R&GV RR Museum | Plymouth BL Restoration


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About the Museum > Railroad Equipment > Plymouth BL > Restoration

See videos of the Plymouth BL in action!

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Here is a large collection of pictures starting in 2001 that covers the restoration of our Plymouth Model BL from its placement into our Restoration Building to ongoing current work being performed to return the engine to service.

The engine still carries its original builder's tag with model and serial numbers.

The engine block is brought into the R&GV RR Museum's Restoration Building after having one bore sleeved at a local engine shop and then completely re-worked in one of the R&GV RR Museum's volunteer's home shop.

The block sits next to the lower portion of the engine.

The block is mated back to the engine.

A few hours later, we see the engine really taking shape with auxiliaries installed and the pistons being reinstalled.

The end of a great day's work as new nuts are installed to hold the just installed head on to the top of the engine.

The Buda sits awaiting the days re-assembly to start.

Work continues. New lifting rings have been installed in the engine's head and the museum volunteers work on installing the oil pan.

R&GV Railroad Museum member Kevin Klees works on the valves of the Buda engine. Kevin has done most of the rebuild work on the engine including the machining of many new parts.

The exhaust/intake manifold for our Buda engine for our Plymouth BL gets new flanges brazed into place by Kevin Klees.

The exhaust/intake manifold for our Buda engine for our Plymouth BL continues to get new flanges brazed into place by Kevin Klees. Notice the now machined flange at the front of the manifold which was brazed in place last week.

Plymouth Model BL as it was pictured in the catalog with all of its sheet metal in place. NOTE: The catalog picture here depicts a narrow gauge version of the BL where our's is standard gauge.

Plymouth Model BL as it was moved into our restoration building

It was time to check the condition of the roller bearings on the drivewheel on the Plymouth Model BL. This drivewheel runs against the perpendicular flywheel which is connected to the engine. By sliding the drivewheel across the flywheel, it is possible to tradeoff engine speed for torque and also allows for the engine to change direction.

Many years of wear were found on this bronze thrust plate. A deep circle had been worked into it from the shaft probably from MANY years of operation. The thrust plate was originally a flat piece of stock.

Kevin Klees (left) with Ron Amberger watches the flywheel turn and be ground through a special setup Kevin created.

A close-up of the grinding apparatus. The process is VERY slow since the grinder can only take off a little at a time. The grinder actually spins the flywheel as it grinds.

The freshly ground flywheel on our Plymouth Model BL.

This image shows the flywheel end where a second drive wheel will run perpendicular to the flywheel shown here. The flywheel transfers power by friction to the perpendicular wheel which is connected to the locomotive's wheels via a set of sprockets and chains.

Our Plymouth Model BL gas mechanical has had the flywheel portion of its friction drive system put back together after a thorough inspection and rebuilding. This end is where the 4 cylinder Buda gasoline engine is connected.

R&GVRRM volunteer, Kevin Klees, works on machining new thrust bearings for the rear axle of the museum's Plymouth Model BL gas mechanical locomotive.

A closer look of the bearing sitting in the chuck of the museum's metal lathe. This is the first of four bearings that need to be machined from raw stock.

Along with all of the running gear work, the rack that is used to move the friction drive wheel has been completely rebuilt. This work included machining a brand new main shaft with all of the keyways machined into the shaft so the gears would work properly.

Looking from the inside, it is possible to see the new pedestal liners again. The axle bearings have also been rebuilt.

In order to service each axle, the front of the BL has been jacked up and the axle dropped out. New pedestal liners have been installed.

More progress on the Plymouth can also be seen with the installation of the first of several drive chains. The original chains were frozen solid with rust so new roller chain had to be purchased.

The bearings have already been installed on the engine's rear axle as seen here looking down on the top of the wheel. These bearings help to prevent the axles from shifting from side to side.

Here is one of the bearings after the surfaces have been machined flat. Since we will not be removing the wheels, this bearing with be cut in half and set screws installed so the bearing can be split in half, placed around the axle and held back together with the set screws.

Our Plymouth BL gas mechanical locomotive continues to receive new thrust bearings on its axles. Here the material is being cut on our horizontal bandsaw for the bearings for the front axle.

Here we see the bearing separated into its two halves so it can be installed.

