Engine 557 Restoration Company
Progress Report March 2019

 

Weather conditions directly affect the work options available to our 557 volunteers. Compare the last day of February 2019 with the last day of March and you can see why we are celebrating an early spring here at the 557 Engine House. The crew staffed an exhibit at the Historic Anchorage Depot during the last week of the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous mid winter carnival.

On March 2nd, Juno and Art Chance of Anchorage took the tour of the 557 restoration facility. They have been long time supporters having sponsored fire tube #3.

What visitors have to say is important as part of our mission is to educate young and old on the technology and history represented by Engine 557. Volunteers are always ready for show and tell to explain the many appliances already rebuilt and ready for installation as 557 advances toward completion.

“Hello Mr. Durand,
Thank you for taking us through the 557 refurbishing site on Wednesday. Your details and explanations of the process gave us a deeper understanding of the 557 project and the history of their manufacture.
Our grandson Raleigh enjoyed seeing the massive size of the 557, and the many specialty tools. This project only works because of the devoted volunteers and people like you who are determined to see the 557 completed and running on the rails. 
Kirk and I look forward to watching the 557 progress and then traveling in 2020. Again, thank you and your many volunteers for making this project accessible along the way. 
Sincerely, Linda and Kirk Hastain, Anchorage AK”

Hammering stay bolts in the firebox is a very taxing physical job, best done in short spurts of 5 to 7 bolts at a time. After several weeks we have settled into a routine where the crew does 3 to 5 repetitions during the days on site. Jeff DeBroeck is in the firebox on Saturdays while Tom Walker and Terry Douglas are on the bucking bar at the wrapper sheet. Mid week Paul Dalleska is on the air hammer inside with Mike McKervie and Ron Dudley outside with the bucking bar. In April we will turn to hammering all the rigid stay bolt ends on the outside wrapper.

As each section is hammered, “Welding” Rod Hansen follows up with the internal seal welds on the rigid stay bolts.

With most s-160’s bound for Europe they were equipped with single lung air pumps mounted on the smoke box face. This was deemed adequate for the locomotive, as vacuum brakes were commonly used on trains in Europe. Arriving in Alaska s-160s were all equipped with larger cross compound pumps mounted on the front pilot deck.

Jeff DeBroeck contemplates modification of the pump mounting bracket to be fitted to a new foundation plate on the pilot deck. Hanging our spare air pump from the fork lift allowed for test fitting with the new bracket.

Terry Douglas took on the “booooring” job of machining suspension components to receive Case Hardened bushings. The job is nearing completion. We cut all the bushings to size from DOM (drawn over mandrel) seamless tubing with the correct 1.75” ID. OD varied depending how much wear had to be compensated in the hole. Randy Duffy is our contact at Med-Tek Inc. Heat Treating Specialist in Minneapolis. They have provided excellent service at very reasonable prices on our irregular small orders.

Our collaborations with other steam restoration projects help us source parts, tools and information resources. 557 is from the largest class of steam locomotives built in North America. 2120 US Army Transportation Corps S-160 locomotives were built, of which 27 survive around the world in various states of repair.

Kim Albritton, General Manager of the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad and Kenny Farley, Operations Manager for locomotive 1702 in Bryson City, North Carolina have assisted with some basic information on their oil burner system and modified engine truck which features AP roller bearings. Several years ago they purchased a 2 CD set of the 1400 drawings we have organized for the S-160 locomotives by Baldwin, Alco and Lima.

Locomotive 1702 started life as a Government Issue S-160 but over the years she has been domesticated with a centered smoke box door, extended stack, a new cab and other changes. Her appearance changed as 1702 moved through various owner hands. You can see the transformation here.

557 by contrast has served only one master, the Alaska Railroad, since new. With only a few changes such as addition of an electrical system, compound compressor and power reverse she has retained her, as built, S-160 military posture. Starting life as a coal burner, 557 was converted to heavy oil in 1954 when all other steam equipment was retired and coaling facilities were taken out of service. No records of the conversion or other adjustments to the firing system were kept.

Our Baldwin (BLW) locomotive now sports an ALCO 105 fire door frame and a Lima (LLW) 106 deflector. The firebox air door is an ALCO 79 and it in turn sets on a LLW 80 air box with damper, that conducts air from below the cab floor up to the firebox door. Good thing they were all building to a Military Specification for the S-160.

While fitting the fire box door frame we found that when the original conversion from coal to oil firing was done back in 1954, some hand me down parts were used. The stay bolt clearance chamfered out of the mating surface on the back of the door frame did not match the location of stay bolts on 557. This was an easy fix with a little grinding.

Paul Dalleska and Mike Mckervey test fit the fire box door frame on the two bottom studs in order to locate the two new boiler studs that are still to be drilled and tapped.

While waiting for 557 to steam, we will continue to tease you with S-160 locomotives in action. Just paste this title in your browser for a quick trip behind a steamer on you tube. “American S160 5197 on the Dartmouth Steam Railway”

If you want to ride behind steam in Alaska in 2019 plan on going to Fairbanks to catch the Tanana Valley Railroad when Porter #1 is steaming around Alaska Land aka Pioneer Park. They have a regular schedule for the summer at: http://tananavalleyrailroad.com

Here is your TVRM invitation to the July 20, 2019 Historic Recreation. This will be Alaska’s echo of Promontory and you are invited. I personally plan to attend, in attire of the day, along with the original guiding light of the organization, Mr. Dan Gullickson.

In May, June and July Steam Services of America will have three, two week work windows providing contract boiler makers to complete all the adjustments to and hammering of the flexible stay bolts among other final details such as installing the corners. This will put a major stress on our cash reserves. If you have been considering a contribution to Engine 557 Restoration Company, NOW IS THE TIME.

Patrick J. Durand, President

 

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