Complications with the smokebox

Last weekend (May 25) the inside of the smokebox was needlescaled to remove the rust.

Unfortunately, because the stack was uncapped during the locomotive's tenure in Liberty Park, the bottom has rusted very badly. Not all the way through, but the smokebox is going to need some major repairs. This is not to be discouraging, however - all other aspects of the project are still on schedule. This issue will have to be taken care of when the boiler is sent to a contractor.

Utah State Railroad Museum Updates & National Train Day

Since Mr. Trentleman has taken over as official blogger for the Utah State Railroad Museum, most updates will be handled by him from now on, so that we can focus on the 223. However, here are some followups on projects mentioned in previous posts here.

In regards to security, both Ogden City and the Union Station Foundation have installed separate camera systems. The Foundation's is tied into the alarm system; the city's feeds into the Ogden Police Department's system. In addition, signs have been posted officially setting the closing time for the rail center. This doesn't secure things quite the same way as a fence, but it definitely decreases the chances of vandalism and theft.

The Union Pacific laundry building has unfortunately been condemned due to asbestos; however, a new garage door has replaced the old chain link gate that let the pigeons and cats inside.

National Train Day was a success, with speeder rides on Track 1 being very popular. Union Pacific brought not one, but two heritage units, and UTA offered a hi-rail truck to display for the event. In addition, there were model train layouts, the 223 shop was open and busy (Thank you everyone who purchased 223 merchandise!), and several exciting restoration projects were announced, which will be covered in their own posts later.