A shot of the new thrust bearings that have been machined up for our Plymouth Model BL. The bearings had to be made so they could come apart to be placed around the axles since there are no plans to remove the wheels from the axles. The pins sticking out from the bearing will hold it together and the Zerk grease fitting will provide grease for the bearing. The purpose of these bearings are to prevent the axle from moving from side to side and go between the wheels and the axle bearing boxes.

1/31/07 - Plymouth BL finishing touches begin
With the mechanical restoration pretty much complete, attention on the Plymouth BL locomotive has turned to its cosmetic restoration and specifically, the fabrication of all of the cab and hood sheet metal. With the metal already purchased, the first installed panel is shown installed on the cab here (middle of the picture) with the next panel on the ground (rear of the engine) awaiting fitting and installation on the other side of the cab. The BL's new instrument gauge panel can also be seen installed along with a temporary numbering sign. The R&GVRRM has decided to number the Plymouth as its #1.

3/3/07 - Work in progress...
While on the other side of the BL, the new sheet metal is still in
the process of being formed.

3/3/07 - Already installed...
Some portions of the engine hood sheet metal have been completed and
formed around the wooden frame as shown here

3/3/07 - Already installed...
Some portions of the engine hood sheet metal have been completed and
formed around the wooden frame as shown here.

3/3/07 - Sheet metal work continues...
BL Restoration Manager Kevin Klees prepares another portion of the
raw sheet metal for installation on the engine hood for on the
BL. This image also shows the scale of the BL and its compact size
albeit weighing in at around 7 tons!

4/21/2007 - And up on the roof!
Continuing with his sheet metal work, Kevin Klees has the engine cab roof sheet metal nearly finalized and with a nice coat of paint to protect it.

4/21/2007 - Flipped over
Flipped over, one can see the machining necessary to make the cover fit on to the sandbox. The cover was machined from the same metal the cast originals were made from.

4/21/2007 - Another new part...
When the R&GV Railroad Museum acquired its Plymouth BL gas-mechanical locomotive it had three of its four original sandbox covers. As his first project, new volunteer, Tom Anderson had a new covered machined and the finish product is shown here on the engine. Thanks Tom!

6/21/2007 - Thanks Kevin!
After a successful run of the BL, Kevin Klees, Lead Restorer and BL Project Manager, poses with #1 inside the R&GVRRM's restoration building.

7/17/2007 - On the other side of that new sheet metal...
On the other side of the new fireman's sheet metal, the custom chain oiling system is shown. This oiling system provides lubrication to the various heavy drive chains; one of which can been seen in the photo.

7/17/2007 - More replica parts...
To add to the 200+ new parts that have been machined for the BL, custom bolts to match the originals that held that cab sheet metal needed to be created. One of the original bolts with its domed head is shown here, but many of the others were too badly rusted to re-use. Therefore, new bolts were machined, installed and painted as part of the finishing of the cab work.

7/17/2007 - Speaking of the Plymouth...
The Model BL continues to see mostly cosmetic restoration work. The cab sheet metal on the fireman's side of the cab has been completed and installed along with the replica engine hood. The sheet metal for the engineer's side is nearly complete as well.

8/20/2007 - On display...
Operating for the public passing by on the Diesel Days trains, Plymouth BL #1 operates along siding #6 pushing a small side dump car which is part of the R&GVRRM MOW collection. View more photos from Diesel Days 2007.

9/8/2007 - Departing Industry...
#1 departs Industry yard with a passenger for a quick round trip so others could get their turn. The view is seen from both the ground and a later run with a full house of three passengers is seen from the engineer's seat of Eastman Kodak Company #9.

9/8/2007 - Checking things over...
Picnic participants were quick to come to see the #1 up close and personal.

9/8/2007 - In comparison...
Plymouth BL #1 sits in Industry yard just in front of ALCO RS-1 Eastman Kodak Company #9. The size difference between the 7-ton #1 and the 125+ ton #9 is obvious.

9/8/2007 - First trip to Industry yard...
As part of the picnic festivities, the R&GVRRM's Plymouth BL gas-mechanical #1 made its maiden voyage under its own power out of the R&GVRRM's restoration building and upper yard and down the HILL block into Industry yard under the control of lead restorer, Kevin Klees.

About the Museum > Railroad Equipment > Plymouth BL > Restoration