August 27, 2018
Besides finishing the pit rebuild, getting the speeder up and running, rejoining the locomotive and tender and outfitting the new souvenir store, we had a bit of an official first steam-up!
Wednesday, on our regular work day, volunteers came in early to prepare for a live television steam-up with Channel 4’s Weatherman Steve Stucker. We were live from 6 – 7 am. Steve brought along 40 huge green chile burritos and buckets of hot coffee courtesy of Blake’s Lota Burger.
This was a good way to show the City of Albuquerque and NM the progress made on the iconic and historic steam locomotive 2926.
The steam-up also provided us with a short punch list of things to be addressed before the next steam-up, yet to be scheduled.
The video is now available on our website.
We have also been working hard at our foundry turning out 2926 bronze tender casting badges. They are for sale through Rick Marsden through his email at hdric@verizon.net and he’ll get your number placed with the order. The cost is $100 and if you’re out of town and it has to be sent it’s $10 extra for USPS shipping. These would be nice Christmas presents and they really are quite heavy. If you’re in the area you can come down and pay for one and get your name on his list of orders and pick up once it is completed. Several number or serial numbers have been taken already, so Rick will let you know what’s available.
The souvenir shop is progressing very well as insulation, paneling and electrical work is being done.
To get to where we are today since the derailment of June 2nd it has been seven weeks of hot work repairing the pit along with the store. We are still short of complete funding of the pit and store. The volunteers worked hard to get a fire in her belly, so think about if you could possibly help us financially with a tax deductible donation. Steam costs money, how much do you want to see.
I continually receive reports of work being done on the tool car and it’s trucks. Various repairs are being done under the watchful eye of our Amtrak inspector. Actually our car shop owner is an Amtrak inspector, but obviously he can’t inspect his own work.
So my friends, there are two projects that are in need of funding. The pit repair and the tool car. Soon there will be a third; a generator for the tool car to run a large screw-type compressor for cold starting the locomotive.
Come see us if you’re in the area, and as always . . .
Keep on Steamin’,
Rick Kirby, CMO
NMSL&RHS