Steam Department

Yes, the 975 is receiving more paint from its painting friend, Gregg Wolfersheim. A coating of primer then the top coat of black paint sure makes the locomotive almost come to life.   The painting will continue until Gregg runs out of good 50 degree  weather. Here is a future consideration for all you steam fans. Why not send in a donation to increase the 975 fund for its future storage inside. This engine with its new paint job needs to be protected. Help place this engine into our next new building!               Thanks  Roger

Rich Thomas and his small team have been continuing the restoration of the UP 428 cab. This time his efforts are concentrating on the installation of the interior wooden side panels.  During that same time the two metal floor replacements for the cab were finished and made ready for installation.  The riveting team of Jerry and Stu installed about 50 rivets into both floor panels.  Work has begun to prepare and old Illinois Central tender once used on the steam pile driver for eventual use as an auxiliary water tender for the Frisco 1630!  Not only is the steam department cosmetically restoring this tender but they are also working on installing new brakes and steps.  The 975 is receiving a much needed paint job.  Not an easy task but one that is definitely needed.Dennis, our in house volunteer welder, is finishing a couple of key components for our shay. This is just a small sample of the work being preformed in the department.   Yet to be blog about are another two huge projects,   The sandblasting and painting of the UP Rotary Snowplow and the reassemble of the 10 ton crane located in back of the steam shop.   We need this crane back in operation in order to lift the UP428 cab back on the engine's frame.             Thanks     Roger

Much of the steam departments attention has been focused on the 1630 and the first fire up of the Shay.   But there still is a lot of enthusiasm and work being done on the Union Pacific engine.    Rich Thomas has been leading the volunteers and has been working on getting the cab ready to be reinstalled on the engine body.  Two projects have received his attention.  But first a little background history about the engine.   When we started this project, many many moons ago the old rusty cab was removed from the engine and made ready for a rebuild.    That involved replacing the old rusty pieces of steel with new ones.   Among items that needed attention was the cab flooring.  New pieces were cut from the old pattern but  never installed.    In order to install the rebuilt cab the steel flooring first had to fitted and new pieces riveted in place.   That will be done this month!   The second project involves the interior of the cab.   Rich has been working on the installation of the interior wood paneling for the ceiling and the walls.  He has completed that part.  These pictures will show the reader his progress.   Once the  steel flooring is installed he will lift the cab with its newly installed wood paneling and secure the cab to the frame.   THEN we can start to install the interior cab piping and make it an operational steam locomotive once again.        Many years ago the museum acquired 3000 board feet of specialized tongue and groove paneling.    Rich crawled into the boxcar and retrieved about 90 lengths of this paneling to be used on the reconstructing of the cab ceiling.    Before it could be installed it first had to cut to the correct lengths using our wood shop tools located in the barn 4 annex.   After the boards were thoroughly dry Rich began the installation of the boards to the ceiling of the 428's cab.     I will show you the next newly completed step in a future blog.  The purpose of this entire subproject is for the eventual reinstallation of the cab onto the frame of the 428 so that we can begin to install the cab fittings and piping in the cab.  Next comes the insulation covering the backhead of the boiler and then a  sheet metal covering that insulation.   Obviously, there is still quite a  of work to accomplish regarding the 428 but this new progress is very exciting to witness.   Keep watching for updates and please continue to send in your donations for the Union Pacific 428 Campaign.  With all the new excitement being generated concerning the 428 the new estimated time of completion is around three [3] years from now!  Just think of that statistic for a while!           Thanks    Roger