The machine was put to work yesterday flanging one of no. 10's firebox sheets.

A couple of 10's completed firebox sheets.



10's backhead in the machine.

Hard to believe you can have firebox parts on a full size {yes I know it is 2 ft} steam locomotive that you can carry across the room easily with out using your token gorilla members. They are almost cute!

Seriously though the work and accomplishments are truly a high water mark for the rest of us to examine and compare to our own operations. "Gee look what can be accomplished with your membership, ingenuity and most of all cooperation. This operation should be a learning example for those organizations who spend more time spinning their tires and accomplishing very little in comparison. Different situations no doubt come into play, but the core point I am trying to make here is look, learn and listen. These folks have figured it out. Why not learn from them? Can you apply anything that is working to your organization?

If I were a donor with big bucks to donate who would I be most impressed with? An organization with a system that lived on donations or an organization that had its ducks in a row and had an active membership that knew how to make things happen? Tip of the hat to this organization once again.

Mid Continent used to run and accomplish things in this very way on a shoe string budget as did a lot of places. I saw it in action as did many of you at other places. This is not meant to attack any body or museum including MC. It is meant to be food for thought on a better way to do things and don't throw the baby out with the bath water. You attract some very talented membership, use them and build a work force from within. MC car shop is an example of what works in the same way as the 2' footers in Maine. What works and what doesn't or isn't working should be examined. Not a quick fix but a long term improvement to your own organization. My ramblings only, I do not represent anybody. Regards, John.

No. 10 was originally a 30" gauge plantation locomotive in Louisiana. Edaville Railroad bought the locomotive in the early 1950's and regauged the locomotive to 24". No. 10 at 12 tons is smaller than most of the original Maine locomotives. Our No. 9 at 18 tons is at the small end of the Maine two foot locomotive scale. No. 11 when complete will be around 27 tons and will be in the average weight range for a forney style locomotive on the Maine two foot gauge.

No. 11's barrel, outer wrapper and firebox. Monson no.3 is behind the barrel.



No. 10's outer wrapper is in the background with 11's steam dome sitting in front of the wrapper.



WW&F no. 9 and Monson no. 3. No. 9 was built by the Portland Co. and no. 3 by Vulcan. Both engines weigh about the same at 18 tons but no. 3 has slightly taller drivers and Vulcan mounted the boiler higher. No. 9 was built in 1891 and no. 3 in 1913.

We officially began fundraising for this project about one year ago. What a year it has been! After moving through the designs, paperwork, and associated contracts, we began to order parts. Boilerplate for both boilers was delivered in January of this year. Also in January the main components for both boilers were rolled at Mack Brothers Boiler and Sheet Iron Co. in Syracuse, NY. Watch the boilers and firebox sheets being rolled here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=97QSORyjcGk
In April, when shop temperatures warmed up significantly we also began the process of flanging the various boiler heads for No. 10's boiler on our shop-designed and built flanging machine. You can watch that work taking place here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRN7-HX2xcQ
Since its delivery in late January, No. 10's boiler barrel has been sent to Boothbay Railway Village, our contractor, to have it's barrel seam welded. While there is no date we can promise for No. 10's return to steam, we have been working steadily and continuously toward that goal.

We're $815 away from $80,000- over 60% of the way to our goal of $120,000. If you are pleased by the progress we've made on this project or distance prevents you from being directly involved, consider making a donation either online at:http://www.fundrazr.com/21campaign or by check via mail at:
WW&F Railway Museum
PO Box 242
Alna, ME 04535
Please write '21 Campaign' in the note section.
There are some nice rewards, including photo charters, private car charters, and the like for supporters.

As always, thank you for your support of railway preservation at the WW&F Railway,
The Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railway Museum and the entire 21 Campaign team

Hello Everyone!

Here, progress for the 21 Campaign was last posted in May. In the two intervening months, we have continued to make serious headway on flanging Number 10's boiler sheets while also making some useful modifications to the flanging machine to improve its functionality and accuracy.

We have made a step-by-step movie documenting our flanging process on the backhead. It is available at: https://youtu.be/XorZitQoJcM. Check it out! The last sheet requiring flanging is the throat sheet. Incidentally, this is where we expect our flanging machine to really shine. While a McCabe flanger is not able to flange a throat sheet, our flanger was designed with that capacity in mind. Once the flanging is completed, sheets will be fit up to the mudring to begin forming the firebox.

Meanwhile, we continue to make financial progress. As of this morning, we've received 290 individual contributions and raised $81,302. This is most impressive! We hope that the significant forward progress on Number 10's boiler motivates others to join us in funding the 21 Campaign.

Donations, the all important ingredient which makes it possible for our volunteer crews to keep pushing forward, are accepted in these ways:
Online at: http://www.fundrazr.com/21campaign

By mail at:
WW&F Railway Museum
P.O. Box 242
Alna, ME 04535

Thanks very much for your support of the 21 Campaign,
Stephen Piwowarski