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ELECTRIC RAILWAY JOURNAL · Vol. 68, No. 25 · December 18, 1926 · pp 1080-1086.
Progressive Routing of Work Features New B.M.T. Shop
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| The Central Bay of the B.M. T. Electrical Repair Shop and Four Departments in It. The four small pictures show close-ups in the corresponding corners of the bay, which is spanned by a 5-ton traveling crane and two traveling wall jib cranes. |
The Electrical Repair Building Is the First of the New Coney Island Repair Shops to Be Used by the Rapid Transit Division of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation Ultra-Modern Equipment Installed for Making Repairs Quickly and Efficiently.
Carefully fitted out with the latest types of machine tools and other equipment needed for electrical repairs, the first unit of the new Coney Island repair shops of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation is in use. When completed the entire group will form the largest and best equipped electric railway inspection and repair shops in the world. Seven buildings are now in the course of erection, with a total floor area of nearly 13 acres. They comprise a main repair shop, an inspection shop, the electrical repair shop, which is the subject of this article; a two-story storehouse, a two-story office building, an oil house, and a boiler house. The total floor area of the seven buildings is 546,000 sq.ft.
The buildings themselves are being built by the city of New York under subway contract No. 4, while the railway company provides the equipment, including heating, lighting, power, machine tools, cranes, elevators, etc. The building now used for the department of electrical repairs is the first one to be completed and the city is now proceeding with the construction of the remainder of this comprehensive group of repair and inspection shops. The yards for these shops occupy the entire space between the Sea Beach and Culver lines of the railway at Avenue X and extend south to Coney Island Creek. The electrical repair shop occupies the northeast corner of this area immediately adjacent to the Avenue X station of the Culver line and but a short distance from the 86th Street station of the Sea Beach line. The shop building is 300 ft. long and 127 ft. wide. The central portion is open from floor to roof and a mezzanine floor 32 ft. wide extends along one side of the building with a space for a similar mezzanine to be built later on the opposite side. Particular attention has been devoted to providing large central sawtooth skylights and an unusual amount of wall space for windows so as to make the interior of the shop exceptionally light throughout the daylight hours and a most attractive place in which to work.
The framework of the electrical repair shop is of steel and the walls of tapestry brick with a concrete foundation. The building presents a very pleasing appearance with little attempt at ornamentation. The coping is of terra cotta and window sills are Rowlock brick. Windows are all fitted with steel sash. Ventilating panels in the exterior steel sash are glazed with 1/4-in. rough wire glass. Other glazing in the first story is 1/4-in. rough glass and the second story exterior steel sash is glazed with clear glass except in the ventilating panels. Roof lights are glazed with 1/4-in. rough wire glass. The roof over the center bay is of sawtooth design which furnishes abundance of interior light. The backs of the sawtooth section are of precast interlocking cement tile with glass inserts. The roof over the mezzanine floor and side bay is built of concrete slabs on steel with asphalt surfacing. The floor of the mezzanine section is of cement with an asphalt finish. The ground floor is of Carter Bloxonend flooring on a concrete base.
Unit heaters are located at intervals around the shop and wall radiators where required in rooms, etc. The heating system is of low-pressure type with vacuum return, steam at about 5 lb. pressure being used. Steam is now supplied from a temporary boiler, but as soon as the main boiler house is completed connection will be made to this.
All electric lighting fixtures are arranged to conform to the latest practice in shop lighting. The central bay is lighted from five-light clusters about 30 ft. above the floor and spaced on 20-ft. centers, each cluster consisting of five 94-watt lamps with porcelain reflectors. Side bays are supplied from single 94-watt lamps 10 ft. above the floor, with porcelain reflectors spaced on 8-ft. by 10-ft. centers. In the washroom and locker rooms 56-watt lamps are used. There are also separate circuits for watchmen's lights, fire apparatus, fire alarm and hydrant designation lights. The 600-volt direct-current system of the railway is used for lighting, five lamps being connected in series across the line.
All wire is run in conduit in the ceilings, floors and walls with pull boxes at convenient intervals. A general lighting and power switchboard is located on the south balcony of the shop. From this the circuits run to separate lighting and power panels at convenient points in the shop. These control panels are provided with Westinghouse safety switches mounted in steel cabinets with hinged doors.
