Author Topic: Rail car axle (Read 2898 times)

Double D · « **on:** December 18, 2007, 07:04:48 PM »

Years ago , when I had my first beer can mortar built from the plans posted in Guns Magazine the recommend material source was the a rail road scrap yard and and axle from a rail car. Anybody have any idea what kind of steel is used to make rail car axles?

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tnmike55 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 19, 2007, 02:38:23 AM »

This link may help. I have no specific information on RR axles

http://www.cvbg.org/tips/steel.htm

Don Krag · « **Reply #2 on:** December 19, 2007, 10:13:21 AM »

1045/1050 is a pretty common axle an shaft steel. I've used a lot of old mine cart axles that seem to forge, spark test, and heat treat consistent with 1050.

Artilleryman · « **Reply #3 on:** December 19, 2007, 10:58:20 AM »

The Confederates built some breechloading cannon (Hughes) supposedly using railroad axles. That is not a recommendation only a historical comment.

guardsgunner · « **Reply #4 on:** December 19, 2007, 12:01:24 PM »

This would be a Hughes gun, the project just started.

lance · « **Reply #5 on:** December 19, 2007, 03:35:18 PM »

if i'm mistaken please forgive me,but i always thought the Hughes gun was made out of a bored out steamboat shaft. anyway, looking forward to seeing guardsgunner's project!!!!

guardsgunner · « **Reply #6 on:** December 20, 2007, 11:51:45 AM »

Can't think of the name right now ,but the only gun I know if made from steamboat shaft had a large swingaway ,horseshoe shaped breech blocj arm. Its in Agusta Ga with the 2 headed gun.

lance · « **Reply #7 on:** December 20, 2007, 03:01:25 PM »

Thanks guardsgunner, same steamboat shaft just a different gun. Darn if i can think of the name too, but i do know what you are talking about.

lance · « **Reply #8 on:** December 20, 2007, 03:59:39 PM »

Sumner Oscillating Breech Loading Rifled Gun..........made from a train crank axle........... darn, what did i read years ago about a steamboat shaft? i know it was something but can't remember.

Double D · « **Reply #9 on:** December 20, 2007, 04:21:01 PM »

Quote from: lance on December 20, 2007, 03:59:39 PM

Sumner Oscillating Breech Loading Rifled Gun..........made from a train crank axle........... darn, what did i read years ago about a steamboat shaft? i know it was something but can't remember.

Steam train crank axle?

lance · « **Reply #10 on:** December 20, 2007, 04:39:17 PM »

Yes Sir Double D, August 31st 1861 Steam Train Crank Axle.

Frank46 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 20, 2007, 07:03:16 PM »

Don't know if this would be of any help but many years ago our ship used to send guys to the local railroad repair shop for boxcar axels. Took about a week but they were machined into boiler feed pump shafts. 3600rpm @600psi. Haven't seen any lately, but should be in the area of close to 6" in diameter. Sure wouldn't wanna horse that puppy up on a lathe without a engine lift. Frank

lance · « **Reply #12 on:** March 02, 2008, 01:56:03 PM »

Almost hate to drag this topic back up, but just ran across a picture in one of my old books. I knew i had read about a STEAMBOAT SHAFT............ this is not the Hughes gun made from Railroad axels, this is not the Sumer gun made from train crank axels. This is the "Columbus" Breechloader made by the Confederate Naval iron works. It was bored out from a STEAMBOAT SHAFT, it was "bugging" me, just knew for sure i had read about it in the past. Here's the picture from my book:

cannonmn · « **Reply #13 on:** March 02, 2008, 02:26:43 PM »

Lance posted a member of what I call the "strap gun" family. Some had an extra set of trunnions for the strap and some used main trunnions. I posted a pic of a model with extra trunnions and breech compression screw.

KABAR2 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 02, 2008, 04:43:14 PM »

If any member lives on Long Island there is a small park in Nassau County,
there is a captured confederate breech loader there very similar to the one posted,
the breech swivels and had a turnscrew at the rear.
I can give directions to it if someone would be interested in having a look and taking some photos.

Allen <><

cannonmn · « **Reply #15 on:** March 03, 2008, 05:01:03 AM »

Well it must be pretty heavy to have remained there all these years. Allen, no picture? Do you know anyone back there who could take a picture? That really sounds fascinating and I'm totally shocked that none of the cannon books have pictures of it. In the "old days" when gas was under $2. a gallon, I would have jumped in the car and driven 7 hours to find it, but now, no way, Diesel is pushing $4. a gal, here now.

Maybe some of us should chip in to a small fund to pay someone in that area to go get some digital photos-only 10 of us at $10. each makes $100., I'm sure we could find somebody in that area to do an hours' work for that amount. See if you can come up with some names and phone nos. Allen!

I'm going to email Jim Bender, "keeper of the list" begun by the late Wayne Stark and see if he has a pic. or description.

cannonmn · « **Reply #16 on:** March 03, 2008, 07:03:16 AM »

Allen, Jim Bender has no record of it. He does show a 2.75 in. breechloading Confederate gun of some kind in Columbus, GA., but nothing in L,I.

If you post or get me good directions I can "ask around" and see if anyone I deal with has pix. Worse comes to worse, some of us should chip in and hire someone to photog and measure it.

