Monday, March 26, 2012
March 24th Worksession - Riveting, water inlets and red paint
It's (almost) official - the tender is ready for painting. On March 24th the completed water inlet was riveted in place; the hole in the top of the tender cistern was cut the week before. With the inlet in place the lid was bolted down; once we get the tender air tank tested (hopefully it will pass; otherwise it will be a pain to get a new one) that can be mounted, and the interior coated.
The cylender sheathing was bent into shape, using the old-fashioned method of clamping it to a form (in this case, the actual steam chest castings) and hamering it to shape.
Meanwhile, out at the Rail Center, transient activity prompted one of the volunteers to close one of the side doors on Salt Lake & Utah 851 - and interurban milk trailer - and it was discovered that the portion of the door hidden by the wall still had its original "Chinese Red" paint. Samples have been taken for furture reference. The car is in bad shape, having suffered a fire, but efforts are being made to stabilize it and find a group that is willing to take on the task of restoring it.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
223 Update (March 10 Worksession)
Work is progressing on the 223. The water inlet is finally bent (the third time's the charm, they say) and has been decreed usable. This past Saturday the old inlet was dissassembled so the individual parts can be reapplied to the new one.
The holes in the top cistern plate have been drilled; now all that needs to be done is to cut the inlet hole in the plate so that the inlet can be riveted in place.
The Sharon coupler has been installed, and the brake piping on the side of the tender has been hung and only needs to be secured.
While all this was happening another crew was working on securing the ALCO rotary. Expanded Metal screens are being applied to the broken-out windows and doors to keep transients out until new windows can be made. In addition, the side door on what would be the fireman's side if this were a steam locomotive was re-hung on its track and locked.
The old and the new: The one in the rear is the original, the one in front the most recent. The lid is original.
The Sharon coupler has been installed, and the brake piping on the side of the tender has been hung and only needs to be secured.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Hostlers Model Railroad Festival
This year's Hostlers Model Railroad Festival wrapped up this past Sunday, and for those that participated was a huge success. The chapter hosted a public open house in the shop (but of course, the shop is always open to visitors), and more than $300 was donated over the weekend.
Mike and Sigi Walker of Colorado Springs, who take care of memberships for the R&LHS, were our guests last year and this year returned with their own display. Unfortunately, Sigi was under the weather during the show and was unable to attend, but Mike went at the job enthusiastically and hopefully picked up a few new members.
Mike and Sigi Walker of Colorado Springs, who take care of memberships for the R&LHS, were our guests last year and this year returned with their own display. Unfortunately, Sigi was under the weather during the show and was unable to attend, but Mike went at the job enthusiastically and hopefully picked up a few new members.
Mike Walker discusses the advantages to a membership in the R&LHS.
In addition, we had the Rio Grande Modeling and Historical Society paid us a visit. Their booth, filled with folders of hundreds of D&RGW photographs (not to mention all of those Prospector back issues for sale!) was well attended and drew much attention. They arranged for a special shop tour on Friday morning before the show opened, with a planned article about the 223 in an upcoming issue of the Prospector.
The RGM&HS booth, right in the Grand Lobby...
...and there it is: Volume 4, number 1, the last time the 223 was featured in the Prospector.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Mystery solved
A few weeks ago Maynard went around the shop asking if anybody knew what the back of the tender looked like in operation. With the cistern done, it was time to apply the hardware, but the only problem was that when the Rio Grande donated the 223 to Salt Lake City, much of the metal that was used daily was removed, presumably to repair other locomotives still in operation. The rear coupler does not have a coupler cut bar, and Maynard wanted to know exactly what was on the rear platform.
Just yesterday, a question was asked about the reason for two air hoses on the rear of tenders of the D&RGW C-class locomotives at the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum. The answer is that one is for the brakes, and the other for the operation of the snow flangers during the winter. Jerry Day, who wrote an article about the 223 in the RGM&HS' Prospector, in answer to the question, posted a picture he found of the 223 at the Colorado Railroad Museum, and lo and behold, there was the rear of the tender, clearly sporting two air hoses and a coupler cut bar. Plus, a toolbox that we didn't even know existed!
Now, that leaves us with some more projects for the tender: a toolbox, cut bar, and applying the second air line. The flanger line is currently in one of the museum's box cars for storage; when the tender was disassembled almost 20 years ago, Maynard was confused about the second line and thought that Salt Lake had stuck it on there just for fun, so he left if off of the restoration plans.
Here is a copy of the picture. Mr. Day says that there was no indication of location or date when he found it:
Just yesterday, a question was asked about the reason for two air hoses on the rear of tenders of the D&RGW C-class locomotives at the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum. The answer is that one is for the brakes, and the other for the operation of the snow flangers during the winter. Jerry Day, who wrote an article about the 223 in the RGM&HS' Prospector, in answer to the question, posted a picture he found of the 223 at the Colorado Railroad Museum, and lo and behold, there was the rear of the tender, clearly sporting two air hoses and a coupler cut bar. Plus, a toolbox that we didn't even know existed!
Now, that leaves us with some more projects for the tender: a toolbox, cut bar, and applying the second air line. The flanger line is currently in one of the museum's box cars for storage; when the tender was disassembled almost 20 years ago, Maynard was confused about the second line and thought that Salt Lake had stuck it on there just for fun, so he left if off of the restoration plans.
Here is a copy of the picture. Mr. Day says that there was no indication of location or date when he found it:
February Meeting notes
For those who were not in attendance at the February GSR&LHS meeting last night, or will not receive the meeting's minutes in the next newsletter, here is a quick recap of what was discussed.