Pipe trenches are provided for the distribution pipes for steam, air, gas, electricity and water. Pedestals are placed along each side of the central section of the shop devoted to stripping and winding of armatures. These pedestals include connections for gas, air at 90 lb. pressure and electricity at 110 volts a.c. and 600 volts d.c. Some further details as to the construction of these stands and the convenience for various classes of work will be given in connection with the shop equipment.
Electric railway maintenance men will find the new electrical repair shop of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation of particular interest because of the modern equipment provided. The shop is arranged to handle the largest as well as the smallest item of electrical repair work rapidly and efficiently. Quick repairs to electric car equipment are necessary, not only to keep the maximum number of cars in service continually, but also to minimize the number of spare parts that must be stocked.
In planning the department of electrical repairs, particular attention was given to grouping departments and equipment so that the part being repaired will move progressively from one operation to the next and all interference, cross-routing and back-tracking of parts will be eliminated. Provision for expansion and installation of equipment to meet future increased requirements has been made. Plenty of space has been left around machine tools so that equipment can be handled efficiently without interference. Speed in making repairs with an economical shop force has been sought. Quick movement of heavy parts is taken care of by a 5-ton Box traveling crane which spans the central bay and traverses its entire length, by two 1-1/2-ton Box traveling wall jib cranes, operated from the floor, and by several small storage-battery trucks. The wall jib cranes serve the machine tools so that the traveling crane can be used for longer movements and for placing material conveniently to machines.
An accompanying plan shows the shop divided into sections so as to illustrate the efficient manner in which work of similar character is grouped. A table lists the work done in each section. Lines with arrows show progressive movement of parts during repairs.
Section 3, with a track over which cars can be brought into the shop, is used for the receipt and shipping of all equipment and material. Armatures, the repair of which constitutes a large part of the work done at this shop, are inspected as they are received and are divided into two general classes first, those that require complete rewinding, and, second, those that can be repaired without rewinding. All armatures are moved into section 4 by cranes or trucks and are placed on adjustable stands manufactured by the Columbia Machine Works. These have a large steel bell-shaped base with roller-bearing cradles at the top. Two such stands support an armature. One is bolted securely to the floor, while the other is left free to be moved so that adjustment can be made to take care of various lengths. The head with the cradle has a screw bottom with square threads to provide a 10-in. height adjustment. A convenient height used for repair of armatures is with the roller bearings 36 in. above the floor level. In grouping the stands, the stationary ones are spaced 6 ft. apart. A winder's tool box and material stand of sheet steel is attached by hinged supports to the stationary armature stand. This is 15 in. wide, 18 in. long and 8 in. deep. It is provided with a sheet-steel drawer which can be locked. Space is provided in the armature repair section for a double row of winding stands on either side. But one row on each side is in use at the present time.
The armature rewinding and repair section is provided with twelve outlet pedestals. To these are brought pipes containing gas and compressed air and the conduit with wires for connection to both alternating and direct-current supply sources. Each pedestal has an upright circular steel base of 8 in. diameter and 29 in. high with a cast steel bottom. On top of the pedestal is mounted a square outlet box, 8 1/2 in. x 8 1/2 in. x 4 in. deep. The four sides are provided with proper fittings so that connection can be made quickly for gas, air, direct current and alternating current. Small brass plates on top of the cover indicate to the workman just which connection is to be used for each supply. There are six of these outlet pedestals, spaced 12 ft. apart, on each side of the armature rewinding and repair section.
Three soldering furnaces mounted permanently alongside the winding stands are used to heat irons for soldering the rear ends of some types of armature windings which cannot be dipped for soldering. Each soldering furnace has a gas connection and burner of sufficient size so that two soldering irons can be heated at one time. The furnaces are made by Charles A. Horn. They are mounted on a strap-iron stand which brings the furnace 2 ft. above the floor.
A Special Room For Cleaning. Armatures sent in for repairs usually need rebanding or new mica V-rings. Some single coils are replaced. If it is evident that an armature can be repaired without rewinding, it is sent to the cleaning room before dismantling. This room, shown as section 19 on the accompanying plan, is 19 ft. 6 in. x 14 ft. 9 in. and has two galvanized iron housings, 3 ft. x 3 ft. x 5 ft. long, into which the largest size railway armature as it rests on a truck can be rolled and be closed in completely during the cleaning operation.
