Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report for December 2016 Engine 557 Restoration Company just came off our most productive year end fund raiser thanks to a few good folks.  We raised $39,000 since November 27 with a match challenge from our Secretary Treasurer, Dick Morris, who started the challenge with $5,000.  Jim and Vickey Jansen provided a $20,000 personal donation in addition to all the personal business guidance that Jim shares.  Thanks to Chris Aadnesen and Wiggie Shell, GREX Corporation sent us a $5,000 check to follow up on their donation of $5,000 last year.   In general there were fewer donors but larger checks in th $500-$1000 range.  Volker Lange of Germany sponsored the last two Super Heater flues with a major donation.

Checks came from East Rockaway New York, Sonoma, CA , Fairbanks Alaska, Leipzig Germany, Valdez Alaska, Ossipee New Hampshire, Arlington Virginina, Larkspur Colorado and all points in between.

Please acknowledge the generosity of the John H. Emery Railway Heritage Trust. Last year they provided an outright grant of $10,000. Dick Morris and Maria Keffer we successful again this year with a grant application that was awarded a matching grant of $9,000. Our match was made and the Emery trust deliverd their matching check in December.

From Anchorage came major matching contributions from model railroaders. The Military Society of Model Engineers donated and even more funding came from their individual members. Ed Kovich, President of the Northern Lights Model Railroad Club lead of with a personal $1,000.00 donation with follow up form other members including Mark Meehleis. This great news was a boost for all the volunteers.

On the flip side we paid $12,000 for the new brass material to turn into the running gear bearings.   Another $7,000 is going out for springs and we are still planning on paying welders to install the sleeves for flexible stay bolts if we cannot garner enough volunteer time to get this done by the end of February.  

We are contracting with Mr. Patrick Garley of Arctic Fire Bronze, right here in Palmer, to create the patterns and do brass investment casting of the new Shoes and Wedges for the driving boxes.  Over the next two years we will need to raise about $100K each year to finish the job.

While on the subject of fund raising, we get occasional calls as to why we do not participate in the Pick Click and Give program promoted by the State of Alaska Permanent Fund Program. We would qualify for the program as an Alaska not for profit group but to participate requires an annual filing fee and in addition 7% of your donation to Pick Click and Give is retained for administration.

There are no paid positions with Engine 557 Restoration Company and we are proud of the fact we have been able to keep our administrative cost of fund raising down to paper, ink and stamps. Every dollar received here goes into the restoration of Engine 557.

We have negotiated a limited use agreement with the Alaska Railroad Corporation for the track from the Palmer Fairground to the Depot in downtown in Palmer.   Discussions with the Palmer City Manager look positive to our use of the Airport spur for training operations. A formal request will be made at the Palmer City Council meeting on January 24, 2017. Our long term proposal is to move forward with establishing a terminal for operation somewhere in Palmer.

Dick Morris and Maria Keffer will be submitting a request once again to the Matanuska Electric Association Charitable Foundation, in hopes of meeting part of our 2017 funding goal.

Volunteers are still hard at the project and we are looking toward the day we can steam up. Here is proof of progress with photos of the original cab roof and the current installation of wiring conduit. The new fireman seat is being fitted along with new wall panels. We are reminded by Kermit that it ain’t easy.

The machine shop now boasts a 16” shaper as well as the milling machine, here cutting a piece of 4140 steel into a tool holder for the shaper at the hand of machinist Doug VanWingerden. The mill will next cut a temporary cylinder block brass wedge.

The oil pre heater has been rebuilt and air tested. The main fuel line goes through a steam heat exchanger to the firing control valve and then directly to the burner in the fire box.

Jim Keene is grinding away on a clone fabrication. This will eventually replace a missing feed water injector on sister locomotive 556, on display at the Park Strip in Anchorage. The 557 crew believes in dressing 556 as best we can as surplus materials and parts are available.

This photo of the December 2016 volunteer crew represents all those member of the Engine 557 Mechanical Department who staffed the 557 Engine House in 2016. These are the people who worked hands on with 557 during the past year.

Gale Armstrong,  Lavene Buller, Art Chase, Jerry Cunnington, Joe Coe, Jeff DeBroeck, Frank Cato, Terry Douglas, Ron Dudley, Pat Durand, Larry Erickson,  Ken Elmore, James Farnham,  Gary Farnham, Rod Hanson, Jerry Keffer, Jim Keene, Dave Lucus, Mike McKervey, John Mielke,  Ken Morton, Jerry Peters, Roy Page,  Scott Rice, Dean Sawyer, Stewart Sterling, Sam Stogsdill, Doug VanWingerden,  Thomas Walker, Frank Webb, Lynn Willis.

The combined effort resulted in 1098 man days on task with 557.     If you prefer that is about 8,784 man hours.   Just review the monthly progress reports at alaskarails.org to see what was achieved.

Uncounted, but equally appreciated, are those hours invested by 557 Board Members who pave the way for the restoration mission and assist with the constant challenge of fund raising.  

Secretary Treasurer, Richard “Dick” Morris,  Board Member/Grant Writer Maria Keffer,  Vice President, Scott  Hicks,  557 Board members, Douglas Engebretson, Dale Wade, Jim Posey, and Web Master/Board Member, John Combs. President, Patrick Durand.

Thank you all for a successful year.     

Patrick J. Durand, President
President Engine 557 Restoration Company

p.s.

Finally, please acknowledge the in-kind donors, and the hundreds of people who responded in so many ways to the financial support of Engine 557 Restoration Company through the past 4 years.   You all inspire, motivate and enable us to continue the high quality restoration that we can collectively take pride in when the safety valve lifts, whistle sounds, the throttle opens and 557 moves down the track.

PD

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