Posted on by Chris Hauf

Boiler work update – SP #1744

On the weekend of October 26th and 27th, a crew of six volunteers from our Niles Canyon Railway Steam Department headed north to the shop of our contractor, Stockton Locomotive …

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On the weekend of October 26th and 27th, a crew of six volunteers from our Niles Canyon Railway Steam Department headed north to the shop of our contractor, Stockton Locomotive Works, to do some more work on the boiler for our Southern Pacific steam locomotive #1744. Two other crews of volunteers had already gone up at different times between late 2023 and late 2024 to supplement our contractor’s resources since the boiler is seeing significant rebuilding.

For this work session, the concentration was the reaming, tapping and insertion of all of the rigid staybolts in the backhead of the boiler. This work was necessary since all of the interior sheets of the firebox and the mud ring had been replaced with new materials. The two previous crews were able to get all of the rigid staybolts in the side sheets leaving only the throat sheet left to do rigid stays. There are still hundreds of flexible staybolts and sleeves still to be installed in all sections of the boiler along with peening over all of the rigid stays. One quickly learns just how incredibly labor intensive these boilers were to build, maintain and repair when doing this work.

Here is a gallery of images highlighting some of the work from the last work session along with a timelapse video showing the whole process for one small section of the backhead. Your ongoing support of this project is critical to keep the progress moving forward. Donations may be made via mail or online. All of the information is available on our website

With Stockton Locomotive Works owner (yellow shirt), Stathi Pappas, and NCRy, volunteer, Charlie Franz, looking along, NCRy Steam Department volunteer, Gerald DeWitt, reams out one of the staybolt holes with a 3/4″ impact wrench. This work is hard so volunteers made frequent changes to who was doing the work to let people have a chance to rest.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Volunteer, Justin Legg, has taken over the reaming with volunteer, Sarah Fritz, handling the oiling tasks to help the reamer cut successfully through both the out and inner sheets.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Reaming continues. Note the backhead is devoid of any new staybolts. This would change by the end of the weekend.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
The NCRy Steam Department is fortunate to have formed many partnerships with other groups over the years. One of those is the Roots of Motive Power in Willits, CA. One of their volunteers, Ed, wanted to come lend a hand for a day, and who were we to turn down another set of hands. He was a huge help, and we appreciate the continued cooperation between the two groups.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
With the bottom row reamed, Stathi demonstrated the tapping process for everyone. Half of this team had done this type of work before, but half had not so it was good to see how it was done.
With the first few complete, the tooling was handed over to Steam Department Head, Alan Siegwarth, to continue. You will note the hand in the firebox door. Given the length of the special boiler tap, it was fed into the hole and allowed to cut all the way through to a blank area on the other end where the volunteer in the firebox would remove the tap from the hole, feed it back out of the firebox before being run into a new hole.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Tapping continues..,
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Volunteer, Charlie Franz, supports and guides the tap from inside the firebox. The tap will be fed all the way through and passed back out to the outside team to be inserted in the next hole to be tapped.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Volunteer, Justin Legg, has now taken his turn while Gerald continues to oil to tap to keep it running freely through the sheets.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Another volunteer trade and Sarah Fritz has now taken up the air motor to keep tapping as Charlie oils. You can now see the first staybolts in place so this was the next set of holes to get attention.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
More tapping later in the afternoon.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Tapping around the firebox door.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Our contractor has also been rebuilding 1744’s axle driving boxes. Here we are looking through one of them at 1744’s boiler barrel.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Back to reaming with Justin and Alan. We are getting higher on the firebox.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Gerald watches at staybolts are inserted to a specific depth to allow for eventual peening on the inside, followed by the bolts being cut and peened on the outside as well.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
A top down view as tapping is underway on Sunday morning.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Almost there.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Just in case we forget which locomotive the boiler is for.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
A bit like having Thing from the Addams Family, Gerald adjusts the bolt depths from inside the firebox.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
More bolts going in.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Gerald watches from inside the firebox where you can see some of the complete rigid staybolt work on the one side sheet and all of the holes in the crown sheet that will receive flexible staybolts. In all, 1744 will get over 1500 new staybolts inserted!
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Sarah takes her turn Sunday AM on the reamer. Just a few more holes to go.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
A look at the boiler from the inner tube sheet toward the smokebox tube sheet. This will eventually filled with new flues and tubes. More work still to do!
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Inserting the last of the bolts near lunchtime on Sunday.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
Complete!
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
The backhead with all of the rigid stays complete and the engineer’s side sheet with both the rigid and flexible stays & sleeves installed.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission
The fireman’s side again with all the rigid bolts in place.
Photo by Christopher Hauf – Used with permission

Here is a YouTube video showing a timelapse of the reaming, tapping and insertion of the first set of bolts on Saturday AM.

Timelapse of some of the #1744’s boiler work.

Thanks again to all of our Steam Department volunteers for taking the time to travel to do this very challenging work. Thanks to Ed from the Roots of Motive Power for lending us a hand. Finally, thanks to the hospitality and cooperation from our contractor, Stockton Locomotive Works, for allowing us the ability to work with you on this project and continue to push the restoration of Southern Pacific #1744 forward.

Again your support is welcome, new hands are always welcome to help, and thanks for checking our update out.