Engine 557 Restoration Company
Progress Report July 2023

Alaska Railroad is celebrating the completion of the railroad construction at Nenana, Alaska in 1923 with Centennial activities. The event has been well documented at alaskarails.org by John Combs. John and his wife, Terry, attended the event and rode the special train from Fairbanks to Nenana and back.

Here at 557 we are celebrating too. On August 18th, 2022 we rolled the locomotive into an empty lumber warehouse in Wasilla to start the restoration. John Combs was there for the move from Anchorage to Wasilla and he documented it for us all.

While in Alaska, John and Terry visited with the 557 crew on Monday prior to their trip North. From Left to Right, Paul Dalleska, Lynn Willis, Terry Stefani, John Combs, Pat Durand, Rod Hansen, Ken Elmore, Terry Douglas and Terry Combs took the photo.

Work now is focused on preparing the boiler for the Hydro Test. This is a slow meticulous process starting with 50 psi air in the boiler and spraying soapy water while looking for bubbles or fizz at all the seams and penetrations of the pressure vessel. Some studs have been pulled, cleaned, sealed and replaced while others are being replaced with new material made to Baldwin spec M-32. When the boiler is air tight, we will proceed with the Hydro.

Jeff DeBroeck was between the frames with the air hammer, gently convincing some little weeps to go away. This work is more art than science and is an acquired skill.

Follow up to the air hammer is clean up and touch up with Thermolox paint. Ken Morton touched up where Lynn Willis started cleanup. This will be done in stages.

The tender water bunker is now full with 6500 gallons or 52,000 pounds of water. The sight gauge we installed works. Machinist, Laverne Buller manufactured the gauge from 1”extruded stainless box section, milling viewing ports on three sides. O rings seal the stainless elbows in both the top and bottom of the gauge as they pass through the tender wall. A red line was painted down the middle of the closed side of the box section and an orange float was inserted in the poly tube to provide clear indication of the water level.

Our plan is to temper the water in the tender getting it closer to the desired temperature for the hydro. 1,700 gallons of used oil should add another 12,000 pounds to the tender load.

On July 27th Mathew Blackwell and Milo Voigt from the Federal Railroad Administration paid a visit to 557 while doing a system wide inspection on the Alaska Railroad. When we are ready for the Hydro Test, we will give them at least 30 days notice, they will be back. They are as anxious as our crew to see 557 back in steam. They got to consult with the entire management team on this trip: 557 consultant Paul Dalleska, Milo Voigt FRA, Mathew Blackwell FRA, Pat Durand, President and Jeff DeBroeck 557 CMO.

Ron Dudley assisted Rod Hansen doing the last of the new super heater assemblies. Ron recently moved to Oak Harbor, Washington but visits family here and still makes time for 557. Next step will be hydro on each of the assemblies. They will be set aside until the boiler hydro is complete before they can be installed.

Rod is not going to run out of work. Much of the new brake plumbing is being made in assemblies by Paul Dalleska, using schedule 80 pipe and forged fittings that are welded. Rod is doing the final welding as filler between bigger jobs. Sand blast and paint makes the assembly ready to install and eliminates 12 pipe joints in just this one fixture.

Niles Canyon Railway recently put out a plea for wheel bearing brass and wedges. We made a deal with Douglas Debs advantages to both groups and sent a 570 pound crate of 5X9 and 5 1/2X10 sets surplus to our need here at 557. Gerry Christensen and Ken Elmore fabricated the crate from dunnage to ensure safe delivery. We are always willing to help other restoration where we can. We also appreciate the effort other groups make to meet our requests.

Engine 557 Restoration Company will hold an Annual Board of Directors meeting in the next few days. I expect there will be some new board members and progress to report then.

Please consider 557 as a worthy investment for your charitable giving as we progress toward returning her to service in the spring of 2025!

Signed and numbered prints of Engine 557 Returning, by J. Craig Thorp are available for sale and can be mailed for $100.00 total.

Craig’s new book RAILROADS, ART, AND AMERICAN LIFE, is available for $40.00 plus $14.00 postage.

All proceeds go to restoration of Engine 557.

 

Patrick J. Durand
President Engine 557 Restoration Company

 

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