Engine 557 Restoration Company
Progress Report November 2020

Since inception of 557 restoration, the question has been on everyone’s mind: Where will 557 operate when she is ready to roll out under steam? Will she run on the Alaska Railroad? Just received this note.

Pat:
Thanks for the email. As you’re aware, a group of ARRC Sr. managers met with Paul Bates awhile back and then a smaller, more focused group from ARRC met with you and Paul more recently – both meetings had the goal of furthering a workable operating plan for the 557 on ARRC’s tracks. I understand the latter meeting was particularly fruitful, with ARRC and the 557 team agreeing on the necessity of the locomotive being PTC equipped and the recognition that operation during the spring and fall “shoulder seasons” would be most preferable for a multitude of reasons. Building off the progress made and the parameters identified, we look forward to receiving the draft operating plan from Paul and taking the conversation to the next level.  

Best,
Bill

Bill O’Leary
President & CEO
907-265-2403
office mailing: PO Box 107500, Anchorage, AK 99510-7500
physical: 327 W Ship Creek Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501
web: www.AlaskaRailroad.com  

We are poised to create a partnership with the Alaska Railroad Corporation to ensure 557 has a long term future with special operations envisioned in our original business plan. Our volunteers constantly exceed expectations and deliver a quality of service that makes me proud to work beside them each day.

December brings our major fund raising campaign. I ask that you consider a major contribution to Engine 557 Restoration Company at this time. Your donation will be matched 100% thanks to generous gifts from Dick Morris $5,000, Dennis & Diane $5,000 and Jim and Vic Jansen who each pledged $20,000 to the 557 Challenge Fund. You can contribute HERE.

Your generosity will keep the 557 volunteers on task and on schedule.

Some repeat contributors deserve special notice. Tom and Hilde Simco of Larkspur, Colorado just added $300.00. Volunteer and ARR Locomotive Engineer, Tim Coahran from Fairbanks, sent us another $200.00. Tom and Sharon Sharratt directed another $500.00 our way. YES, THESE ARE THE FIRST GIFTS TO BE DOUBLED UNDER THE DECEMBER MATCH! Thank you all.

The crew jumps to observe every train that announces its self at the grade crossing. With only one passenger train round trip scheduled each week from Anchorage to Fairbanks; it goes by on Saturday morning Northbound. If lucky you might catch the Hurricane Turn on the first Thursday of the month. Now we settle for Maintenance of Way (MOW) movements as even the ballast and aggregate unit trains are suspended with freeze up. MOW can be interesting with loads such as a ditcher with no stick.

Within 20 minutes of posting the October Report, Kenneth “Skid” Roeh called and ordered an S-160 ROCO HO scale model for his collection. It was shipped promptly. We thank Skid for his continued support of 557 and we also thank Martin Gatowski for donating the new model for the benefit of Engine 557 Restoration Company.

We still have one more as delivered USATC from ROCO available for $430.00 and we will pay the shipping. All proceeds go to the project.

On November 29, direct from ROCO in Germany came item 73044 an HO model of the S160 as they were in service on Italian State Railways. This differs from the S-160 as built for USA Transportation Corp: Italians added an electrical system, headlights and steam generator and a red chassis with white tires. Eight years ago we sold ROCO the two CD set of S-160 digitized drawings for $1000. They paid close attention and the models reflect fantastic attention to detail. The first offer of $459.00 will secure this model for your HO collection. Thanks to the crew at ROCO for their generous donation.

