If you have not yet made a financial contribution to Engine 557 Restoration Company for 2015, please do so now. There are several ongoing fund raisers as explained at:
http://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former-loco/557/support/index.html
You can sponsor tubes and flues, purchase fine RR art by Craig Thorpe, or just make a donation by CC or send a check to Engine 557 Restoration Company.

We recently reviewed the restoration budget and require at least $435 thousand to see the job done, a crew trained and be steaming out the door. To those of you who have already made your contribution, such as Volker Lange of Grosspoesna, Germany, thank you from the 557 family of supporters.

Work at the 557 Engine House continued four days a week during November 2015. Other than one brief snow storm that left us with about 6 inches for a few days, it all blew away and we have been snow free here in Wasilla. That is good news for the volunteers, many of whom commute 40 to 60 miles one way to help out 557. As the project manager, I give thanks every day for these dedicated and talented people who show up and face tasks that seem insurmountable. When another bite of the elephant has been digested we all share in the accomplishment.

One huge bite is the reconditioning of the tender. You can witness our progress if you review the last few reports. Some steam locomotives were not fitted with tender hand brakes, but on the Alaska Railroad they were common. The S-160 tenders all had them and we were able to obtain the drawings. Laverne Buller fabricated one for us. The tender brake wheel assembly was mounted to check clearances. The original hole through the tender water bottom passes the chain down below the frame to connect with the brake cylinder rod. As described earlier, all the chain roller guides were fabricated in house.

The 557 was used in many situations as a switcher and as such, the tender is being fitted with rear foot boards. Four support brackets were formed from 1” x 4” flat bar and aligned to meet FRA specs. The original bolt holes in the end sill were used. Ron Dudley and Lynn Willis fit up the new white oak foot board pieces provided by Mark Stearns at Alaska Wood Moulding Company. The new foot boards took shape along with the appropriate grab iron and Ron was able to apply the final touch up paint.

Next was a trial fitting of the hinges on the water tank hatch covers by Pat, Ken Elmore and Lynn. Hinges are being fitted up with bolts to be replaced later with hot rivets. Some 50 hot rivets will also secure two replacement baffle sections inside the tank. You may recall the inside of the tank was first needle scaled, then sand blasted, then hand washed and finally coated with Apexior III. The tank has consumed 15 gallons of Apexior III to cover all that surface area including the baffles.

With the tender inside the building the fuel bunker area was tented and sealed before Ron donned the positive air hood to first sand blast and then primer paint the section.

Jerry Peters, retired Master Mechanic of the Alaska Railroad, is restoring electrical components and recently set up the “air shop” where he is giving all the air appliances loving care. Here is the Graham White sander air valve disassembled awaiting some replacement seals. We have come to rely on Kelly Anderson, Vice President Motive Power, Equipment and Shops. at the Strasburg Rail Road for sourcing these air parts and we appreciate the assistance.

The turret valve seat and guide were in rough shape. This is where you shut off the steam from the boiler coming into the turret that supplies all the appliances that require steam. Adaptors to anchor the mag drill to the turret casting were built. Note there was no brass bearing for the end of the valve stem as called for in the blue prints. So the casting was drilled and fitted with a new brass bushing with 1/32 clearance. Jeff DeBroeck had his hands caught in the cookie jar, as he tried to measure the clearance in that bushing. Dean Sawyer, Ken Elmore and Jeff all spent time tending to the mag drill and mandrel with abrasives to clean and reconditioned the seat to a 45° angle.

A replacement valve stem at the left, was machined by Doug Vanwingerden and the entire assembly came together according to a 1948 upgrade design.

Doug has also been turning replacement tapered frame bolts and reconditioning others. The shank is tapered 1/4” per foot and some are machine fit to the components they secure. Our 72 year old Lodge & Shipley lathe gets the work done while in the hands of a machinist who loves old iron.

Weld Air Alaska in Wasilla, has a large steel yard and fabrication shop about 1 mile from the Engine House. Shell, Mike and Denny have become familiar with 557 and go out of their way consulting and guiding our steel purchases. They have just committed to providing the steel, shearing, rolling and prefabrication of pieces for our replacement fire pan. The replacement will be made in five pieces to be bolted in place, allowing removal with out disturbing the running gear.

When converted to oil, about 1954, the ARR shop forces removed the coal ash pan and grates. Then the replacement oil fire pan was welded in place as one unit with bolts around the bottom of the mud ring. All the steel was protected on the inside with firebrick and foundry cement in this view of the fire pan burner. The old fire pan had to be cut in pieces to remove it even after we had dropped the rear drivers out of the way.

Stewart Sterling provided this view from the top of the tender as of November 19, 2015. Things are coming back together and it is motivational when part a and part b come together never to be separated again! We have come a long way from a bare floor and one barn door.

The Friday after Thanksgiving was a good day. Friday is not a normal work day at 557 but Jeff and I worked until about 2:30.    I headed to the post office and Lynn Willis called and said he could not make it out, but that Alaska Governor Bill Walker was on his way to the valley and wanted to stop for a quick tour of 557.

At the post office I got a check from the Northern Lights Model RR Club for $500.00.  I think they are up to about $8K so far.

Also got a $3,000 donation from Scott O. of Palmer.  I met him on the phone when he called for specifics about how to write the check.   The generosity of the donation came as another pleasant surprise for the day.

Beat a track back to the engine house and about 30 minutes later Governor Bill Walker pulled up with his special agent Kenneth Jennings.   They stayed for the full treatment of history, restoration and future plans.  Both asked a lot of questions about the machine and how some of the restoration was being done.   The gov was very complementary of the volunteerism commitment we have generated, all the in-kind involvement and the fact we are doing this without government funding.   He understands the important role the completed project will have in bringing our history to life and generating an economy around it.

Gov. Walker after 90 minutes, offered "This is one of the most inspirational projects I have witnessed and you have whatever personal support I can lend."   We talked briefly about the old Matanuska Maid facility in Palmer as a possible home site for 557.  He liked the idea of Palmer as a home base and will speak to getting the track from the fair grounds into Palmer rehabilitated.   I pointed out it does not have to be rebuilt with all new ties and rail.   The old 90 pound rail would meet the needs of 557. Not sure how far this will take us but he is on-board with 557.

Gov Walker also wants to feature the project in his news letter with photos.  I gave him lots of source material. A few days later we received the following note:

Patrick J. Durand, President
Engine 557 Restoration Company

Click here for some of the ways you can help out.

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: