Large Scale Central

Interesting stuff at Schreiber Ont Canada

In 2005 “someone” getting married in the Toronto area, off I went on the road - if you get the impression that I’d rather drive than fly, you’re right.

Schreiber used to be a division point - big roundhouse and all that good stuff. All gone now, but there was an old guy in town who I met and he invited me for coffee to his house to look at the picture albums from the old days. Very educational and entertaining three hours.

Now apart from that there was …

Now apart from that… it was the old story: be in the right place at the right time aka “Mueller’s dumb luck”

When the car quits on the road one calls the Automobile Association’s Service.

If a locomotive breaks down in the middle of nowhere … one drags it along to Schreiber and orders the mobile crane from Thunder Bay (125 miles on the road).

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/MobileCrane01_s.jpg)

And when they get there the “boys” get to work.

Job at hand: change out the front axle/traction motor combo for an idler axle.

Rigging it and it’s up, up, away.

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift01_s.jpg)

Lift 1

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift02_s.jpg)

Lift 2

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift03_s.jpg)

Lift 3

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift04_s.jpg)

Lift 4

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift05_s.jpg)

Lift 5

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift06_s.jpg)

And how pretty were the wheels?

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/DefectAxle01_s.jpg)

Probably was a nice rain of sparks, would look good at night.

The spare axle

Then came the tricky part

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift07_s.jpg)

Lift 7

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift08_s.jpg)

Lift 8

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift09_s.jpg)

Lift 9

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift10_s.jpg)

Lift 10

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift11_s.jpg)

Lift 11

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift12_s.jpg)

Lift 12

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift13_s.jpg)

Lift 13

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift14_s.jpg)

They made sure that it was absolutely secure!

Next came the idler axle

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift16_s.jpg)

Then the fun started; lining up all the parts to insert the idler unit.

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift17_s.jpg)

No room for error.

And easy does it

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift23_s.jpg)

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift24_s.jpg)

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift25_s.jpg)

A better look at just how scored the wheels are.

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift26_s.jpg)

Release the hand brakes

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift27_s.jpg)

Getting the bum drive on the truck.

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift29_s.jpg)

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift30_s.jpg)

(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/NA-Fora/LSC/Lift31_s.jpg)

Yep, I missed how much lower that truck deck was after loading.

So, with an unpowerwed axle where a powered axle belongs, did the locomotive move along to the shop under power, or was it towed?

I don’t know, didn’t stick around for that. Toronto was beckoning.