In the season of giving, Dan Gullickson presented 557 with another collectable pair of locomotives for fund raising. The Pacific Fast Mail presentation set of the 1867 Golden Spike Centennial locomotives is available for purchase. You can support 557 restoration and fill your Christmas stocking. Asking $645.00

Patrick Garley at Arctic Fires Bronze has produced two more raw castings from which we are machining new shoes. The raw casting is 77 lbs and the finished work will be less than 60 lbs. Machining produces a lot of “swarf” or chips that can be reused if processed correctly. Jerry Cunnington suggested a system that would capture just the swarf. Putting our heads together (two half wits makes a wit) I purchased an ABS 3” T sweep to 2”. With a few cuts on the band saw it fit right around the 6 point cutting head and clamped to the spindle. With a new vacuum connected it became a SUPER SWARF SUCKER. We now have clean chips and no mess. The recovered chips are pressed into biscuits with about 20 tons on our 50 ton Dake and sent back to the melt pot. Due to the high cost of engineering this solution we ask that you send a sizable donation to 557, if you plan to copy this design.

What others say:
From Jim Blasingame, retired ARRC VP for Community Affairs,
“Just wanted you to know I will send you a check good buddy....  I'm proud of the work you and your crew have accomplished.....   And a huge thank you to you Pat for your tenacity to restore the 557…….”

What others have said:
From September 13, 2013, came this message on Railway Preservation news from Ross Rowland. “First a hearty thank you to the 557 crew for all they're doing to see the steam torch come back to life in Alaska!! One lesson I've come to learn after my share of locomotive restorations with me writing the checks.................. EVERY PROJECT COSTS MORE AND TAKES LONGER THAN ESTIMATED. Just a hard fact of life. My best wishes to the 557 crew for every success.”
Ross Rowland

557 Restoration seems to drag at times, then the little pieces begin to come together to the delight of our volunteers. We invoke the advice of Ross, and forge ahead.

Doug VanWingerden takes on the tough machining jobs to return damaged or worn original components to service. A small 3/8” right angle valve supplied steam heat for the mechanical lubricators and oil lines. The universal had been brazed to the valve stem and then sawn off at some point. Doug, made a new valve stem and replaced the floating stainless seat. Then he made a new AAR standard union bonnet all from 922. The U joint was also reconditioned and the valve is ready for service again.

Jerry Peters has been hunkered down at home in response to Covid 19. He was getting cabin fever so he took on the job of rebuilding another of our three Pyle National K-240 dynamos. We helped him load out this unit so he can work on it in his home shop. Jerry came up through the shop ranks at the Alaska Railroad as an electrician and long ago retired as the ARR Master Mechanic. He already rebuilt one Pyle National K-240 unit and it performs beautifully on air tests under load. We call on Bernie Watts for parts as needed.

The bearing spacer that goes between the main rod and connecting rod on the main driver crank pin was machined on the Lodge & Shipley. Jeff DeBroeck was doing this work and directing the crew dry fitting the connecting rod and then fitting the main rod assembly.

The elliptical spring sets have one machining step left to do. Jeff designed a fixture to hold the spring set on the 16 inch rotary table. The table in turn will mount on the milling machine and with care a 10” radius will be cut on the bearing face of the strap. Dean Sawyer squared and secured the fixture assembly. Now just waiting its turn on the milling machine.

In the Machine Shop, Shaper, Milling Machine, Drill Press and Lodge and Shipley Lathe are ALL in operation. Fortunately we have two volunteer machinist with home shops to augment our production capability as needed.

When we turned to dry fitting all the spring end clips and gibbs we found a real basket of junk. After rebuilding and bushing spring hangers to match the drawings, we found that the connecting pieces no longer fit. None of the old gibbs/keys appear to be original construction but rather shop made of what ever was available. Machinist, Laverne Buller has already made a fixture to machine the needed radius for new Gibbs to match the drawings. Now we are waiting on appropriate stock to machine them from.

We rebuilt the four odd end clips to match the drawings and the four good original castings. So it goes one piece at a time. Fortunately we have a near complete set of drawings for 557. As each component section is completed the associated drawings, material specs and procedures are documented for future reference. Just part of that library occupies two shelves in the 557 office. The job is only done when the paper work is filed.

With your financial support we are targeting Steam test in September 2022.

Patrick J. Durand
President 557

 

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