Engine 557 Restoration Company
Progress Report May 2019

 

Engine 557 Restoration Company has joined the Foraker Group specifically to acquire guidance in our long range development planning which will take 557 through restoration completion and a transition to sustainable operation in cooperation with the Alaska Railroad Corporation. This partnership was made possible by a generous $30,000 planning grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.

Engine 557 Board Members, Dick Morris and Maria Keffer are leading the planning effort supported by 557 Board Members, Dale Wade, VP Marketing for The Alaska Railroad, Doug Engebretson retired COO of the Alaska Railroad, Scott Hicks, President of Alaska Marine Trucking Inc, John Combs, 557 Webmaster and Jane Taylor, accounting guru. Paul Dalleska is consulting and some of our long term mechanical department volunteers bring reality to the meetings, Ken Elmore, Terry Douglas and Tom Walker. Dr. Mike Walsh and Chellie Skoog represent the Foraker Group in facilitating the plan development. All these folks work behind the scenes and deserve our recognition and thanks for the largely unseen effort.

You can say THANK YOU! with a contribution to Engine 557 Restoration Company.

On the opposite side of the world the Republic of Madagascar has issued a postage stamp featuring Alaska Railroad Engine 557. I like the paint job in blue and gold. This would contrast nicely with sister 2253 in the U.K. We can all dream!

557 volunteers turned out all week to support Bob Gold of Steam Services of America to finish hammering rigid stay bolts. The transition to reaming/taping, installing, staking and finally hammering of flexible stay bolts began on Thursday. This process was well on its way by Saturday when the crew consisted of: Jerry Cunnington, Tom Walker, Jeff DeBroeck, Bob Gold and Jerry Peters and Pat Durand took the photo.

As of Sunday morning May 19, 2019 there were four 557 volunteers on hand to support Bob Gold of Steam Services of America in the ongoing boiler work. Bob took a bow when the stay bolt installation on the back head was completed. All the rigid stays are finish hammered and safety welded on the inside. All the flexible stays under the standing sleeves have been adjusted, staked and hammered. The annealed coppers under the caps were all installed and marine grade anti seize was applied to all the caps before they were secured in place. Just need to safety weld the flexi bolts on the inside.

Rigid stay bolts on the right side have all been hammered with Bob Gold inside trading off with Paul. Lynn Willis and Tom Walker were outside on the bucking bar. Then the crews changed places with Bob and Paul on the outside with the hammer and Tom and Gene Augustine on the inside positioning the HOLDER ON. That is the proper name for what we commonly call the air bucking bar.

Flexible stays on the right have been adjusted and staked. They are being ground on the inside to final height prior to hammering. We have made great progress with Bob Gold here to direct the Flexi installations. Over the last seven days the following volunteers have filled the ranks moving the project forward each day - Gene Augustine, Jerry Cunnington, Jeff DeBroeck, Ron Dudley, Pat Durand, Jim Keene, Dave Lucas, Mike McKervey, Jerry Peters, Tom Walker and Lynn Willis. Thanks guys!

New boiler studs and washout plugs are evident in the photos. Now we can start fitting appliances like the water sight gauges to the back head.

Bob Gold, with Steam Services of America works with 557 Volunteers, Tom Walker and Ron Dudley reaming the last of the flexible staybolt holes on the fireman's left side of the wrapper.

As I am writing this on Thursday May 22, Bob and the crew are hammering up the last 56 of the flexible stay bolts on the left side.

While waiting for the support crew to finish grinding the bolts to length inside the firebox, they took a break to work on forming the corner pieces to be installed at the mud ring in the firebox. Oxy and Propane fire the torch to heat the metal that is then formed with flatters and hammers. The part is tack welded to a plate secured to the acorn table. Then team work takes over.

The fitted piece will be stressed relieve in an oven at ROTEQ Alaska. Then it will be secured by bolts to the mud ring, welded in place and finally the bolts removed and replaced with Hot rivets in the mud ring.

Ethel and Dave Miller Sr. are from Royal City, Washington and Melanie and Dave (the Jr.) are from Othello near Moses Lake. The guys have memories of playing on 557 at Monte’s House of Poverty Museum. I enjoyed their company for a tour of the 557 Restoration on May 17th during their visit here in Alaska. Greeting folks from the Moses Lake area is just like old home week. Dave Jr. is looking for knowledgeable boiler people to help him with a Minneapolis traction engine he currently has running on 15 pounds of air. He definitely has the steam bug. Ferraequineosis!

