With all of this discussion, we welcome you to the fraternity of "industrial archeologists". As was mentioned, you are EXCEEDINGLY lucky to have a nearly complete set of drawings! Most locomotive restorations depend on reprints of shop practice documents or standards books originally published by the locomotive manufacturers. Some larger railroads published their own standards books and shop manuals that help with tolerances and wear limits.

Your driver journals are only the FIRST exercise in figuring out how to restore your locomotive. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

As Kelly mentioned, it is my plan to make one hard copy to use during the restoration work, and also have the drawings digitized to a CD.

Long, interesting story as to how I got the prints. Georgia-Pacific, successor to Coos Bay Lumber Co., gave PSRM the engine in 1967. With the engine came a few spare parts, but no drawings or information on any repair/modification work that had been done. Our guys ran it a couple of times in the mid '80s (prior to my involvement). Otherwise, it mostly sat. I, and a few other guys started working on it 6 or 7 years ago, doing a tear-down to see what all work will need to be done. We should have a really good idea of that by the end of this year. (Other priorities, like running trains to bring in revenue make for slow progress)

Meanwhile, about 5 years ago, out of the blue I got an e-mail from a guy who said he had what appeared to be a complete set of drawings for Coos Bay #11. Would I be interested in having them????

Turns out that a forester, Quentin Roesner, working for Plum Creek Timber, successor to Georgia-Pacific on that property was doing a safety inspection in an old building. He came across an old file cabinet with the drawings, and thought they might be valuable to someone. He did some research, and found that we owned the engine. Really, really nice of him. They are in pretty good condition, all stamped on the back, "Alco Blueprint Shop, Dec., 1929."

In addition to the drawings for #11, the same set covered #'s 10 and 12 (but #11 was the first of the three), built in late 1929 and early 1930. There were also drawings for #9, built in 1935, a Baldwin engine, speeders, and misc. other equipment. None of these appear to be complete. I'm still sorting.

I have found several instances where, presumably due to some modifications made by the lumber company over the years, what I have doesn't match the blueprints. That is why I had questions about the axle.

Great story about the prints. Am sure many of the mechanics out in cyber land can attest to cases where the prints to not match the product.

In about 1973 I had problems putting the throttle back in CN&W #1385 after removal for hydro. Has a very nice 3 stage throttle that has to go back in just the way it came out. We had prints for at least four R-1 class locomotives, including #1385 and none of the throttles matched ours.

Saginaw Timbers #2, 1912 Baldwin built boiler had front flue sheet braces on the prints, but one was never installed until a couple of years ago by Gary Bensman. Whoops, missed one.

A very talented tool and die maker was told to lay out holes for saddle bolts on a smoke box of Montreal Works 4-6-0 off of original prints. I told him not to and to measure off of saddle itself. The boys insisted he use the prints. Sure enough the print did not match the holes in the saddle. I worked in a fab shop when I was younger, it did not surprise me that the holes were not identical to the print.

Very nice to have the prints no doubt and what a great find, thanks to the fellow that found them for you. But I recommend measuring everything you need to replace and maybe compare with the prints before machining or ordering pre-fabed parts. Great story about the prints and very cool locomotive your working on. Regards, John.