Winter arrived during January 2015 for a short while. There was actually about three inches of snow and then we got about 10 days of winds gusting to 60 miles an hour. You can figure the wind chill. Our 5,000 sq ft concrete block building is uninsulated and the one overhead gas heater keeps things just above freezing at floor level. Working in the boiler its about 50° and at the ceiling even with 4 fans blowing it is 60°. When the wind stopped there was no snow left. It does not melt at these temperatures, it just desiccates from snow to vapor in the wind. While we have bare ground and cold, Boston has 72" of snow. I point this out just to contrast reality with what most folks think of the weather here in our part of the world. We are thankful to our inkind sponsor who is providing this work space for Engine 557 Restoration Company and the utilities.

Progress continues on reconditioning super heater assemblies. A proper mandrel has been made to maintain the 2 1/8" radius on the old ball end. They are being ground to the original profile while removing scale rust and traces of the original contact point where they joined the header seat. The final pass provides a bright mirror finish. A heavy coat of grease and a cedar wood protector goes over the ends for storage. With the arrival of warm weather they will be flushed and hydro tested. We anticipate building replacements for about 15 of the assemblies that had badly warped tubes.

The Baldwin power reverse has been totally rebuilt. The crosshead had about .060 slop top to bottom in the guide that had been worn egg shaped. Last month the line boring equipment on loan from Central Environmental Services, was used to rebore the guide. The crosshead was then brazed up in the oven with a new brass surface and machined to fit. With new cups, bushings, pins and bearings, the power reverse was assembled and tested.

All the replacement tube and superheater flue materials have been put in safe storage under the work bench until needed. There is an on-going funding initiative to raise money to pay for these new tubes and flues. You can sponsor a tube or flue, or for that matter a whole row of them. Click here to sponsor a tube or flue.

Dean Sawyer took on the job of pressing the old brasses out of the driving boxes. With the brass pressed out the box can be further cleaned. The brasses will be machined to receive a babbitt lining and then be machine matched to the axle.

Now that all the fire box interior components are on hand preparations are being made to fit and install them. Jeff DeBroeck, Dean Sawyer and Jerry Cunnington here are attaching strong back braces to the old firebox sheets so they can be welded back together. Mike McKerrvey is working inside the upturned firebox helping pull it into proper alignment to allow for the cutting nerf space left when the sheets were removed. With the old firebox assembled using the stay bolt spacing for registration, the new firebox components can be trimmed and fitted to match as they are put in place. Remember there are only 1042 stay bolt holes that need to match up inside and out.

Visitors are always welcome by appointment with advance notice at 350-4340. The Jessie Tanner family and friends came by for the tour. The smiling faces are: Jason, Heidi and Kailee Mobley and Jennifer, Taylee, Jessie and Cruz Tanner. Yes they did get to ring our bells.

Just when we needed additional qualified welders, Ron Dudley brought his neighbor along for a volunteer day. Maurice Hansen works for ENSTAR the local natural gas distribution company. He is a real production guy and is known as “Rod”. We have come to call him “Welding Rod”. Here are Rod and Ron Dudley working inside the Firebox placing strong backs in preparation for closing the holes left after removal of the arch tubes. In the new firebox, a stay bolt will be centered where each of the old arch tubes penetrated the interior sheet and the former washout plug penetrated the outer sheet.

Preheat is applied by Rod Hansen in preparation for welding closures in the old washout plugs for the arch tubes. ENTSTAR has been added to our in-kind donors list in appreciation of their support. They actually have a policy of paying employees who volunteer their time with qualified non-profit organizations like Engine 557 Restoration Company. ENSTAR has earned a place on our sign wall recognizing the generous contributions of local Alaskan Business.

557's restoration is only possible because of the contributions of many individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations. Supporting the restoration like the legs of a three-legged stool, volunteers, monetary donors, and in-kind donors are all three critical elements to returning 557 to operation.

Today we are recognizing the contributors of two of our most-used in-kind donations. Our thanks go out to Independent Lift Truck of Anchorage (http://www.iltalaska.com/) and ATS Portable Toilets of Palmer (http://www.atstoilets.com/) for their support ever since the project was just a locomotive in an empty warehouse. We couldn't do it without you! For a complete list of  in-kind donors, go to http://www.557.alaskarails.org/support/donors.jpg

As January closed out we receive really great news from the Matanuska Electric Association Charitable Trust. They will be granting the $10,000.00 request made by the Engine 557 Restoration Company team of Dick Morris and Maria Keefer. There will be more details in the February report. In the meantime we must thank all those members of the Matanuska Electric Association Cooperative who each month “ROUND UP” by rounding up their payment to the next dollar. These pennies fund the MEA Charitable Trust. If your neighbors use MEA Round Up, thank them on behalf of 557.

Patrick Durand, President

Make all donations to: Engine 557 Restoration Company at the above address.
An Alaskan 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Corporation, EIN 46-2663256

Or donate on line here: