Work Session Status Week Ending 08/12/2017

August 14, 2017

A few weeks ago test plugs were fabricated for the superheater header to be installed in place of the superheater bundles. This enabled us to pressure test each vertical column of superheaters as they are installed insuring we have a good seal on each bundle. Our crew has been hard at work installing the bundles. As of this writing 50 of the 58 superheater bundles have been installed.

This past week we held what we call a “surge work week”. Volunteer workers rotated in and out at the work site each day supporting the professional volunteer firebrick crew. Work began on Tuesday at 6:30 AM as the engine was rolled out of it’s house and the firebox began being fitted with firebrick and refractory. The last brick was installed on Saturday. We don’t have enough refractory so more is on it’s way being donated by Western Refractory Construction. Our professional installers are from Winter Masonry. They do work all over the country.

Air brake piping through tender is ongoing as brackets are being fabricated and await the welders to attach them on the tender.

Letter painting on the tender also continues. the engineer’s side is complete and the fireman’s side has begun.

Our electrical designers and assemblers are still at work fabricating the various control boxes and switch gear.

The two water glasses have been installed and final adjustment will be made this coming week.

As of the end of last month our volunteers have spent just shy of 160,000 hours restoring the 2926. As we get closer to finishing the restoration we need to thank all of you who have sent in your dollars to help us get to this point. As a nonprofit organization those donations are tax deductible.

In the coming weeks we will be announcing another GoFundMe campaign and we will need your support like never before. We built the engine house to protect the 2926 and it’s tender with the last campaign so stay tuned as the final arrangements are being made for the next campaign.

Hope to see those of you “regulars” at the site this week, and as always . . .

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

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