Dust and grease caked solidly are loosened by scraping. Compressed air is played on the armature and a vacuum system sucks away all loose particles. The two receptacles are connected by 12-in. diameter pipes to a 16-in. diameter vertical pipe. The pipe from each receptacle has a damper so that one can be shut off while the other is in use. A hinged door the full size of the front of each receptacle is provided and to support the door as it is being opened a castor is fastened to the bottom corner farthest from the hinged side. The large front door is also provided with a small circular 15-in. door, and there is also a similar circular door in the opposite end of the receptacle. Another rectangular door 12 in. x 36 in. is provided in the side. These openings are for inserting the nozzle of an air hose to blow out the armatures. These cleaning receptacles are also used for cleaning numerous parts of electric car equipment, such as motor parts, controllers and the like.
Suction to remove the dust and loose particles is provided by a motor-driven fan mounted on the balcony, which serves as a roof for the cleaning room. The refuse material is drawn from the receptacles up through the vertical pipe to a Cyclone separator, in which large particles and any heavy material drop down and through an 8-in. pipe to a steel drum 24 in. diameter by 3 ft. high, which is placed in one corner of the cleaning room. The hood from the pipe fits over the top of the steel drum and is held in close contact by a large steel ring so that there is no tendency for the dirt to fly about the room. The top of the Cyclone separator is connected by a large pipe to a large dust chamber. Light particles are drawn through this and to the exhaust side of the fan, where they are blown outside the building.
After cleaning, armatures which are to be repaired are tested at 1,400 volts a.c. with a Westinghouse portable transformer box which is arranged to give testing voltages up to 6,000 in steps of 200. The box is brought to the armature to be tested.
Repairing And Rewinding Armatures. With all coils removed, the armature core is repaired. Any sharp corners or rough edges in the slots that might cause damage to the coils are filed and the slots are cleaned carefully to receive the insulating material for the core. The armatures are next moved to section 5 and the commutators are tested with 3,000 volts to ground and 550 volts between bars. Where repairs to the commutator are necessary these are made and the commutator is tightened carefully. Should there be short circuits or grounds inside or at the rear end which cannot be repaired properly with the commutator in place it is pressed off. This is done in section 8. A 200 - ton horizontal - hydraulic press made by the Hydraulic Press Manufacturing Company and a Watson-Stillman vertical press of 50 tons capacity do most of this work. A 60-ton horizontal hydraulic press is used for tightening collars, putting tension on commutators while the nuts are tightened and for removing pinions. These presses are also used for pressing shafts in and out and other forcing operations.
Repairs to commutators removed from the armatures are made in section 13. Unless a commutator is in very bad condition it is the practice to replace the same one on an armature. The armature under repairs is set aside meanwhile. With the commutator again in place, the armature is brought back to section 5 for rewinding.
To show the particular uses to which the various pieces of equipment are put in the department of electrical repairs would require a detailed description of each maintenance operation. The principal repairs made to an armature, however, will illustrate the need for much of the equipment. While armature repairs constitute a large part of the work done, the different steps in rewinding and the order in which the work is completed differ somewhat with the various types of armatures. For a large Westinghouse type 300 armature rewinding operations are as follows:
Armature Repair Work Outlined. The winder puts in the bottom coils and tapes them down to hold them in position, properly lined up. The armature is then placed in one of the baking ovens for two or three hours, in order to heat it up. Sticks are then put in on top of the coils and temporary bands are applied while the armature and coils are hot. After cooling, the armature is again placed on a stand in the winding section. The winder cuts the temporary bands and removes them, together with the sticks. Insulation is then inserted above the bottom coils and the top coils are placed in position. The armature then goes into the oven a second time for heating up and again sticks are placed over the coils and temporary bands force the coils down into position. When cold, the armature is again placed on stands and the temporary bands are cut and the sticks taken out. The winder then does the finishing work on the armature and it is given a buzzer test. The armature then goes to the solder pot for the dipping to solder the leads into the commutator neck. After a bar-to-bar test permanent bands are put on and the armature is again submitted to a buzzer test. If this latter test shows trouble in the winding, a bar-to-bar test is made to locate definitely the point of trouble.
