More news from No.Woodstock, NH

The photo below (taken 1-11-07) shows the second of the Flying Yankee's four truck frames being loaded on a flatbed truck to be taken off to be restored. The truck frames are being sent to Cross Machine in Berlin, NH where they will be magnafluxed, media blasted, straightened and then primed.

How do you "straighten" one of these old castings without inducing more cracks and stress?

I do not think you DO straighten any of the major castings. However, during the process of replacing the pedestal liners and other truck components, I believe it is possible to correct any tram deficiencies, and other defects in the suspension.

Bob Kutella

Thanks, Bob. Trammed is what was meant by "straightened."

Detailed instructions for straightening truck frames are included in the EMD Maintenance Instructions that deal with truck repairs. As far as the age of the castings is concerned, they are only a couple years older than some of the Blomberg swing hanger trucks originally built for FT locomotives that are still out there running around under much more modern power due to trades on locomotive rebuilding orders.

Of course, what type of castings are they? I would not try to fiddle with old cast iron, but we also have malleable iron, ductile iron and cast steel. And perhaps any number of other alloys. Friend Dennis Lamont pointed out to me several techniques used to assure the integrity of a casting before trying to straighten one, and to check it later after work was done.

So the real question is, do the Flying Yankee castings NEED to be straightened?

Bob Kutella

FYI: Here is the press release

NH CENTRAL RAILROAD AWARDED FLYING YANKEE RESTORATION CONTRACT

Truck Frame Restoration Will Bring Much Needed Revenue to NH’s North Country



North Woodstock, NH – Officials with the Flying Yankee Restoration Group, Inc., located in North Woodstock, NH, announced today that the New Hampshire Central Railroad, located in North Stratford, NH, has been awarded a $127,000.00 contract to restore the Flying Yankee’s four truck frames. The project is expected to get underway in mid January and be completed by late May 2007.



“The New Hampshire Central Railroad is very excited to be part of this restoration effort and we look forward to working with the Hobo Railroad, the Flying Yankee Restoration Group and the State of New Hampshire”, stated Ed Jeffery, owner of the New Hampshire Central Railroad. “This project will generate much-needed revenue for local businesses here in the North County such as Cross Machine in Berlin, NH, as well as other local businesses.”



The New Hampshire Central Railroad has a long history of successfully restoring box cars for various railroads around the country and was one of several qualified bidders vying for this particular contract. The truck frame restoration contract will be managed by Benjamin Clark, President of the Hobo Railroad of Lincoln, NH, which has taken on the overall task of completing the restoration of the Flying Yankee for the Flying Yankee Restoration Group and the State of New Hampshire.



"The restoration of the truck frames is a critical step which will enable the Flying Yankee to ply the rails once again," says Benjamin Clark of the Hobo Railroad. "We look forward to working with Edward Jeffrey and the New Hampshire Central Railroad in accomplishing these repairs. It was great to find a qualified vendor right here in the North Country, especially since part of the train's mission is to stimulate economic development in New Hampshire. Even though the train is still several years away from operation, the restoration of the truck frames will provide valuable revenue to dozens of local businesses who will assist with various facets of the restoration effort. This segment of the project is a perfect example of local companies working together to get the job done - that's the New Hampshire way".

Continued on page 2…

Page 2 – NH Central Railroad awarded Flying Yankee restoration contract…

The truck frames to be restored are the large metal frames located underneath the cars which house the train’s wheels and axles. In the case of the Flying Yankee, the truck frames are well over 70 years old and are in dire need of refurbishment before the historic streamliner can be returned to the rails.

“We couldn’t be happier”, stated Flying Yankee Restoration Group Chairman Dick Hamilton of Littleton, NH. “Having Ed Jeffery and the New Hampshire Central Railroad working closely with Ben Clark and the Hobo Railroad to restore the Flying Yankee’s four truck frames is a huge step forward for the restoration project, it brings us that much closer to returning the Flying Yankee to the rails and that’s something we’re all very excited about.”

Operated jointly by the Boston and Maine Railroad and the Maine Central Railroad throughout northern New England from 1935 to 1957, the Flying Yankee was the second of only four diesel-electric, 3-car streamliner passenger trains of this type ever manufactured by the E.G. Budd Company of Philadelphia, PA. The Flying Yankee was purchased from the Edaville Railroad in Carver, MA in the early 1990’s by the late Robert S. Morrell, creator of Story Land and Heritage-NH in Glen, NH, and donated to the State of New Hampshire in 1995 for the sum of one dollar.

Now based at the Hobo Railroad in Lincoln, NH where Phase II of the restoration is underway, the Flying Yankee will be the only train of its type to ever operate again – anywhere in the world – once the restoration is completed. The Flying Yankee will also serve as an icon for Education, Economic Development and Tourism for the State of New Hampshire once the restoration is complete. Currently, officials estimate the restoration is well over 50% complete. Providing fundraising goes as planned, the goal is to have the Flying Yankee operational by July 2009.

To learn more about the Flying Yankee or how you can help support the restoration though a tax-deductible contribution, contact Flying Yankee officials by calling (603) 728-5078, visit the Flying Yankee’s web site at www.flyingyankee.com, send an E-mail to info@flyingyankee.com or visit the Flying Yankee Restoration Group’s office located at 137 Main Street in North Woodstock, NH.

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I'd like to know a few more details about the EMD manual instructions for straightening cast Blomberg truck frames. Can they actually be bent back into shape? We used to check them for tram while upside down with a big set of trammel points, but I had never heard of straightening them. Turning the frames back over was quite an event, as the antique overhead crane would run away from the weight as they turned over, usually with a healthy thump on the concrete floor when they landed.

We visited the Ringling Brothers / Barnum & Bailey passenger car shop in Florida several years ago, as part of a convention (AAPRCO or RPCA, I can never keep them straight).

One of their displays for the touring conventioneers, was straightening passenger car truck frames. I'm certainly not an expert on this sort of thing, but the frames that they apparently straighten routinely, appear to be quite similar in age, and general design, as those shown in the Flying Yankee photo.

John Redden

An interesting press release NH0401 posted, but it does not mention whether the truck frames will be reconditioned "as is" or whether there is going to be any reconfiguration for the planned new "state of the art" advanced propulsion system that they are going to be installing in the train later, which has been discussed in their other press releases. Unless they plan on operating the new system with the previous traction motors (anybody know what make and model they are?), they may end up doing parts of this job again.

"When completed, the restored trucks (complete with brand new wheels, axles, bearings, springs and brake cylinders installed) will be returned to the Hobo Railroad in Lincoln, NH."

$25,000 per truck strikes me as cheap. I see no mention of bull gears, motor suspension, motors, gear cases, etc?? Be a shame to not have them complete with motors after all this work, and then take them apart at least partially to make new discoveries. Of course they would not have been all power trucks, to borrow a modeling phrase.

Bob Kutella