For the third year Jim and Joan Iskiyan arrived from Tucson AZ with a bag full of 557 embroidered caps. They operate J&J Monograms, and find this a personal way to contribute to 557 progress. These In-Kind donations over the years from our many supporters now total over $700,000. On this trip J&J brought along friends, Codi Tosi and Rosenda Belmonte from Cleveland, Ohio.

Richard Hellmann and his wife, Kathy, are from West Chester, Ohio For the second year in a row they arrived for an update tour with their son who lives in Anchorage. Richard is a retired GE turbine guy. On the same day his welcome donation check arrived in the mail.

Lewis Hicks volunteers with the Kentucky Railroad Museum in New Haven, Kentucky, He is part of the crew restoring Pacific #152 back to operation for their railroad. He closely follows 557 progress and took this opportunity for a tour. The challenges faced by both groups are similar.

Herb Worthly, ARR engine man retired in 1984 and makes regular visits to 557. Herb, at 92, has vivid memories of 557 in operation during the Nenana Floods pulling trains through high water. He always arrives with his check book at the ready. His answer to staying trim and active is square dancing three nights a week!

Bill Severen of Durango, is a long time friend from the Live Steam fraternity. He and wife, Dianne came to Alaska to catch a Princess Cruise out of Whittier. They flew in a day in advance with friends Richard and Sylvia White so they could pay a visit to the 557 restoration in Wasilla, where we count Bill among our regular contributors. Sylvia and Richard are also active in the Live Steam Hobby and members at the Maricopa Club. Since it was Sunday we had a full tour in a “quiet” shop and then enjoyed a great lunch at the Last Frontier Brew House. Richard and Bill posed with the 557 logo signs.

Why do we cater to all these visitors with an open door, even at odd hours? Because they are all members of the fraternity of train enthusiasts who form the foundation of our preservation effort. We who hold the keys have a responsibility to engage and encourage those who share dreams of steam.

South Central Alaska recently had some high winds and the gable South end of the roof lost some paneling and blown out insulation. Inspection revealed the T1-11 panels had pulled the staples along the bottom edge, probably during the November earthquake. A call to the Alaska Railroad property manager, Paul Farnsworth, resulted in a quick fix. We are ever grateful to the Alaska Railroad for the warm secure space the building provides for Engine 557.

Pictured are the Thursday crew on May 23, 2019. Bob Gold, Steam Services of America, and Volunteers, Jerry Peters, Gene Augustine, Jim Keene, Ron Dudley, Jerry Peters, Tom Walker and Dave Lucas. Pat Durand took the shaky photo.

Yes Martha there is a FREE Lunch at the 557 Engine House. Each day of our intensified work schedule the management provides a free soup and salad lunch at the engine house. On Thursday, May 23, Gene Augustine brought in a big pot with a pork roast, smothered in Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots and sauerkraut. The entree is supported each day with a different mixed green salad and home made bread.

In the past 11 days some other memorable contributions have been, Minestrone stew by Tom Walker. Home made cheese ravioli (boiled in a pot on our foundry burner) with pork and beef meat balls in red sauce by Paul Dalleska. Potato, carrot, onion, garlic and veggie soup with SPAM and sausage by Pat Durand. Spaghetti with highly fortified Prego sauce and garlic bread heated in the welding rod oven.

Among all the other jobs going on Mike McKervey and Lynn Willis got some painting done and cleaned up our blocking storage area. Terry Douglas and Ken Morton returned from out of state trips in time to help out the last few days of the intense campaign.

On the final Saturday Dean Sawyer positions the bucking bar preparing to hammer the one row of rigid bolts in the throat sheet. The heavy buck is supported on a trapeze between two small chain hoists so it can be easily moved from side to side. Bob Gold is on the inside hammering the rigid bolts. On Bob's return in June we will pick up with completing the flexi installation on the throat sheet completing another milestone.

Thanks to all the volunteers who came out to support Bob Gold, here representing Steam Services of America, we had a very productive 13 straight days on the job. We then took a few days off to enjoy the Memorial Day extended weekend.

A major milestone was claimed on May 30th when Terry Douglas capped off the last of the flexible stay bolts on the left side. This allowed us to relocate the work platforms so attention can turn to installing appliances on the back head.

No special experience is required to donate to the 557 restoration effort. Just get out that checkbook, roll up your shirt sleeves and put ink to paper. Dream steam!

Patrick J. Durand, President

 

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