KABAR2 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 03, 2008, 07:36:26 AM »

cannonmn,

I have an email to a friend who lives on Long Island he took me there 10 or more years ago it was spur of the moment and I did not have a camera,
Nassau County has a small park where all their old artillery from defunct monuments end their days,
He now lives in Suffolk County but does not own a digital camera.
I will try to get him to get a photo of it if possible,
I will at least get the directions to it if nothing else.
There was an issue (1970's) of Civil War Times that had a period photo taken in what looked like a rail yard
the workers are posed around a breech loader that may have been this gun.
It was mounted on a simple carriage with no wheels,
and in the photo the whole affair was on a 4 wheeled hand cart to move it.
No promises but I will try to find the issue, I saved it planning on checking the connection to the cannon in the park.

Allen <><

cannonmn · « **Reply #18 on:** March 03, 2008, 08:18:51 AM »

Thanks Allen, good luck with it. You've got me interested now, I won't be happy 'till I can see a picture of it, and Jim Bailey interested too, he could use some more of the experimental CW stuff on his list.

KABAR2 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 03, 2008, 10:28:25 AM »

The following was the email I sent and received, the section highlighted in red is the part of interest. I'll do a little digging and see if I and find it on a map.

Allen <><

Hi Larry,

Would you do me a favor? I need good directions to that little cannon park in Nassau County, I have some people doing research on breech loading artillery, and I remember there was a civil war screw breech cannon cemented into one of the monuments. They want to get photos and measurements, This is something that has not been on the radar before and is causing some excitement, as there are few known cannon of this type in existence, it may be one produced by the confederates in a rail yard down in Georgia.

Thanks,

Allen <><

Hi Allen,

We did a bunch of driving around that day, long ago. We looked at cannon in Rockville Centre (by the municiple building - Clinton Street, north of the LIRR station, a block.) We looked at cannon in Freeport, on an traffic island by Sunrise Hway (rt. 27) and over by the Freeport LIRR station (another traffic island, near the taxi stand).

I think you are referring to the cannons in the park in East Rockaway (south of Lynbrook, off the Sunrise Hwy.) That had the old grist mill in the park also. That park is on the east side of Atlantic Ave (coming south out of Lynbrook - on the east side. This is before the avenue ends at Main street in East Rockaway village ... be advised Main St. (east-west) becomes another Atlantic Ave, when it comes into Oceanside. That park is in East Rockaway.

I no longer have maps of Nassau County or that general area. I think the building there was the village hall, but am not sure. Been a VERY long time since I was there.

Hope that helps ... and they better be there when I visit again in a decade or two ... LOL.

Larry

KABAR2 · « **Reply #20 on:** March 03, 2008, 10:32:05 AM »

Cannonmn,

O.k. I did a quick search and found the gristmill museum , I called the number and the lady was very helpful, Memorial park is located on Atlantic Ave. and Woods ave.
now all we need is to get someone there to photograph this gem!

http://www.geocities.com/wormywart/techie.html

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?address=340%20Atlantic%20Ave&city=East%20Rockaway&state=NY&zipcode=11518-1172&country=US&geodiff=1

lance · « **Reply #21 on:** March 03, 2008, 01:18:25 PM »

Quote from: cannonmn on March 03, 2008, 07:03:16 AM

Jim Bender has no record of it. He does show a 2.75 in. breechloading Confederate gun of some kind in Columbus, GA., but nothing in L,I.

cannonmn, the picture i posted on reply # 12 is the gun in Columbus, GA.......KARBAR2, a member of this forum "ElCaz" lives somewhere up in that area, i'll send him a PM and ask him to look at this topic and see if he might be able to get us some pics.

cannonmn · « **Reply #22 on:** March 03, 2008, 01:27:43 PM »

OK I got a volunteer who is going to get some pix tomorrow AM, and measurements. Why don't you (Allen) go on that board, contact them, and make sure they know exactly where it is, I gave them the mapquest map you supplied. My "want pix" post is here:

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?messageID=1012179286&#1012179286

lance · « **Reply #23 on:** March 03, 2008, 01:33:18 PM »

Darn!!! cannonmn, i just sent ElCaz a PM to see if he might help, Oh Well, Glad someone is going to get pictures, can't wait to see them!!!

cannonmn · « **Reply #24 on:** March 03, 2008, 01:41:14 PM »

Hey it doesn't hurt at all to send two people, maybe one of them will actually get the pictures and the other one will find they have dead batteries in the camera.

EL Caz 66 · « **Reply #25 on:** March 03, 2008, 02:07:15 PM »

Hey Lance, received your message. I do know this area of long Island I lived a few towns over from Lynbrook , Although I'm in Manhattan most of the week and I spend the rest up in my country house.I'll make an attempt to get out to the Island to retrieve some photos for this thread.

Ed

KABAR2 · « **Reply #26 on:** March 03, 2008, 02:54:08 PM »

Cannonmn,

I posted what info I could about this, on the eBay thread it was at least 12 years since I saw this cannon, I believe it will be worth the trouble.

Thanks to those who are helping with the photos!

Allen <><

cannonmn · « **Reply #27 on:** March 03, 2008, 03:09:37 PM »

Thanks, they're ready to go tomorrow. What you described there sure sounds like the Naval Iron Works gun in Columbus shown in Ripley's book pp. 181, but we'll see what the pictures show.