To regular followers of 557 Progress Reports, you noticed they have gotten farther apart. May was a blur of activity in the engine house and frankly I did not have the energy left to report on it all in a timely manner. Then it dawned on me that edited versions of our weekly work calls for the all volunteer Mechanical Department Crew will work as an outline for the reports.
So if this seems a little disjointed, I hope it is still informative as a time line of progress.
As of May 1, 2013 we had all the wood stripped from the cab and the cut list has gone to Alaska Wood Moulding who will precut and finish all of it for the 557 project. The dents are gone from the roof. Fred Tigner was mounting the cab on casters so it can be moved around the shop. Removable lift rings have been fitted to the reinforced roof to facilitate mounting and handling.
Ron Dudley is an all around hand who falls back to his corner cleaning the rods and valve gear parts when the priority to do list is done. This huge job is coming along with the added help from Lynn Willis and recently Richard Clinch.
Our first Rasmuson Review by our major funding source was completed on Tuesday May 7th. The review was instructive and the major take away was that 557 Restoration Company needs more public awareness, a higher community profile if you will. More importantly we needed to demonstrate our ability to attract large cash contributions to justify the very generous Rasmuson Foundation grant of $350.000.00.
In response, a large new sign designed by B'Original signs will go up on the Parks Highway and Railroad side of the building and there will be no doubt what is going on behind door #3. John Thain of Channel 11 news spent an entire day following Jeff DeBroeck our CMO, from his day job at the Alaska Railroad to his volunteer job here in the Engine House. You can see the result here in a video produced of May 13, 2013.
Also to raise awareness the Alaska Railroad Calendar for 2014, now on sale in ARR Gift Shops prominently features 557 as a theme for each month! Any question about the ARRC commitment to the Engine 557 Restoration Company project now?
As to the more important part, attracting large donors, take note that six anonymous donors each committed to gifts of $10,000.00 to the Alaska Community Foundation 557 fund in the month of May, 2012. That is not a misprint. Along with other donations received we are within striking distance of raising half of the match amount. Your contribution of $25,000 would put us over the half way mark! Just make out your check to:
The Alaska Community Foundation, 557 Fund
3201 C Street Suite 110
Anchorage, Alaska 99503.
On Saturday, May 11, we had 10 volunteers working on 557. New addition to the regular Mechanical Department is James Ogden, who just hired on with the ARR as a brakeman, with the intention of gaining an engineers seat, a position he held on the BNSF. He is looking forward to training as fireman and engineer for the 557 Operating Department. He fit right in with these fellows having too much fun after dancing with Gypsy. In order Jeff DeBroeck, James Ogden, James Farnham, Kevin Underhill and Ron Dudley.
Todd and Gene McCabe brought along dad and granddad, Oscar McCabe, and the three of them drilled and fabricated the sheet metal to match the cab repairs. On that day we had three generations of two families visiting with 70 year old 557. Tom Maloney of CH2MHill was accompanied by his son Sam and in-laws Mr. and Mrs Dick Lane for a tour.
On Monday morning, May 13 we had a special guest, Gregory P. Malloy President, National Railway Historical Society was in the Engine House at 8 am sharply. He was previewing the tour that the NRHS will be taking during their September National Convention. He was joined by Bud Thompson of the Tacoma NRHS Chapter. He encouraged us to apply for an NRHS preservation grant.
Jordan Enget a young man from the Air Force who bring years of experience working with his grandfather in shop environments. 557 is his first encounter with a steam locomotive. He is proving to be a very capable addition to the Mechanical Department.
Mark Lehman, has joined the crew in a unique manner. He has a machine shop at home, with sand blast equipment and an engineering background. Mark will be reconditioning parts and valves and all those little universal joints that are stove up. His 9 year old son works alongside him in the home shop. When the parts come and go they are logged in and out of the inventory.
James Farnham and Kevin Underhill were down from Fairbanks for the entire week of May 5 thru 11th. As a result the 557 Engine house was active all week. Art Chase, the boiler rat, was also down from Fairbanks and concentrated on all those stubborn seal welded stubs in the rear flue sheet. He got all but 5 out! Jeff DeBroeck removed the last of the seal welded tube stubs from the rear flue sheet on Monday evening, May 12, 2013.
