Engine 557 Restoration Company
Progress Report November 2018

At 8:33 am on Friday November 30, 2018 the 557 engine house was tested by a 7.0 magnitude earth quake. The epicenter was about 12 miles west and relatively shallow at 28 miles resulting in major movement in the local area. Fortunately it was of short duration at about 30 seconds, compared to the 5 minutes of the 9.2 great quake of 1964. There were only minor injuries and no fatalities. Infrastructure did not fare so well with major bridges and highways damaged. Some schools in the area have been closed for the year. For details you can check the Anchorage Daily News at adn.com

As of 11:20 a.m. November 30, l completed an inspection of the 557 Engine House. Everything stayed on the three levels of vertical shelving.  There was no visible damage to the concrete block walls, doors or the parking lot. Electrician Mike from the AARC followed up with an inspection of all the electrical box connections.

One of the tool chests against the wall in the machine shop tipped over, probably as a result of all the drawers rolling open at the same time.    One gallon can of gray primer hit the floor and burst open so there is some clean up on isle 10. Some books and tools were dumped off shelves but 557 came through it all unscathed.

Here in Wasilla we had power back in a few hours. In the following three days there were 1400 aftershocks just to remind us to stock up our emergency supplies. Machinist, Doug VanWingerden lives in the Big Lake area near the epicenter and had a lot of displacement resulting in the loss of his water well pump.

Hats off to Matanuska Electric Association and the Emergency Response Centers in the Anchorage area. There will be bottle necks with highways between Anchorage and Matanuska Valley down to one lane in each direction at several locations. I ordered a stand down for the 557 Mechanical Department for a few days to allow time for things to “shake out”.

Thanks to all those individuals who expressed concern for our safety.

On the lighter side, Mr. Lee Davis, Engineer/Conductor with the Alaska Railroad stepped into the 557 International Office here in Wasilla, with a $150.00 donation and a great story. This fall he found a cell phone laying in the ballast North of Broad Pass at about MP 309. He took it home, charged it up and it still worked.

After a little detective work, Lee found the owner, John, of Stafford, Virginia. John and his wife celebrated their 40th anniversary with a train trip in 2017 on the ARR and while passing through the vestibule John’s phone took flight, never to be seen again.

Lee checked with the ARRC management “lost and Found” procedure and got the green light to return the phone to the owner who expressed his gratitude with a $150.00 reward to Lee. Alaska Railroad policy does not allow employees to accept gratuities, so Lee came to 557 with a $150.00 donation in John’s name. Thank you both, Lee and John, for your contribution and a great story growing from dedicated service above and beyond.

While rebuilding the spring suspension we are making preparations for new bushings and pins in several components. The original drawings call for 1010 material and case hardening. We found no one in Alaska prepared to case harden the components we machined in small batches. On the internet we located MED TEK. INC and Randy Duffy lead us through the process. They really are the Heat Treating Specialists, and we highly recommend them. Using prepaid mailing boxes with USPS for shipment both ways keeps cost in hand. The service and quality of the Case hardened bushings delivered with a hardness certificate, is all we could ask for.

Joel Rogers of MyMachineShop.net provided a taper attachment for our little Atas 12 inch lathe. The machine is now perfect for making taper boiler studs and taper frame bolts. Eventually the 2” + washout plugs from 922 leaded Bronze will be done on this machine.   The attachment took about 20 minutes to install.

The front engine truck, Lead truck, Bissel truck, what ever you want to call it, has been reconditioned with some new pins, rebuilt heart links and then painted. Several components needed to be straightened to match original drawings. The pallet is in storage awaiting determination if we will be able to use the original wheel and axle set of 33” wheels mounted on an axle with inside bearings. If not we will be faced with the decision to spend considerably more money to obtain the non standard wheels and axle to accommodate AP bearings and then rebuilding the truck with new journal boxes.

It was a pleasure hosting three different welding classes to a tour of the 557 engine house November 19, 20 and 21.  They were engaged for two hours each evening.   These young people are a real refreshing bunch and a credit to their upbringing. Kyle Schlichting is their instructor and also volunteers with 557 seal welding stay bolts in the firebox.

These students, their parents and sponsors came to us on referral from Greatland Welding & Machine.  Gary Feaster of Greatland Welding is one of our major in-kind sponsors.

Gary has a very active outreach for the alternative schools, home schoolers and service organizations serving youth.  Over three evenings our goal was to introduce them to a real live work site and the technologies we employ in the restoration.  Hopefully some of these young adults will be ready to help us out on the next FRA boiler project in 15 years.

Armstrong oilers have been purchased from North Yorkshire Moors Railway Locomotive Department (armstrong.oilers@nymr.co.uk), along with spares for use on the driver main bearings. These are spring loaded to press into the bottom of the cellars and ride against the bottom of the main bearing surface. They were custom made to drawings of the boxes we provided.

Our new Steam dome cover has been drilled for a tapered lifting stud and vent to match the original drawings.

The tender truck side frame assemblies have gone together with new springs. Note the new AP bearing assemblies in the modified side frame. The original journal box covers are also being installed to keep the original appearance. The locomotive will not be in interchange service so this is permissible practice.

The massive job of hammering staybolts continues into December. Both the left and right side rigid stay bolts are installed, staked and ground ready for hammering. Rigid bolts in the back head, crown and throat have already been hammered and are being safety welded in the firebox.

Marlene Cloude, advised that her father, Myron Jensen passed away on November 16, at the age of 87. Myron was a life long supporter of model railroading and railway preservation. He is pictured here when visiting 557 and delivering a much needed check in support of the restoration. RIP Myron.

What is the most difficult part of the 557 Restoration? Finding volunteers? Obtaining those odd parts like journal oilers? Locating those big leaf springs? Getting a location to operate? All of those issues have resolutions.

Volunteers come forward to meet most any challenge, but for one. “I just can’t ask for money.” “I am no good at raising money.” Ask me to do anything but fund raising.” Thank goodness we have some dedicated folks who go largely unrecognized as they work diligently to secure both small and large grants to support 557. Much of that work falls on volunteer board members, Maria Keffer and Richard “Dick” Morris.

Individual donations of $50 to $500 demonstrate the personal support which validates our program, and encourages major donors. We do not hound our financial supporters throughout the year, but dedicate our efforts to one major drive during the month of December.

For the last several years Dick Morris has written several hundred letters to past donors and issued the challenge of a personal $5,000.00 match. His invitation is attached here. Please make a personal contribution to Engine 557 Restoration Company at this time while it will be matched. 

Here is a Christmas Bonus Photo. 557 Board Member, John Combs, recently purchased this image of 557 which is new to his collection.  The detail is great and it will be used in future promotions.  

We credit: Photo courtesy of Robert Graham   Permission to repost by Jonah's Online Sales

557 setting in Whittier as the second loco on a passenger train.  The hill behind is where the Buckner building was later built to the right and Whittier Arms apartments to the left.  The Depot would be about four cars back to the left.  Guess is late spring, May? with lots of rotten snow.  Overcast does not provide any shadows for time of day. Circa 1946-48 - Patrick Durand

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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