Engine 557 Restoration Company
Progress Report July 2020

Alaska Railroad returned regular daily passenger service between Anchorage and Fairbanks on July 1,2020. With very low ridership, due to Covid 19 cancellation of tourist operations coming to Alaska, this end of the month announcement came of a reduced schedule to be implemented on August 1st. Bill Hess’s drone camera captured locomotive 4323 heading up the Northbound Denali Star right as the 557 volunteers stepped out to wave a greeting to the passengers on board. There were a lot of empty seats but look closely and you can join someone for breakfast in the dinner at lower left.

This note and photo came to us from Volker Lange who visited with the 557 crew during his Alaska train chasing adventure in summer of 2016.
“Since I think of the super days in Alaska 2016 every day (it's not a lie!), I have this 557 photo on my Golf Variant (Station Wagon). It was a MUST HAVE to make an outdoor flag.” Grosspoesna, July 07 2020
It should be the only "557 flag" in Germany, maybe in all of Europe?!
I'm on the 557 home page every day!
The progress in restoring the 557 is SUPER!!!
Good luck and keep everyone healthy!
I wish you all the best, good health and a good life with the Alaska Railroad!!
Many greetings and best wishes from Volker
Grosspoesna, Saxony, Germany.

BNSF Railway Company has pledged $6,249.98 in support of Engine 557. This is directed by Paul Duncan, a BNSF employee. Donations arrive in quarterly payments of $1,249.98 directed through the United Way of Tarrant County. Paul has been a constant supporter of 557 since 2014.

Thanks to Eric Giusti of Warren, Michigan for his $100 donation to the Engine 557 project. It will be matched by another $100 from Jim and Vic Jansen our major private benefactors. Eric is an engineer for Norfolk Southern and a train buff.  

Jerry Lewis Hicks, volunteer with the Kentucky Railway Museum sent another $100 donation to be matched. He add a note. “In Honor of 557 Volunteers”

Fran Seager-Boss, retired historian for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, sent these kind words, “Appreciate all the work your crew is accomplishing. Look forward to riding the rails behind #557.” She punctuated that with a $150.00 donation which is being matched. Thank you Fran!

Terry Douglas took on the challenge of inspecting and reconditioning our collection of oil lubrication terminal check valves. Each is a surprise package ranging from the booby prize full of rust to others that still held oil. Terry has the skills to deal with all the parts and pieces which clean up nicely in ZEP Calcium, Lime and Rust stain remover. The Nathan lubricator can deliver cylinder oil at over 500 psi. Terminal check valves opens to admit cylinder oil atomizing into the flow of steam in the steam chest operating at up to 225 psi. The check prevents steam from backing up into the oil delivery line. There are two terminal checks for each half of the cylinder block. After clean up and inspection they are O.K. to be installed and then adjusted for their unique positions on the cylinder block and steam pipes.

Original backhead design had two sight glasses on one manifold connected to single top and bottom taps into the boiler. During rebuild to meet current specifications we installed two new independent sight glass assemblies and installed a blow down valve and drain for each one. The drain pipes penetrate the floor and discharge the steam and slobber clear of the frame and running gear. Jerry Peters, long retired Alaska Railroad Master Mechanic, fabricated and installed these pieces.

A deadweight tester is required to calibrate pressure gauges. Through donation and purchase we ended up with two testers and one set of weights. Jerry Peters took on the job of cleaning, repairing and testing the testers. The Ashton tester and the Ashcroft tester are now ready for service. Internal rubber parts had long disintegrated, but a trip to NAPA found a brake cylinder cup that fit perfectly. A little study found that pure food grade mineral oil at $18.00 a gallon will meet the fluid requirement in these machines.

The fire pan fabrication job is now complete as a kit. All the pieces have been removed, sand blasted and painted with high temp Thermoline. Parts and pieces along with fasteners are all nested on a single pallet and stored. When the tubes and superheater assemblies are installed and the hydro tests complete the fire pan (kit) will get final installation. Then a liner of firebrick will be installed. All volunteer hands were involved in this effort.

Little projects improve the utility and appearance of appliances. The “Tallow Pot” shelf above the firebox door, had been modified many times over the years with cutouts to clear wash out plugs etc. By moving it down one inch all the obstructions could be cleared so Tom Walker fabricated all the extension and filler pieces and then Ron Dudley welded it all up. Mike McKervey painted it ready for installation.

On inspection, three of the original studs for the Fireman’s side boiler check did not fully penetrate the boiler shell. One was broken so we set out to remove all three and recondition the taper boiler threads in the boiler; then fabricate three new fitted boiler studs from B-7 stock. Machinist, Paul Daleska did the work on our Lodge and Shipley lathe. The tapered boiler threads were achieved using an offset live center set up in the tail stock.

When money is scarce, the crew turns to cleaning and prep work. Old steam lines are inspected, needle scaled, wire brushed or sand blasted as necessary and then painted with Thermoline high temp. At installation some of the “hot” lines will be lagged. Air lines are triaged, some reserved for patterns and others cleaned and painted with Clovaprime. Identity tags are preserved in the process to aid in reassembly.

The big in-house machining project right now is turning eight rough brass castings into new shoes to position the driving boxes in the frame. The conversion to brass from cast iron shoes will allow us to custom fit each shoe and replace the galled iron shoes. The decision was made easier because we had the brass available in the form of the old brass side rod bearings and the swarf left over from machining their replacements. Jerry Cunnington has built tooling to do this job on our mill but it will be a slow job with multiple set ups to complete milling the shoe. David Lucas built three new wood foundry patterns and Pat Garley of Arctic Fires Bronze is casting all the pieces right here in the Valley.

Contract machine work is underway just up the hill from 557 at Alaska Roteq. Reconditioning of the 33” wheel set for the front engine truck (pony truck) has been completed. New hub plates were installed and all bearing surfaces burnish hardened. There was one lathe in the main gallery that could accommodate the wheel and axle assembled. Railroad parts are not typically found at Roteq where they concentrate on watch parts for the oil patch. Ken Elmore secured the load on our Ford F650 (This 1981 truck has 51,000 miles and was donated by ENSTAR Natural Gas Company.) Terry Douglas helped unload and the assembly went into the tent to receive protective covers on all the bearing surfaces. Mike McKervey will add a coat of Clovaprime on the wheel faces.

Meanwhile in Indiana, Steam Services of America continues work on the eight driving boxes. Robert Franzen provided photos of progress: Driving Boxes with new Babbitt, Babbitt to be machined, Driving boxes after boring. Upon return of the boxes we will marry them with the driver sets and the new shoes to be assembled and installed in the frame.

In August 2020 we will begin our 9th year in the restoration of Engine 557. Motivation is difficult to engender in the face of the political turmoil and the COVID-19 scare the nation is wallowing in. These Progress Reports are intended as a touch stone from which we can all measure progress.

I am so thankful for the 557 Volunteers near and far, the continued faith of our in-kind donor champions, and generous financial sponsors large and small, private and institutional. We have locked arms and continue working toward our goal of steaming 557 into the future.

Thank you all!

Patrick J. Durand
President 557

 

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