Engine 557 Restoration Company
Progress Report December 2021

December continued our longest spell of sub zero weather in many years. Seemed the thermometer was stuck at minus 10 F with humidity of about 15 per cent. After years of mild, wet and sloppy winters, South Central Alaska was truly in the deep freeze with overnight temperatures here at the engine house dipping to minus 22 F. Then on Christmas eve it warmed up and finished the year out in the mid 20 to 30 degrees and above.

Against that back drop we were warmed by the generosity of our many supporters who gave to our year end fund raiser. For starters four individuals loaded the $50,000 Challenge up front. The average donation so far has been up from previous years. We have $33,512.00 to get to the $100K goal for this campaign. Here is the quick and easy button to donations.

 

Jerry Cunnington and Tom Walker ganged up in the smoke box to clean up the front tube sheet. Using our Mag Drill to drive a set of stones in the Sunnen hone, the holes for the superheater flues were brought true and clean. Before long we will have the crew from Steam Services of America here to install the flues and fire tubes.

Two inch coupler mounting bolts through the pilot beam were removed cleaned, threads chased and reassembled with marine grade anti-sieze. Further work will be assembled on the pilot deck after the tubes and flues are installed.

What others have to say: We really appreciate it when other folks toot our horn or blow a whistle for us, particularly when accompanied with a nice donation.

From Phyllis Higginbotham in Virginia: “Dear Mr. Morris, Mr. Durand and the Engine 557 Restoration Crew - Our family thoroughly enjoyed our tour of your project last summer! Mr. Durand outdid himself in giving us an informative and enjoyable tour. My Husband and son are both civil engineers and were quite impressed. We hope all goes smoothly and you’ll have the 557 on her wheels in 2022!”

From John Stapko in Maryland, “Thank you all so much for the hard work and perseverance in restoring Engine 557.”

From Kari Nore who donated $100. "Donation is a Christmas gift for my father, Keith Nore who volunteers on the 557 Restoration."

From Germany: “Hello all ‘heroes of the Engine 557 restoration company members’, I am on the 557 home page every day! I would like to donate $ 200.00 to the "restoration project Engine 557" this year as well. I know it is ‘a drop on one hot stone’ but ‘many drops hollow the stone"!!! Stay healthy, good luck with the restoration of the 557 and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Volker, Grosspoesna, Germany”. Editors note: Volker here on the right, spent several days with the 557 crew in 2016.

From Robin with a local Church youth group: “We are called ‘The Crew’ most places we go. We enjoyed your tour very much. They have been sharing with all their family and friends all the stuff they learned about. We are happy to help with a donation. We will try to donate again.”

As reported earlier, the Engine Truck, Pony Truck, Front Truck, that set of two wheels out front, was badly damaged in a 1948 accident and never properly repaired. From the evident flange wear we knew it was out of tram. Long story short, we have spent a lot of volunteer time and money to return this complex assembly to the original specs with some embellishments along the way.

Much of this work was documented in earlier 557 Progress Reports on file at 557.alaskarails.org

The day finally came. The Engine Truck axle assembly was ready to meet the overhead crane i.e. fork lift. The Right Journal box was lowered over the axle and the Babbitt bearing inserted and then the left journal box installed. The pins hanging below are counter weights to keep the box setting vertical. Finally both journal boxes were on the axle. All bearing surfaces were pre-lubed with journal oil during assembly. All fasteners were coated with Marine Grade anti-seize.

Next came the measure of success or failure in all this effort. The Truck Frame and Bissell assembly was raised over the axle and then lowered setting the journal guides down into the boxes. All fit together and alignment on the pedestals looked good. Springs and dolphins were installed with their pins on both the left side and then the right side. Congratulations all around, when after of all that work, the lateral motion of the axle in the boxes was measured at 1/8” as called for in the drawings.

What remained was completing the truck assembly, installing the radius bar, adding Noils packing in the journal wells and placing aluminum guards and Armstrong oilers in the cellars while installing them. Assembly complete awaiting installation.

• The driver assemblies are also coming together after years of individual components being reconditioned or made new. The four driver sets went to Tennessee Valley RR Museum shops in Chattanooga for reconditioning.
• Driving boxes went to Steam Services of America for rebuild with new components and Babbitt work to fit the resized axles.
• New Silicon Bronze Shoes were cast here in Palmer by Pat Garley of Arctic Fire Bronze Sculpture Works.
• New Shoes were machined in our shop to fit each driving box location.
• Babbitt faces were machined and Aluminum guards were installed on each cellar to protect the axle bearing surface.
• Weather guards were installed on the inside of the box to close space around the axle.
• Thermocouples are being installed on all ten axle bearings to provide constant temperature monitoring in the cab.

One at a time the axles came out of storage to be match fitted with the driving boxes. Each Babbitt lined bearing brass was custom fit to the new axle dimension following work at TVRM. After the cellar with the aluminum guard is installed the silicon rubber weather seal is fitted. The aluminum retainer keeps the seals in place and allows replacement of the rubber when needed. Driver set #2 has both boxes fit and measurements look good for final assembly in the shoes and wedges.

The Cat V-80 brought driver set #1 in from the chill on forks covered with abs plastic guards. It is advised when ever possible to use load straps and pick the driver sets up to keep better control of the load. The final driving box assembly on each bearing will include the weather guards and another new feature, a thermocouple fit into the bearing brass to provide constant monitoring of bearing temperature on all 10 Babbitted bearings including the engine truck.

The main driver set #3 is too heavy for the smaller fork lifts, so the Case 721 loader started at -18F, and carried the cradled #3 driver set out of storage. After coming in from the cold it had to set overnight so the grease that was frozen to the bearing surfaces could be wiped off.

Every member of the volunteer crew has been engaged with the driver reconditioning over the years as directed by Jeff DeBroeck. Some of the “Wheel gang” on hand December 27, 2021 were: Terry Douglas, Ken Morton, Dean , Tom Walker, Paul Dalleska, Mike McKervey and Ron Dudley.

557 is in waiting while we collect blocking and timbers to lift her another 20” in the air. We will use four Duff-Norton 100 ton air motor jacks to lift the locomotive high enough to roll the driver assemblies into position under the frame. We will be reversing the process we used 8 years ago to remove the running gear. Read the January Progress report to see if we have achieved that big milestone.

You can help us out by pitching in now and getting your contribution doubled by the 557 Challenge Grant!

 

Patrick J. Durand
President Engine 557 Restoration Company

 

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