Work Session Status Week Ending 09/21/2013

September 23, 2013

Sprucing up the restoration site for open house weekend resumed in earnest this week.

Brooms and dust pans worked overtime as other volunteers rearranged work benches, fab tables and various pieces of equipment. Wheels, drivers and other previously painted surfaces were cleaned and wiped down. Touch-up painting was done on the smoke box door, slack adjusters and forward ladder steps.

Fabrication of a trailing truck slack adjuster block was completed. The final machining was done on the mill.

Two large chunks of round stock arrived Saturday. They will be used to fabricate the two spring retaining nuts on the Franklin radial buffer. These two items were some of the pieces stolen in July 2012. The machining of these parts has begun.

Flexible staybolt sleeve welding began Saturday morning. Welch’s Boiler Service arrived at around 9:00am. Three welding trucks squeezed into the site. The welders, helpers and the company’s owner, Keith Welch, stayed most of the day. They left after welding 30 sleeves on the firebox. Completed sleeves received the threaded plugs at the end of the day.

More painting on the chassis and related parts was also done. The area under the cab is mostly finished.

This Wednesday is the last session prior to the Open House. Final set-up will take place as various items will be installed on the locomotive. Please plan to help us out.

We will have great weather for the Open House. Clear skies with highs in the low 70’s.

Hope to see you at the site, and as always . . .

Keep on Steamin’,
Rick Kirby, CMO
NMSL&RHS