Engine 557 Restoration Company
Progress Report March 2020

The Anchorage Fur Rondy concluded on March 8, 2020 and the 557 exhibit had a successful run. Volunteer Mike Gerenday helped staff the show at the Historic Anchorage Depot. Dick Morris managed the set up and Terry Douglas organized the volunteers. Visitation was down, but the total donations and sales income was on par with past years. Early concerns of the COVID-19 outbreak dampened some participation by the public.

Machine work is in progress preparing crown brasses for Babbitt lining on a 12 inch Pratt & Whitney splitter. Robert Franzen, President of Steam Services of America is overseeing this work for 557. The result is grooves and recess for holding Babbitt in the Brass following SP practice.

Thursday, March 12th, 557 hosted a meeting of the Antique Power Club of Alaska. Some 40 members came out in the cold to get a personal update on 557 progress. Many of these folks are personal friends of many years who have become regular supporters of the restoration. While they build and maintain some pretty big power equipment, we can always say, “Our’s is bigger than yours.” They are looking forward to spring “Plow Days” when they get together as a group and break ground, often for folks who really need the help.

Ken Morton concentrated on honing mating surfaces on feed water plumbing components.

Ken Elmore worked on the front tube sheet cleaning apexior paint and preparing for future installation of tubes and superheater flues in the smoke box end.

Early on, Gene Augustine, Ron Dudley and Mike McKervey keep a happy face as they install and remove parts of the fire pan for repeated trial fitting. When the Alaska Railroad shops converted 557 from coal to oil in 1954, the job was accomplished with a bunch of pieces welded together and hung on studs in the mud ring. The old fire pan had to be cut in pieces to be removed.

While salvaging some of the main components, our plan is to fabricate sections to be bolted together to support the firebrick. The front fire pan support now sets on new brackets bolted through the waste sheet, not into the mud ring. Ron Dudley and James Keene salvaged the fire pan draft box and prepared it for interior trial fit.

The original pan parts are 1/4” plate. Weld Air Alaska formed the new bottom sheets from 3/8” plate with 5 inch lap on each side. These will be secured with 1/2” bolts on a staggered 3” spacing where it laps over the old 1/4” plate. The draft box will also be a bolt up assembly installed from the bottom.

Jeff DeBroeck comes in on Saturdays to maintain progress on machine work such as boring the locomotive brake bell cranks to receive new bushings. He just recently began burnishing the new bronze rod bushings.

Jeromy Ring and the crew at Roteq Alaska have undertaken the job of machining the 33” wheel axle set for the engine truck assembly. This is being overseen by Paul Dalleska so the finished work can be used to complete assembly of the front engine truck (pony truck) which will use Babbitt bearings as originally designed.

Engine 557 Restoration Company is in the 8th year of a total overhaul on the last Steam Engine operated by the Alaska Railroad. As a non-profit corporation EIN 46-2663256 our labor force is all volunteers (average age 68) supported by contract engineering services. We have taken pride in raising nearly $1,000,000 from private individuals and institutional grants. We need to raise an additional $200,000 to complete the job.

Now that spring has arrived and we are getting more than 13 hours of sun and gaining 6 minutes each day, the snow is going fast. We loan our Case 721 loader to the ARR Section Crew to remove all the rutted ice from the parking lot.

During March volunteer work calls have been staggered and individual jobs scheduled to allow social distancing. Our volunteer average age is 68 so we take the challenge of COVID-19 seriously. In an abundance of caution and in compliance with both local and state directives, we have suspended regular operations at the 557 engine house in Wasilla as of Saturday March 28, 2020.

Our non-profit corporation, Engine 557 Restoration Company, is fortunate in that we have no employees, no debt, no recurring expenses, but for utilities. Our 557 volunteers remain committed and are willing to continue the restoration in the face of an uncertain future.

We thank all our in-kind donor champions, and friends who have provided the financial support to see 557 well on her way to getting back in steam. Our fervent wish is for speedy recovery from the financial and physical damage caused by COVID-19 and frenzy surrounding it.

We could not do it without our supporters so review your progress at 557.alaskarails.org or at Engine 557 Facebook.

Patrick J. Durand, President

 

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