Engine 557 Restoration Company
Progress Report December 2019

Looking back on 2019 we are reminded of the three foundational supports for the 557 Restoration. All three must be maintained to keep the project vibrant and moving forward.

1. VOLUNTERS: 2019 brought 31 volunteers who committed 1290 Man days at the Engine House. A core cadre of 15 volunteers are recognized as the 557 Mechanical Department. See the volunteers at work at Engine 557 Facebook.

2. IN-KIND SUPPORT: Since day one, The Alaska business community has provided services and products at cost or no-charge. Estimated value to date is $700,000. Please extend a thank you on our behalf to all of our in-kind champions.

3. PRIVATE & INSTITUTIONAL FUNDING:
Foundation funding in 2019 came from John H. Emery Railway Heritage Trust, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Atwood Foundation, MEA Charitable Trust ROUND-UP, Kahiltna Charitable Fund, United Way of Terrant County Paul Duncan. BNSF RailPac Paul Duncan, Sons of Amvets, Society of 40 & 8. American Legion Jack Henry Post 1. Pioneers of Alaska Igloo 11 and 13.

Corporate donations came from LORAM Maintenance of Way, Inc.; Great Land Welding & Machine; Uncle Joe’s Pizza; Matanuska Air Maintenance; Military Society of Model RR Engineers; DirtWorks. There were many more smaller business donations.

Private individual contributions came from as far away as Germany. Our year end 557 Matching Challenge was kicked off by Richard Morris with $5,000 and Dennis and Diane added $5,000. to the challenge. Our major financial benefactors Jim Jansen and brother Vic Jansen each added $25,000 to the Matching Challenge for a total of $60.000.

Thanks to the 57 individuals and organizations who provided $22,577.35 as of December 31, 2019. This has helped us capture the pledges of Richard Morris, Dennis and Diane and a portion of Jim Jansen’s pledge.

So here is the Ask again. Please consider contributing to the Engine 557 Restoration Company. We try to make it easy, just follow the options listed at the end of the report. Your generosity will be matched dollar for dollar.

The weather report is provided as a diary of the conditions that 557 Volunteers brave while commuting 100 miles from Anchorage to Wasilla to spend the day with Gypsy. As of December 22nd there was no snow on the ground at the 557 Engine House here is Wasilla where we have set high temperature records for December repeatedly. Volunteers commuting from Anchorage have enjoyed reasonable driving conditions and the cost of heating is way down. There are still determined ditch divers who believe 65 MPH is just advisory. On the negative side, lakes were not frozen enough to support winter roads or aircraft on skis. Traditional dog sled races and winter events have been canceled for lack of snow. Yes, the climate is changing. Eight inches of snow arrived Christmas day and the temperature dropped to minus -9° F. On New Years Eve it is back up to 48° and the snow is nearly gone.

Wednesday November 27th, a local engineering office, PDC Engineers sent Matt Leistico, Engineer and Mike Bartell, lead 3Dscanner and 3Dmodeling expert on a mission to the 557 engine house to 3D laser scan the 557 locomotive. Volunteers had cleared away clutter from the work area. Over a 5 hour period, more than 40 scans from numerous locations produced an accurate representation of the existing conditions of the Locomotive and frame as it sets in the Engine House. By slicing and dicing the 3D image, all extraneous background clutter can be eliminated. The completed rendering will allow checking frame alignment and give dimensions necessary to machine bearing boxes, shoes, and wedges for reinstallation of the running gear with all axles trammed and true. The 40+ 3D scans produce a "point cloud" that was stitched together and rendered in a CAD software program to give us a Laser picture of the 557. Dimensions required for the next step in machining of the running gear components can be verified with an inside caliper. We wish to thank PDC Engineers for their volunteering to provide this service.

The 3D rendering will provide a historical base line for future reference. What’s more it is fun to work with. In the PDC conference room on December 16th, Volunteers, Tom Walker, Pat Durand and consultant, Paul Dalleska defined the data sets through the Frame in cross sections needed for Tramming. Matt and Mike will prepare those views for our next meeting in January 2020. We will share those results with our readers then.

What others say; In response to our October posting about our fellow S-160 enthusiast visitors from Batt Holden limited in England:

Kristofor Gustenhoven wow people from around the world come to see North American railroading

Brian L Shackleton Awesome collaboration!

557 Board Member and Volunteer Webmaster, John Combs reports; “For what it is worth - Statistics for my website show the number one visited page in November was the November 557 report. The number 4 visited page was the 557 donation page. These pages beat out my Picture of the Week and What’s New pages.”

On December 16th The Alaska Aviation History Museum held a Christmas Holiday party and invited 557 to participate along with the Northern Lights Model RR Club. Our 557 exhibit included two HO scale s-160 locomotives in operation.

Weekly project work sheets guide the day to day work completing the many varied steps leading to the next bench mark. Jerry Peters is rebuilding parts of the Atlas Lathe so he can continue reconditioning the many valves to outfit the back head and turret.

Jim Keene ground the rear fire pan sheet while Paul Dalleska trimmed the front sheet with the Plasma cutter. Trial fitting of the rear fire pan sheet was followed by new fire pan brackets being fabricated.

Great Land Welding provided the services of Moses DeHart and the boss Gary Feaster to complete the final safety welds on the firebox staybolts.

Jeff DeBroeck leads the crew of Dean Sawyer and Jerry Cunnington refitting the main and side rods. Jeff is machining from 937 bronze the new rod bearings to fit the driver crank pins that were resized during machine work at the TVRM shops.

Jeff also extended mounting tabs for the turret valve stem bracket in the cab. This was required to make room for the relocated sight gauges.

Ron Dudley manufactured a new base to attach the air duct to the white oak cab floor.

Gene Augustine and Ken Elmore cleaned and then conducted dye penetrant testing of the draw bar pins. There were no defects in these pins that take the full load of the train while connecting the draw bar from the locomotive to the tender.

Old brackets were modified and returned to service supporting the injector delivery pipe to the boiler check valve.

We are poised for major progress as subassemblies start coming together on the locomotive in 2020. Come and visit 557 and the volunteers when you can. Just call in advance at 907 350 4340.

Uncle Joe's Pizzeria joined as a corporate sponsor with a nice donation on Giving Tuesday, December 3. Thanks to Owners Joe and Holly White.

Patrick J. Durand, President

 

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