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Volunteers
1. Joseph S.
2. Jacques D.
3. Wimbley V.
4. Clint L. Jr
5. Michael P.
6. Gaven R.
7. Nick P.
8. Dylan S.
Accomplishments
1. Erosion control wall underneath sawmill entrance steps completed
2. Continued work freeing up locomotive 400 running gear
3. Continued track improvement on track to locomotive 400
Thank you to all the volunteers that came and started 2025 with
continued progress at the museum. Your time and talent is greatly
appreciated.
Friday
On Friday, Clint performed maintenance on M2. He noticed M2 struggled at
idle. After inspecting the fuel filter, he procured another fuel filter
and replaced it. After replacing the fuel filter, M2 operated at idle
much better. He also got started on cleaning sand for use in M2’s
sanders. He made a screen using a bucket lid to sort out rocks from the
sand.
In the afternoon, Clint and Jacques worked on the track leading to
locomotive #400. They straightened out several ties, moved over the
switch points to align for 400, and spiked down the switch points. The
plan for the next day was to test operate over the track for a road
check.
Saturday
The volunteers met with Joseph as the weekend foreman and Jacques
assisting. They started in the crisp, cold morning installing an erosion
control berm underneath the sawmill entrance steps. Water draining from
the sawmill pad has been wallowing out a hole immediately underneath the
first steps. Several months ago, David used his mini ex to place
concrete piers on either side of the steps to divert water away from the
step piers. Joseph, Jacques, Gaven, Ben, Wimbley, Clint, Nick, and Dylan
used tie tongs and shovels to dig out and then set in landscape
ties/timbers. The goal was to build several tiers of landscape ties
going down the hillside from the pad to terrace and retain the dirt
underneath the steps. Once the timbers are in, the plan is to procure
simple rock (such as pit run gravel) to place behind / on top the ties
to fill in / level the terraces. Joseph used the rail saw to cut rebar
into lengths. This rebar was then driven into the ground to hold the
landscape ties in place underneath the sawmill steps.
In the afternoon, the crew removed the radius rod and expansion link
from locomotive 400 on the fireman’s side. It took most of the crew,
using straps and chains, to remove and lower the parts. They gave the
parts a thorough cleaning in the engine house with needle scaling, wire
wheeling, and lubrication. Once cleaned up, the parts were returned to
the locomotive. With Nick moving the Johnson bar in the cab, the crew
had the reversing linkage moving quite well.
After placing two battery chargers on the M22 batteries, the goal was to
crank and run M22 (it has been some time) and test operate over the
track to 400. However, M22 would not crank, believed to be a battery
issue, which we plan on investigating further at the next session. The
crew then tested with M2, which operated over the track to 400’s tender
just fine.
Sunday
On Sunday, Joseph and Gaven used the museum tractor, shovels, and picks
to level and pack in dirt around the landscape ties installed for
erosion control. They drilled and then drove down the cut rebar to hold
the installed ties into the ground and in place.
-Tucker "Who Dat" Baker
RR&G
Chief Engineer
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