Work Session Status Week Ending 08/22/2015

August 24, 2015

The work days continue to be hot here at the restoration site. Volunteers are consuming water by the bottle fulls.

This week prep work for the sand dome repair continued as workers began cleaning the areas to be repaired removing pitting and a thick layer of rust.

The cab floor was removed from the cab and set in place. This will allow us to do more planning work for the various pipes that pass through it. The cab was re-bolted to the caster frame built for it long ago.

More brake lever bushings were installed.

The tender to locomotive flexible supply piping arrived last week in one 16′ roll. Wednesday it was cut into 4′ lengths. Two will be installed on the engine while the other two will be stored for spares. The metal hose ends are in poor condition so they are undergoing reconditioning.

I was unable to attend Saturdays work session so my esteemed assistant, Bob D., submitted the following progress report.

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A busy but hot day. A new signal pipe was bent and fitted under the newly installed firing deck. More work to be done with a final connection. Lots of parts painting. Assembly of the parts will start next Wednesday allowing for drying time.

Buildup welds were put on the water pipe connections. They will be machined down to a good flat surface next week. The last two studs were fitted to the boiler. The only remaining ones are for the second generator bracket yet to be completed.

We could do an air pressure test asap, allowing for a possible hydro in October, before it gets too cold.

Oil piping was re-assembled on the tender. The sand dome was moved to a better location on the property and welding of the rectangular patches commenced. More headway was made on the many lube lines and fittings with delivery of the first hoses expected by next Wednesday. Special thick walled copper tube to replace lubricator lines was ordered from England, which is no small feat considering that this item is only in-stock in England. If you want to buy it made in America, you have to buy a gazillion feet of it and wait forever.

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Now, please remember to help out with the GoFundMe campaign for our Engine House. We sure hate to go through another winter without some cover to protect her after all this work. Don’t assume the “other guy” will send in a donation. Please send us a check or go through our website at www.2926.us to find the link to donate. All the info is there so it shouldn’t be a problem to give. We’re a little over $16K right now.

Also we have our Annual Open House coming up September 26th from 9-4. Always a fun time for everyone with lots of people wanting to see our progress. Be sure to pass out the flyer that was sent to everyone. If you need one again, please ask for one.

Hope to see everyone at the site this week, and as always . . .

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