Our last workday of 2010 was yesterday! We had a crew of 4. We removed the radius bar cross tie from the engine due to the hole being elongated. Plus we sandblasted and straightened it using the 50 ton press. We made a bottom plate and spacers for this also. The bottom was lost, man I'm sick of saying that!, the plan is to drill the mounting holes for the new plate and then bored the pin hole out to install bushings into that. We have the stock to make the new pin there also. Steamtown asked us to help out on the wheel lathe so 2 of the crew finished polishing our front pilot axle and now that is done! They reset the machine to cut the wheel sets for one of the passenger cars and boy that was a job! But they were able to get one wheel set cut for them.

What a first class job. You guys have done an amazing amount of essential work. Good luck in 2011, too. Hopefully, the job will get completed and you can stand back and see the cumulative essence of your work. Thanks!

Interesting read about the GG1s and the frame cracks. On our last workday we removed the radius bar cross tie and after it was sandblasted and we found mild cracking along the bends. The funny thing is these cracks are on the inside radius of the bend instead of the outside. Plan is to v-notch the cracks and weld. Our initial test is that its made of steel but it could be wrought iron. We plan to do a test weld to make sure. Need to read up on welding wrought iron.