Locomotive 493: Conversion from Coal-Fired to Oil-Burning Conversion Update

Work on the Locomotive 493 conversion from coal-burning to oil-burning continues. Here’s the latest on this process.

All wheels have now been re-profiled. The one nearest the camera has a new axle; the others still need the journals turned and liners faced.

Riveting on Locomotive 493 is now underway. The process includes reaming the holes, cutting the rivets to length heating the rivets, inserting them in the hole, and then driving them by forming a head on one side. These were double-gunned (with a gun on each side).

Here are photos of the process.

Larry Carlson manning the oven while heating a rivet to a temperature of 1900 degrees before being set. Other roundhouse crew members are Anthony Maze (center) and Randy Babcock.

Roundhouse foreman Randy Babcock and Anthony Maze driving the rivets.