VGN 800

[NW Mailing List]

-----Original Message-----
From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Sun, Mar 6, 2011 9:25 pm
Subject: Re: VGN 800


I've not stayed abreast of everything. What led to its explosion?



Kim
Huntsville


Kim:
Reports of the ICC's Safety Bureau are easy to come by,  those issued for mechanical failures
under the Locomotive Inspection Act aren't.   Here are some excerpts from the one issued
for the explosion at Stewartsville.

Cause of accident - "It is found that his accident was caused by overheating of the crown
                                  sheet of the locomotive firebox due to low water.  The reduced
                                  capacity of the left injector, caused by a worn and pitted steam nozzle
                                  was a contributing factor."

SERVICE RECORD OF ENGINE CREW- 
Engineer John L. Dudding: "Entered service as yard fireman, Roanoke, Va., on Nov. 28, 1917.
                                        Promoted to yard engineer - Oct. 18, 1923.  Relinquished yard
                                        rights and entered road service as engineer Nov. 18, 1923."

Fireman M. E. Brown:  " Entered service as a fireman Dec. 8, 1940.  No previous railroad
                                    experience."

LOCOMOTIVE INSPECTION AND REPAIR REPORTS.
Last annual inspection - 08/20/1940 at Princeton, W.Va.
Last monthly inpection - 03/27/41 at Victoria, VA.

Listed here are the daily work reports for Eng 800.  I list them here because some may recognize
the names:
02/01/40 - Roanoke - "Clean out strainers to left injector" - C. E. Sheffield, Engineer.
02/07/40 - Victoria - "Clean out strainers to right and left injectors" - W. C. Garcelon, Engineer.
02/08/40 - Victoria - "Clean out tank hose and strainers to both injectors" - W. R. Tew, Engineer.
02/14/40 - Victoria - "Left injector does not throw enough water" - J. L. Stump, Engineer.
02/23/40 - Victoria - "Clean out strainer - left injector" - W. C. Garcelon, Engineer.
02/24/40 - Victoria - " Right injector leaking at flange joint steam ram" - G.A. Kirkwood, Inspecor.
02/25/40 - Victoria - "Neither injector will supply boiler, clean out strainers and ex. nozzle"- P.C.Dunn
02/26/40 - Roanoke - "Clean out strainers right and left injectors" - W. C. Garcelon, Engineer.
02/27/40 - Victoria - "Clean out strainers to both inectors" - C. E. Sheffield, Engineer.
03/02/40 - Roanoke - "Clean out strainers to both injectors " - C. E. Sheffield, Engineer.
03/03/40 - Victoria - "Adjust handle on overflow valve right injector so it will operate" - C. E. Sheffield, Engr.
03/05/40 - Roanoke - "Injectors working very poor" - R. N. Montgomery, Engineer.
03/05/40 - Victoria - " Injectors working very poor" - R. N. Montgomery, Engineer.
03/15/40 - Roanoke - "Left injector does not pick up all water" - W. R. Tew, Engineer.
03/16/40 - Victoria - "Clean out both tank hose strainers" - C. R. Nevins, Engineer.
03/18/40 - Victoria - "Left injector will not take up all of the water. Right injector will not supply boiler. "
                                C. E. Sheffield, Engineer.  Renewed delivery nozzle to both injectors" - R.L. Hubble.
03/20/40 - Roanoke - " Left injector will not pick up all the water when working wide open"-C.R.Nevins, Engr.
03/22/40 - Roanoke - "Left injector will not pick up all water." - C. R. Nevins, Engineer.
03/25/40 - Victoria - "Pack right steam ram to injector" Signed for by G. A. Kirkwood.
03/25/40 - Vicotira - "Left injector will ot pick up all the water while working wide open, has been like this
                                for some time, check steam nozzle" - C. R. Nevins, Engr. "Examined left injector,
                                steam nozzle, found O.K. Packed right ram" - signed R. L. Harvey. App. R. B. Seaborn.
03/28/40 - Roanoke - "Clean out strainers to both injectors. Stop leak around left injector ram"-J.B. Hicks, Engr.
                                                                           AND FINALLY
03/28/40 - Vicoria - Examine nozzles in both injectors, they will not supply boiler" W. R. Tew, Engineer.
                             This item was shown repaired as follows:
                             "Tested both injectors, take up all water." Signed W. J. Edwards.  App. D. W. Mattox-Fmn. 

One theory of the cause was that when Eng 800 passed beneath the overhead bridge east of Stewartsville,
that the noise aroused Fireman Brown and he looked at the water level and immediately turned the injector
on allowing water onto a dry, hot crown sheet.  Sometimes I've wondered about the Locomotive Inspection
Bureau's reports.  Cause of the accident at Nolan, W.Va. on 07/07/42 when 1204 exploded - "It is found that
this accident was caused by overheating of firebox sheets due to parts of the sheets being left bare of water
because of the position of the derailed locomotive."  That eng 1204 had passed an "approach" signal, a flag-
man, a "stop" signal and collided with a cut of loaded cars on Extra 1454 East wasn't listed as the cause.
Come in, Ed King.  In 1924, Norfolk & Southern eng 226 had a crown sheet failure.  The bureau cited low
water on the crown sheet as the cause.  That's probably correct. Eng 226 had been built for the LS&MS
in 1899, bought 2nd hand from NYC.  They were notoriously poor steamers.  Had it not been for Capt.
Charlie Gregg, I'd never have known the real cause.  Known as "bohunks" for their yankee origin, the
crew on the Extra 226 South went Hollywood.  The extra south was to meet a northbound in the hole at
Chapanoke.  Extra 226's crew decided to have the "Bohunk" popping off as they passed.  Capt. Charlie
passed coal for Lonnie Spry to bomb the firebox.  The engineer ?  Well he ran with low (low, low) water,
and about 6 mi. from the "meet", engine 226's crown sheet dropped.   The ICC never got the full story
(but I did).                                              Harry Bundy       
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