Engine 557 Restoration Company
Progress Report July 2018

Summer in Alaska comes with extremes from forest fires, to floods when the rains begin in August. The Alaska Railroad operated Steam boats like the mighty Nenana, now on display at Pioneer Village in Fairbanks.

The railroad town of Nenana was the connection to the great interior rivers of Alaska. The Nenana river entered the Tanana which in turn joined the Yukon River system. You could travel from the port of Seward to Nenana on the Alaska Railroad, make connections on a sternwheeler like the NENANA and with a few transfers along the Yukon end up in White Horse, Yukon Territory. There you could board the White Pass and Yukon Railroad and complete a great circle tour in Skagway, Alaska. As in all big river towns, floods happened at Nenana.

Gale Weatherell was one of the Locomotive Engineers who operated 557 on her last duty assignment, pulling trains through the Nenana flood in1962. Gale just visited 557 for a tour, flanked by his son and grandson.

Ronan Simpson became a student engineer on 557, when he was out making business calls with his dad, Tom. Tom Simpson is our local Snap On Tool dealer.

July has been a busy month with steam loving visitors from near and far.

Sheldon Combs took the tour July 25th. He now lives in Alaska but supports the Maine Narrow Gauge RR and Museum in Portland, Maine.

Machinist John Mocho visited from Albuquerque New Mexico representing loco 2926 and Dr. Mike Hartshorn, CEO. John shared some common experiences during his tour of 557. Jerry Peters, John Mocho, Tom Walker and Dean Sawyer during the shop tour.

Corry R.A.I.L.S was well represented by Tom VanTassel and Carl Wassink during a whirlwind visit in Alaska to survey the collection of parts that make up CLIMAX A No. 313. They are negotiating a deal with Erik Christenson that would see No. 313 return to it’s birthplace in Corry Pennsylvania. 313 went to Nome during the gold rush and eventually was abandoned on the tundra. Keith Christenson, Erik’s dad, managed to recover and transport the locomotive from the Seward Peninsula to the family home in Eagle River, Alaska. Returning No.313 to a permanent home in Corry, would be a lasting legacy to ”KEITH CHRISTENSON, THE MAN WHO SAVED THE CLIMAX A”.

Ron Dudley and Tom Walker flank Dustin Gridley during his orientation visit with 557. Dustin came to us on referral from Art Chase. Dustin has worked in the coal fired power plant at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks as an operator and maintenance crew member. He plans to volunteer some time with 557 when our Professional Engineer, Robert Franzen arrives to do some boiler work in September.

Retired Army Chaplain Joe Alutius dropped by 557 to donate a Hamilton Railway Special pocket watch. Model 992B from 1967 Serial Number C511531 in 10K Gold plate. Back case number R243947. The watch is in good working order and shows very little wear. Chaplain Joe was the last man to fire the S160 at the Fort Eustis, Virginia Army Transportation Corp Museum.

Here is a follow up note from Jim and Jane Iskiyan from Tucson. They arrived with two dozen embroidered 557 hats for our inventory.

“Thanks for showing all of us your restoration operation. My friend Stan Cronwall was duly impressed. Attached is a photo of the group. The people in the photo are Me (Jim Iskiyan), Mike, my daughter Michelle Hennessey, my granddaughter Summer, Hennessey, Elaine Cronwall, Stanley Cronwall, you, Jane Iskiyan and BJ Hennessey."
Thanks Again Jim & Jane 
J&J Monograms
Tucson, AZ

So how about progress?

Rich Henderson of Slayden Plumbing and Heating, produced the stainless steel cover for the firing manifold as an in-kind donation. The labels for the five valves will be riveted to the cover, left to right BLOWER ATOMIZER TANK HEATER BLOW BACK STARTUP AIR.

One major job is preparing spring rigging, Ron is welding up the components cut from new stock by Mike, Gene and Lynn.  Mike  is using the Annular cutter to slot the new steel hangers and we will wait until we have the new hardened bushings before boring the big end for a press fit.

There are 3 styles of spring hangers. We have called them S-3,  S-4, S-6 .  There are a total of 8 ea. S-4 needed    Fortunately we have Baldwin drawings for these so we are able to make the round Boss at the end to the right thickness for each style as they do vary, being 1/4” thicker on the style S-4.

If there is any question as to why these are being replaced, note they had repeated repairs of unknown material to replace wear. There were originally case hardened pins working where there were no bushings. When we finish these they will have case hardened standard sized bushing and pins made from 4140. The spring rigging forest has received a coat of primer and was then moved inside for the night to cure.

Ken, Lynn and Jim have set up an assembly line producing all the folded keys for the rigging needed in two different sizes.

The new steam dome cover has been received. The old one did not meet the current calculations for the form 4.

We replaced three ties in our house lead, after they had been removed to allow burial of new electrical service in the yard.

A new video security system and fencing have been installed.

There are hundreds of little projects moving in unison from making new components for the sight gauges, to obtaining new 33” multiple wear wheels for the tender. The axles have been machined and the new Timken bearings are on hand. When all are assembled they will go into the reconditioned side frames and truck bolsters. And so it goes at the 557 Engine House.

Visit when you can and bring bags of money, we are going to need it to maintain the quality of the restoration.

Fund raising continues and you can always help out by sending a generous check to:
Mail and make payment to:
Engine 557 Restoration Company
PO BOX 875360
Wasilla, Alaska 99687-5360

Patrick J. Durand, for the crew at Engine 557 and our friends.

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