ACFT EQUIP PROB. ACFT NOSE GEAR STEERING ACTUATOR WAS DAMAGED ON TAXI OUT WHEN THE ACR CROSSED A RWY UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN SRQ. LOSS OF 'A' SYS HYDS.

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OUR FLT WAS TAXIING FOR DEP IN SRQ ON TXWY A TO RWY 14. RWY 11 WAS BEING RESURFACED AND HAD A 1 1/2 INCH LIP THAT THE ACFT HAD TO ROLL OVER TO GET TO RWY 14. MAY HAVE DAMAGED A NOSEWHEEL STEERING ACTUATOR WHEN IT CONTACTED THE LIP. AFTER TKOF 'A' SYS QUANTITY READ 1 GALLON. I SMELLED OIL PRESENT IN THE COCKPIT AFTER GEAR RETRACTION AND SUSPECTED A LEAK. GEAR AND FLAP EXTENSION IN EWR WERE NORMAL. ON THE LNDG ROLLOUT THE NOSEWHEEL BEGAN SHIMMYING AND THE ACFT DRIFTED L OF RWY CTRLINE. THE ACFT STOPPED 15 FT L OF CTRLINE AND THE 'A' SYS WENT TO '0' QUANTITY. THE FLC USED A VERY CONSERVATIVE TAXI SPD ACROSS THE LIP IN SRQ AND STILL RECEIVED DAMAGE. THE ARPT SHOULD HAVE MADE A LESS ABRUPT LIP TO CROSS OVER RWY 11. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR DID NOT THINK THAT THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED SINCE THE NOSE STRUT ONLY BOTTOMED OUT WHEN THEY CROSSED RWY 11 AT SRQ. HOWEVER; AFTER TKOF HE NOTED THAT THE 'A' SYS QUANTITY WAS ABOUT 1 GALLON BELOW ITS NORMAL READING. HE RPTED THIS TO THE CAPT. DURING THE LNDG ROLLOUT AT EWR THE 'A' SYS QUANTITY WENT TO '0.' THE CAPT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE ACFT ABOUT 15 FT TO THE L OF CTRLINE. THE MAINT PERSONNEL FOUND THE STEERING ACTUATOR WAS BROKEN INTO 2 PIECES. THE RPTR FURTHER SAID THAT THE CAPT WAS SURPRISED THAT THE B727-200 HAD NOT HELD THE CTRLINE BETTER THAN IT DID SINCE THERE WAS LITTLE XWIND.