Engine 557 Restoration Company
Progress Report April 2019

 

With warm weather, sand blasting, soon turns into spray painting the first coats of Cloverdale primer on the white metal surfaces. A second coat will follow. Gene Augustine is outfitted for a space walk into the sand blast tent for another round to complete the firebox door frame.

Jeff DeBroeck assisted by Dean Sawyer used a hand reamer to prepare one of the 6 tapered holes to receive fitted bolts to hold the top end of the new pilot braces. These special tapered reamers are giving great service. Expensive but necessary, we had them custom made by Cheboygan Tap & Tool.

Hammering all those rigid stay bolts first on the inside and then outside is just plain hard work. Jeff DeBroeck and Paul Dalleska find them selves on the hammer end while a two man crew handles the bucking bar or air buck as required on the other end. We take encouragement along the way as first the back head was completed and now the fireman’s side is done. Yes we still have all those flexible bolts to adjust, trim and finish, but we have the calvary coming with Bob Gold from Steam Services of America booked for two weeks in May and again in June. Crews will jump from working 4 days per week to 7 tens while Bob is here.

Tom Walker and Terry Douglas continue reaming and tapping the firebox sheet and dry fitting the flexible stay bolts. These will then receive the professional touch when Bob Gold and Robert Franzen are here under contract.

The original throttle rod was made in two sections forged together per the drawings. It was heavily pitted and the decision was made to replace it with a single piece of 416 Stainless for which we found a later Baldwin spec.

We made a high-tech support from a piece of oak and put the rod through the head stock on the Lodge and Shipley lathe. Then the threads were cut to fit the original Throttle Handle Clevis. The same end of the rod received a mirror finish where the packing gland will engage. Another very expensive tool made from a block of wood and successive grades of crocus cloth did the job.

Turning the throttle rod end for end, it was threaded to fit the original Throttle Clevis and a new Lock Nut. This end is inside the boiler. Finally the new rod was prepared for storage, returned to its protective case and stored on top of the tender out of way and safe until needed.

A woman’s work is never done! Joan Taylor, 557 volunteer, steps up when needed to assist in many ways. Recently she helped host our 557 exhibit at the Matanuska Electric Association Annual Meeting at the Menard Sports Center. We got an opportunity to say thanks to about 400 members in attendance. MEA Coop Members have the option to round up their electric utility bill every month in support of the MEA Charitable Foundation Operation Round-Up. Over the years they have made three major grants to Engine 557, demonstrating a high level of community support.

Components for the sight glass installation are not available at NAPA, or it seams, anywhere else. We find it necessary to salvage old parts and make new ones like this valve stem. We maintain a stock of 922 bronze for making these parts and thank volunteer machinist, Doug VanWingerden for his hours of dedicated work in his home shop supporting Engine 557.

Snow birds, Jerry and Nan Peters arrived along with the seagulls of spring. We welcome Jerry back as our Master Electrician and the Brake Guy. Tom and Jerry have also become the moving forces behind the development of the dual sight gauges being built for 557. Originally s-160’s had two gauges but both connected to the same boiler taps. Jerry retired from the ARR many years ago as the railroad’s Master Mechanic.

Each spring the Alaska Railroad joins communities all along the Railbelt for Clean Up after the snow melts, revealing a seasons collection of trash. 557 volunteers equipped with hard hats, vests and safety gear required when working in the ARRC Right-Of-Way, did their part around the yard at the engine house.

James Farnham, Mo Griswold and Brian Forrest are regular volunteers on Porter Engine #1 in Fairbanks. They have a schedule of steam ups posted on their web site.
Visit the Tanana Valley Railroads website or like them on Facebook for news and updates!

Brian, Mo, and James came south from Fairbanks for a weekend of train chasing. They reserved Saturday to join the 557 volunteer crew for a full day of heavy work. Mo and James spent the day wrangling the mag drill on the pilot deck, positioning fasteners for the Duplex Air Pump support bracket.

Here is the Saturday crew on April 27, 2019

Tom Walker, "Welding"Rod Hanson, Brian Forrest, Mo Griswold, James Farnham, Jeff Debroeck, Jerry Peters

April brought a lot of visitors to the Engine House but by far the most fun and attentive group, was the Denali Kindergarten. These astute students had already watched Engine 557 - Restoring Alaskan history on YouTube and read all about us in the third printing of Ol’556 by Shannon Cartwright. These kids had great questions. We scheduled their visit at the end of lunch while the crew took some time in the sun to review the rebuilt tender trucks and brake rigging. They will be going under the tender soon.

Three years ago the local AmeriGas distributor established a dock account and donated 500 gallons of propane for 557. Our two forklifts, welding preheat, forge fire, and Oxy/Propane for bending plate, have all consumed the 500 gallons. A plea for 200 gallons more, resulted in an email from Mr. Dallas Purcell, District Manager, authorizing an additional 500 gallons. What can we say but THANK YOU, to Dallas, Carie and the entire crew at Palmer AmeriGas!

Contributions from our extended family of In-Kind donors now exceed $700,000 in cash value. Please acknowledge them and thank them for supporting Engine 557 Restoration Company.

Patrick J. Durand, President

 

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