The armature then goes into one of the lathes for turning and slotting the commutator. The slots are raked out and the commutator is polished. The armature then is sandpapered and another buzzer test is given it. The core of the armature is then painted and the tape band is given its final coat of varnish. A pinion key is put in the armature shaft and the pinion nut applied. The armature is then ready for service.
Drying And Baking Ovens Important Pieces Of Equipment. From the foregoing outline it will be seen that drying and baking ovens are used extensively. These are located in a separate room in section 11, adjacent to which is another room with a complete dipping and impregnating installation. At present six ovens have been installed and there is space for an additional one when the volume of work demands it. Five of the ovens are 10 ft. x 6 ft. 6 in. x 6 ft. high. Their floors are arranged to come flush with the shop floor so that trucks can be rolled-directly inside. A sixth oven is arranged for baking coils and small parts. It is 6 ft. x 5 ft. x 34 in. in size. The opening in this oven does not extend to the floor. This oven, together with four of the others, is of Gehnrich Indirect Heat Company's type. The sixth oven, formerly used at the railway's 52d Street shop, was made by the Oven Equipment & Manufacturing Company. The heating and control equipment for all of the ovens was furnished by the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company. The control boxes are installed on an angle iron framework along the wall of the oven room, directly in front of the ovens. A regulator, used in connection with an indicating and recording meter which is set for definite temperature limits, gives automatic heat control and eliminates the personal element.
The impregnating room has a mixing tank and an impregnating tank, supplied by the P. J. Devine Company, also equipment for dipping armatures by the rolling method and a very complete overhead I-beam hoist system for handling heavy pieces of equipment. Steam at 60-lb. pressure for heating the compound is furnished by a 4-hp. flash boiler made by P. M. Lattner Manufacturing Company. The mixing and vacuum tanks are jacketed for the steam. No pipes are in sight to become covered with compound and make cleaning difficult. The compound is heated in the mixing tank and a partial vacuum is obtained in the impregnating tank by means of air pumps. The equipment to be impregnated is then subjected to a 28-in. vacuum before the impregnating compound is admitted.
With the compound properly heated and mixed, the valve between the two tanks is opened and the compound runs into the impregnating tank. Peepholes in the top covers of these tanks permit the operator to watch the compound as it rises and shut off the valve when the equipment has been covered over to a depth of from 18 in. to 24 in. After closing the communicating valve the vacuum is relieved and air pressure is supplied by the shop air compressor at from 50 to 55 lb. Compressed air is also used in forcing the compound out of the impregnating tank and into the mixing tank, the maximum pressure used being not more than 5 lb. The vacuum tank used in this installation is 36 in. diameter by 56 in. deep. Both tanks are surrounded by an elevated platform so that workmen can reach all parts without difficulty.
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| [Left] Armature core and commutator repair department. [Right] Armature winding; outlets for gas, compressed air and testing current are provided. |
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| [Left] Horizontal and vertical hydraulic presses for forcing operations. [Right] Modern axle lathe, vertical key seater and punch press, superintendent's office. |
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| Shop Diagram. Provision Has Been Made for Expansion and Installation of Additional Equipment to Meet Increased Requirements. |
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| Departments Are Grouped so that Work Moves Progressively. Operations Performed In the Various Sections Are Given In the Table Below. | General Layout of Shops. The department of electrical repairs, shown as No. 7, is the first building completed. Others In the group are: 1, Inspection shop. 2, Main repair shop. 3, Storehouse. 4, Office. 6, Oil house. 6, Boiler house. |
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| Equipment for Boiling Armatures in Insulating Varnishes Is Shown at the Left and the Impregnating and Mixing Tanks at the Right. | The Flash Boiler at the Left Supplies Steam for the Impregnating Room--Batteries of Shop Trucks Are Charged from a Motor-Generator Set with Convenient Switchboard Shown In the Center. |
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| Automatically Controlled Drying and Baking Ovens Are Important Parts of the Equipment. | Short Circuits or Grounds Inside or at the Rear End of Commutators Are Repaired at the Bench. |
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| The Cleaning Room Has Two Large Galvanized Iron Housings Into Which Armatures on Tracks Are Rolled for Cleaning | A Motor-Driven Fan and Cyclone Separator Mounted Above the Cleaning Room. |
Sources: Electric Railway Journal, McGraw Hill Company, Digitized by Microsoft, Americana Collection, archive.org.
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