The result of today's labors - and many hundreds of hours prior to today.

The tender is nearly completed. Its overhaul has been done with volunteer labor, donated paint, donated stencils, donated steel for replacement baffles, and donated millwork for steps and to support the tank. The missing buffer was replaced with donated "O.E.M." components and donated materials to fabricate other missing components. For the conversion to roller bearings, donated replacement axles (and possibly wheels) and donated adapters to convert the trucks to roller bearings. We had to buy new springs, bearings, paint for the interior of the tank, and some miscellaneous supplies, but it looks like the tender is coming in well below budget.

May's status report features pictures of the disassembled and newly cleaned injectors, injector start valves, and check valves. http://557.alaskarails.org/restore/prog ... index.html

Was looking at the shots of the injectors, and as someone else said recently, you learn something new every day around here. In this case, it was finding out how much of a steam engine is non-ferrous metal. Would have thought the injectors would have been steel to withstand the blast of steam wearing at them, but brass they are!

Have the "Railroad Alaska" people shown up yet? Yes, I know the series is silly a lot--no, it's silly about ALL of the time (how many times do we have to hear the narrator say the train is hauling 5,000 tons of plasterboard worth $7 million?), but it's apparently found an audience (been on for three years now), and I'm thinking the exposure wouldn't hurt. . .

http://www.destinationamerica.com/tv-sh ... ad-alaska/

The Baldwin Locomotive Works builder's plate for 557 was last seen on the locomotive over 50 years ago. Due to material shortages during WWII and the utilitarian nature of the USATC Consolidations, the original plates were cast iron and only nine inches in diameter. After an exhaustive search for the original failed, we moved to "Plan B."

One of our volunteers did the research to determine what the plate should look like and another drew it and printed a plastic replica on his 3D printer. One of our supporters, Pat Garley, operates Artic Fires Bronze Sculptureworks, which is probably the only commercial foundry in Alaska. Most of his work is bronze for the artist community, but once a year he demonstrates his portable cast iron cupola at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry where he and about a dozen artists participate in an iron pour. He took the plastic pattern for the replica plate and duplicated it in wax so it could be cast using the lost wax process. On Saturday, June 26th, they poured the replacement builder's plate for 557. The photo shows the plate immediately after breaking it out of the mold and before all of the investment had been removed.

Another of the day's accomplishments by Pat and his group of artists was a replacement smoke box door for Tanana Valley RR #1, a narrow gauge 0-4-0. TVRR #1 is receiving repairs so it can again operate in Fairbanks. One needed repair was replacement of the original door which had broken during recent operations. Pat and his crew used the original to create a flexible mold and wax pattern and cast the replacement using the lost wax process.

It was a successful day all around for railway preservation in Alaska.

Here are a few more details from the work going on in the great north....

Some more details, and view of the progress front and back.

A new status report has been posted at http://557.alaskarails.org/restore/prog ... index.html

We are pleased to announce that the John H.Emery Rail Heritage Trust (http://emeryrailheritagetrust.com/) has selected the Engine 557 Restoration company for a $9,000 grant to partially fund the installation of stay bolts and the repair of running gear. Our sincere thanks goes to the Trust for their continued support.

The grant requires a match comprised of newly raised funds, volunteer labor, and/or in-kind donations of goods related to the purpose of the grant. As the photos Art posted above show, we are in the process of installing 400 sleeves to upgrade rigid stays to flexible. This work and the work of our volunteer machinists to make associated parts accrues "sweat equity" to meet a part of the matching requirement for the grant. After this preliminary work is done we can schedule a trip from the "Lower 48" by our boiler expert to get the process of actually installing the full complement of 1000 new stays started and train our volunteers in the fine art of stay installation.

If you can find a few extra dollars not dedicated to your own project, we would appreciate your sponsorship of a flue or tube, or just a donation to http://557.alaskarails.org/support/flues/index.html

Now that you've gone to a lot of trouble (and it appears to be worth it) to get the builders plate right - would it be possible to make more as a fundraiser/reward for significant donations?

That would appear to be the ultimate 'platinum level' bonus (a la PBS).

Yes, and it's under consideration. If you have a "significant donation" that you want to part with we would be glad to move its consideration to a higher place on the priority list. (Keeping in mind that the IRS has strong opinions about what can be called a donation and what must be recorded as a sale).

A new status report has been posted at http://557.alaskarails.org/restore/prog ... index.html. Pictured this month are stay bolts and work on tender back-up light, new cab floor, injector start valves, and pilot braces.

This month's status report is posted at http://557.alaskarails.org/restore/prog ... index.html.

Below is a photo of volunteer welder Rod P. installing flexible stay bolt sockets. Photo credit goes to Gunther Scholz, a 557 supporter from Germany who paid us a visit last week.

The newest progress report is posted at http://557.alaskarails.org/restore/prog ... index.html.

Over the last four years we have actively reached out to groups, businesses, and individuals so they became stakeholders in returning 557 to operation. evidence of the success of these efforts is a creative fund raiser done by residents of the Palmer Veterans and Pioneers Home. See the paragraph about residents of the home and "Veggies for 557."

One of the columnists for the Anchorage, Alaska, newspaper paid a visit to the 557 engine house last Wednesday and wrote a nice column on the project and our president and full-time volunteer project manager, Patrick Durand.

https://www.adn.com/opinions/2016/10/22 ... del-train/

Work continues, and its always the little details that take time. The weekend brought more work into play and here are some shots of a extremely sharp cab. And some other details.

To all following us, thank you and we appreciate the help and support.
Art