southern Railway’s Murphy Branch in North Carolina. Its primary role was to transport goods between Asheville and Murphy. The locomotive features a 2-8-0 wheel configuration, commonly known as a consolidation type, which was a popular design for freight engines at the time.
After many years of service, the locomotive was retired from revenue service in August 1952. In 2000, it was acquired by the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. Notably, this locomotive is recognized for its distinctive green paint. Following its retirement, it served as a mainline excursion engine until its boiler certificate expired in 1985.
What Work Did We Do?
When we got this project, we started with the most essential work—the boiler.
Boiler
The boiler of this locomotive required extensive repairs, including a patch over the firebox wrapper, a new throat sheet, and a completely new firebox. Our team installed the throat sheet staybolt sleeves and loosely threaded their caps.
The new throat sheet was clamped and supported in place for test fitting. This step will determine if the sheet fits correctly. If the test fit is successful, our team can begin permanently attaching the throat sheet to the boiler.
Something special we did on this project was we inverted the boiler. This allowed us much better access to the area where the throat sheet replacement work is ongoing. Having the boiler oriented in its normal position would have greatly restricted access to that area. So far, the throat sheet has been put into place 3 times to help us find the proper fit.
These boiler repairs are necessary because the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has strict rules governing boilers/pressure vessels in use in railroad activity. Different boiler sections may need to be replaced when they’re extremely thin or below the minimum thickness required for operating pressure and other factors. Other reasons that boiler sections may need to be replaced are due to cracking and corrosion.
Other Repairs
The locomotive’s driver set was shipped out for further work, including machining and painting. Meanwhile, we made significant progress on the drive boxes and crown brasses, with both new and reconditioned parts added.
As the drive boxes and crown brasses come together, our team always double-checks the measurements for the drive box cellars. This careful attention to detail ensures proper fit and function, a crucial step in the overall restoration process.
Working with Strasburg Mechanical Services
This is a long-term project that we’re going to be working on through 2025. We’re not rushing any steps because we believe in doing the job right the first time.
We’re passionate not only about steam locomotives but also about their preservation and restoration. Any time we can help save a locomotive from being damaged by time, we’ll do anything we can to prevent that.
Looking for an expert team to help with your steam locomotive restoration project? Contact our team to help get your project back on track.
