Railroad Forums 

  • Arc welding on Alco RS-1

  • Discussion of products from the American Locomotive Company. A web site with current Alco 251 information can be found here: Fairbanks-Morse/Alco 251.
Discussion of products from the American Locomotive Company. A web site with current Alco 251 information can be found here: Fairbanks-Morse/Alco 251.

Moderator: Alcoman

 #843501  by videoman
 
We're still working on one of our Alcos, needing to do some welding here and there. Question: is it safe to arc weld on the engine, or could the current damage
anything electrical, or (since the engine is presumably grounded through the trucks) could stray current arc thru the bearings or whatever? Rather not do any damage
on the way to doing repairs, advice please?

Thanks!

W.B. Vaughan
Volunteer machinist
Gold Coast Railroad Museum
Miami, Fl
 #843506  by DutchRailnut
 
Make absolutely certain that you ground on same part that your welding.

It is very easy to pitt a Bearing surface in traction motors, wheel bearings or engine bearings.
in short you can't have enough grounds(negatives)
 #843595  by Eliphaz
 
thats about right. DO NOT allow the use the earth as a ground path, make the welding operator pull a ground lead around with him and get it on a properly cleaned area very close to where the work is being done.
 #843682  by videoman
 
Thank you, gentlemen, that's about what I suspected. I don't want to do any damage, as
replacing a loco would probably set my pension back WEEKS! :P

W. B.Vaughan
Gold Coast Railaroad Museum
Miami, FL USA