Spring time’s a-poppin’ in the shops. Between being 70 degrees one day, and 20 degrees and snowing sideways the next, we are working hard on completing a number of contract jobs, as well as the needed maintenance on our own equipment. Here are some photos to share.
Here are Silver Dollar City’s driving wheels for their #504, ready to ship. They received new tires, had the main crankpins turned, and the other crankpins polished.
We have recently completed sheet replacement and 1472 SDI on Huckleberry Railroad’s #152, though we still have some small parts to complete. Here is the new dome lid.
Here is the bottom of the lid.
This shot shows the new door sheet tacked into place.
Here, the door sheet is welded out and the mud ring rivets are installed. It is ready for staybolts.
Turning around, here is the completed new rear flue sheet with flues rolled and welded in place.
Here, Shelley, Dave, Casey, Mike, and Ross pose with the completed boiler. Several others were also involved in its overhaul, but weren’t available at the time it was completed.
We also recently completed an order for fifty new superheater units for the Reading & Northern’s #2102.
The units are also 20’ long. It will be a tiring job to install all of them.
Here is an order of new non-lifting injector body castings. Over the next several months, they will be machined and put into stock.
J Tower at our East Strasburg terminal is receiving much needed structural repairs to its ground floor that will allow it to remain standing into the foreseeable future.
Initial restoration work continues on our 1911 B&O coach #45?? Here you can see that the structure of the new car body is largely complete, and ready for siding.
Here is one truck frame for the B&O coach, primed and ready for reassembly. This will be our first six axle wooden car.
Our parlor car #88, the Marian is also in the car shop for exterior work and a new rubber roof. Her's was the first rubber roof applied here in 1988.
In the engine house, annual work and running repairs continue as usual. Here, Mike in climbing out of our #89’s smokebox. She is receiving a 1,472 service day inspection, and is expected to return to service in the late summer. Her superheater units lay in the foreground.
Behind #89, #475 is receiving annual repairs, and #8618 is in for her 92 SDI.
#89’s tender has her tank removed so we can perform some repairs to her tender frame.
Behind the backshop, the new 110' shop extension is coming together. We should be able to move in in May.