The Alaska Railroad Corporation open house was well attended on May 7, 2016 under partly cloudy skies and a persistent breeze off the inlet. A ballast regulator with snow blower was part of the MOW display. A complete passenger consist was on static display with exhibits of destinations along the right of way staffed by a variety of agencies. The Historic Anchorage Depot hosted many activities, while the Government Hill Elementary School PTA provided foot long hot dogs, sausages, chips, drinks and cotton candy under the tent on the platform. The queue for free train rides started right outside the platform door.

Engine 557 Restoration Company had fine art, 557 sections of old super heater flues, pins, patches and old time tables for sale. Our display on the platform saw Lynn Willis, Dick Morris, Laverne Buller and Pat Durand greet many of the estimated 4000 visitors during the day. 

Back at the engine house Lynn Willis was needle scaling old paint and rust from a piece of the firing deck apron for the back of the locomotive cab floor.

At the same time work is going forward on preparing the tender deck in primer so it will be ready to paint with the tender body. Ron Dudley works down one side with a dust rag to take off accumulated dirt and Lynn Willis follows up with a tac cloth to pull off all small particulate.

Appliances are being cleaned, repaired as needed and then set aside in inventory for installation. Here are some progress? photos. Check valve as removed, and the check components exposed for evaluation. Check valve parts during rehab.

Injector body and cone section before cleaning with CLR. The cone section and other components after cleaning. An array of injector parts being inspected and prepared for assembly to complete the right side injector.

Starter valves are quick acting lever operated steam valves between the auxiliary turret and the non-lifting injector. Water is gravity feed to the injector body mounted below the water level in the tender. The quick action of the starter valve provides a large volume of steam to start the injector as the steam is condensed into a column of cold water while it passes through the mixing cones. The heat energy in the steam is converted to kinetic energy in the water entering the delivery pipe forcing the column of water through the boiler check valve.

What can possibly go wrong with such a set up? That is why there are two injectors on the locomotive and we have a third spare injector.

Doug VanWingerden, has a home shop full of “old” machine tools. He likes the challenge resented by our projects. Doug has taken on the job of machining the old driver bearing brasses to accept babbitt linings. The trial is being done on the old #1 Right bearing brass which had been previously damaged when the locomotive was in operation. This is the trial setup in his horizontal mill.

Bud Thompson and his wife from Tacoma Washington, dropped in for a visit during a recent trip to Alaska. Bud is very active with the NRHS chapter in the Northwest and has been a big booster of the 557 restoration. Roger Bouwens, now of Emmett, Idaho, is a member of the large extended Bouwens family who came to Palmer in 1935 with the Colony Project. Roger is a supporter and came to visit on May 21,2016. He plans to return with his grandson, Riley Wilson, for a ride when 557 hits the rails!

557 Board Member and alaskarails.org web master, John Combs, has been busy locating and posting many new photos. Among his finds, is another left, fireman’s side view of 557 when in service. This is sometime after 1948 as there is a blue and yellow diesel in the background.

To end the month of May on a high note, the Kahiltna Charitable Fund administered by the National Philanthropic Trust presented a $10,000 donation check to the Engine 557 Restoration Company. Mr. Paul Bates and Mrs Leigh Bates directed this contribution to our project. Here is a challenge, please help us match this generous gift by July 30th. On your donation just reference “557 challenge.” That would be a great way to thank the Bates for their generosity and give 557 a much needed boost as well!

When you are in the area give us a call at 907-350-4340 to arrange a visit with 557 in the engine house.

Patrick J. Durand, President

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

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