With warmer weather a lot is getting done and there is a lot to do. Eight new people joined the Mechanical Department Crew list in May. James Ogden, Richard and Gail Clinch, Jordon Enget, Gene McCabe , Rodney Schumacher and Mark Lehman. It is gratifying to have the support of so many new people on the job and also challenging for me to keep everyone productive.
Rodney Schumacker is a third generation Alaska Railroader and works with Jeff in the Heavy Equipment shop. Carol Schumacker, Rodney's wife, has joined Engine 557 Restoration Company as grant writer. We really do need her help, and she may call for volunteers to assist with fund raising projects.
On Sunday, May 19th, we hosted 28 members of a British rail fan group traveling Alaska with Nigel Thomas. They were impressed with the project and several said now they have a real reason to come back and ride behind an "old war horse" when she is in steam. They made donations in the 557 Company Store. Everyone left with a Worther's Hard Candy, our continuing tradition in memory of Monte Holm.
As I was seeing the tour group off on the train at the Wasilla Depot, I was greeted by volunteers Bob Hinterleitner and Tim Coahran who were on board the train. Both work for the ARRC. Tim is a regular engineer on the work trains passing the 557 Engine House.
Crew members mark your calendars and if you can be at the engine house June 20, 21, 22, 23 you will be able to meet and learn a lot from our Professional Engineer, Robert Franzen who will be here to evaluate the boiler and prepare a work plan and quote for the boiler work. Supporting his efforts will take precedence over all other activities on those days.
All the brake rigging and hangers have been removed. The large tapered brake hanger pins did not just jump out after 70 years. Several custom tools were manufactured for the job. A bridal flame cut from 2" thick plate steel reached across the frame members to retain them. Then a 20 ton porta power went between the pins. Liquid CO2 was added to chill the pins to a frosty 40 below. Finally a little heat was added to the boss behind the pin and a few whacks with an 8 pound hammer finished the job. Three steady hands were needed on those tools, Jeff, Jerry Cunnington and Larry Erickson are all carrying a torch for Gypsy.
The nuts holding the pedestal caps retaining the drivers in their boxes, are being removed and that job will continue on axles 1 and 2. It is our intention to have the drivers out from under the locomotive by June 20th when Robert Franzen arrives on the job. Four large air jacks are coming our way and will do the heavy lifting. We need blocking and some heavy duty I or H beams, 10 to 12 ft long and up to 12 inches high.
Dick Morris and James Ogden spent last Saturday inside the boiler barrel cleaning and doing ultrasound measurements. Some of that work needs to continue.
557 has been moved back and forward again as the floor below was cleaned. In the process she was mated to the proper tender for the first time in 49 years. Looks like a fit made for steaming.
Some minor work with a dolly and hammer are needed on the cab and then the casters and braces can be put back in place and the cab set upright. Then some holes in the roof can be welded shut. 10 pounds of 3/8 rivets, an 11/16 header and a set of tongs are on the way to replace the rivets removed to do the sheet metal replacement.
More welding is needed on the firing deck apron so it can go off to sand blasting with the cab. Roteq Alaska is going to sand blast and prime the cab for us. Blacksmithing is needed to bend the cab roof rear extension back to its proper shape.
On Tuesday June 4th, I will pick up all the pre-finished wood for the cab interior at Alaska Wood Molding Co. Mark Stearns and his crew have done an amazing job on the all oak wood interior finished with a Kelly green wiping stain and sealer. Corey Brause of Small is Beautiful is cutting the wood bows for the roof members. We will work hard to do credit to their craftsmanship when we go about installing the wood members in the reconditioned cab. Jay Berna of Glacier Glass has provided all the new tempered and safety glass for the cab windows.
Oh, did I say we have been busy in the 557 Engine House? Did I say, send money? Come by and visit the chaos that is the home of Gypsy. Thank you all for your support and good karma.
Patrick J. Durand
President, Engine 557 Restoration Company
