Work Session Status Week Ending 11/19/2016

November 22, 2016

I’m sure most of you have been wondering why you haven’t been receiving the weekly TW3 reports in your Inbox. Well, Mr. Bill Gates (MS) decided they needed to change their format on Outlook which disabled our distribution lists to some 400+ recipients. Madame Secretary, Gail, Mr. Webmaster, Rich and wife Linda and Julie, our Facebook guru, have spent countless hours trying to rectify the problem. The cure was to abandon our current Outlook for the 2926 members and go to a Gmail account. We are still using Outlook on other smaller lists and they seem to work fine, for now.

Volunteers are working in several areas of restoration. The usual projects continue along with some new ones and more equipment repair.

Lurch, the car mover, has been taking much of our time lately. Recently it needed a new air compressor for the brakes, this week it received new intake manifold gaskets. A new bogie cylinder has been ordered due to a bad hydraulic leak, and now it looks like one of the brake calipers is leaking. All these parts are expensive so be generous, if you can, along with your continued membership donations. Christmas cards will be coming out soon with your renewal reminders.

Throttle valve lapping has begun since our lapping equipment has been fabricated.

Other volunteers have been working on minor leaks mostly staybolt caps which the boiler water fill revealed.

This week we disassembled the shuttle valves or “spool” valves as some refer to them. They were inspected thoroughly, cleaned and reassembled.

Sheet metal work for the steam chest continues. Slight trimming is required when the parts come back from the fabricator. Currently they are fabricating the first smoke box piece next to the smoke box door using the old wasted parts as templates.

Our electrical gurus are still working their magic behind the scenes.

We, at the 2926, will be working this week and we hope that each of you and your families have a Happy Thanksgiving and look forward to seeing those of you that can come to the site to work this week, and as usual . . .

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