The upcoming Hostlers Model Railroad Festival weighed heavily on the discussion, since this is the biggest event that the chapter participates in each year, the festival being held at the Union Station. We will have the shop open for tours on Saturday and hopefully Sunday. The Rio Grande Modeling & Historical Society has asked for a private tour on Friday, and it is rumored that the 223 will appear in a future issue of the Prospector...
The Hospital Car and RPO car will be open for tours as well. This will be a good show, so if anybody is in close proximity to visit please do so, and be sure to stop by the shop.
Joshua Bernhard told about two newspaper articles that he found in regards to the 223. One dates from 1890, when the 223 was nine years old, and tells the details of a previously unknown wreck that occurred just outside of Colorado Springs. The other, from Leadville, Colorado, and dated 1893, records the 223 being in that city at the time.
Our guest speaker was Tom Hudson, a concept artist and graphic designer who has done work on many famous roller coasters around the world. He also did the graphics for video games. Tom is working with the Union Station Foundation to create a series of murals to go in the blanked-out window arches in the old Postal Terminal building that is now the Browning Theatre. He has completed the conceptual art, which is based on the Train of Tomorrow and specifically the Moon Glow, which is in the museum's collection. He is now waiting for the foundation to find the funds to complete the project. The chapter received the idea warmly and all are in agreement that this project will be a good improvement for the station.
Tom also presented an idea that he came up with soon after he met with the chapter for the first time during one of our worksessions a few weeks ago. He suggests that he model the Moon Glow and other pieces of equipment in the museum's collection in hi-res 3-D, which will help in selling the idea of the restoration of the pieces to donors and supporters.
The upcoming Hostlers Model Railroad Festival weighed heavily on the discussion, since this is the biggest event that the chapter participates in each year, the festival being held at the Union Station. We will have the shop open for tours on Saturday and hopefully Sunday. The Rio Grande Modeling & Historical Society has asked for a private tour on Friday, and it is rumored that the 223 will appear in a future issue of the Prospector...
The Hospital Car and RPO car will be open for tours as well. This will be a good show, so if anybody is in close proximity to visit please do so, and be sure to stop by the shop.
Joshua Bernhard told about two newspaper articles that he found in regards to the 223. One dates from 1890, when the 223 was nine years old, and tells the details of a previously unknown wreck that occurred just outside of Colorado Springs. The other, from Leadville, Colorado, and dated 1893, records the 223 being in that city at the time.
Our guest speaker was Tom Hudson, a concept artist and graphic designer who has done work on many famous roller coasters around the world. He also did the graphics for video games. Tom is working with the Union Station Foundation to create a series of murals to go in the blanked-out window arches in the old Postal Terminal building that is now the Browning Theatre. He has completed the conceptual art, which is based on the Train of Tomorrow and specifically the Moon Glow, which is in the museum's collection. He is now waiting for the foundation to find the funds to complete the project. The chapter received the idea warmly and all are in agreement that this project will be a good improvement for the station.
Tom also presented an idea that he came up with soon after he met with the chapter for the first time during one of our worksessions a few weeks ago. He suggests that he model the Moon Glow and other pieces of equipment in the museum's collection in hi-res 3-D, which will help in selling the idea of the restoration of the pieces to donors and supporters.
Monday, February 13, 2012
History: February 13th, 1923
89 years ago today - February 13th - the second Ogden Union Station burned to the ground in a fiery blaze started by an unatended iron in a the apartment of a porter. Because of this fire, the current station was built.
Several members of the Conductor's Association have recognized that next year is the 90th anniversary of the fire, and the year after that the 90th anniversary of the opening of the current station. Thus, they are tossing around ideas for a year-long celebration of the events starting in February 2013 and ending on the week of the anniversary of the opening ceremony.
Suggested ideas include a "burning party" (no buildings will be harmed, of course), a special exhibit of photographs of the fire and construction, and an addition to the station website. These are all preliminary ideas, of course, and need further development. We do not know whether or not this will actually happen, but planning is still beginning.
In other news, UP 2001 left this morning, presumably to be reunited with UP 2002 and sent back into regular service.
Several members of the Conductor's Association have recognized that next year is the 90th anniversary of the fire, and the year after that the 90th anniversary of the opening of the current station. Thus, they are tossing around ideas for a year-long celebration of the events starting in February 2013 and ending on the week of the anniversary of the opening ceremony.
Suggested ideas include a "burning party" (no buildings will be harmed, of course), a special exhibit of photographs of the fire and construction, and an addition to the station website. These are all preliminary ideas, of course, and need further development. We do not know whether or not this will actually happen, but planning is still beginning.
In other news, UP 2001 left this morning, presumably to be reunited with UP 2002 and sent back into regular service.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
A Visiting Locomotive
Yesterday (January 6) Union Pacific dropped off a little surprise at the museum. While Dan Harbeke, UP's public relations manager for Utah, had told us of its impending arrival at the January chapter meeting, nobody knew when the Olympic Torch Relay locomotives would come.
This year marks ten years since the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, and Salt Lake is holding a sort of celebration to commemorate the event. UP has been very cooperative in the proceedings, and brought the matching set (UP 2001 and 2002) to the Roper shops to be cleaned up. UP 2001 is now on Track 1 in Ogden, and UP 2002 is parked at the Salt Lake UTA Frontrunner station.
The Utah State Railroad Museum is home to the Torch Car, which was rebuilt from the 1998 Winter Olympics torch car, and is painted to match the locomotives. Right now it is in the Eccles Rail Center, out of sight from the 2001, but the next time UP's local switching crew visits the grain elevators to the south of the museum they will pull the car out and couple it to the locomotive for a temporary display.
This year marks ten years since the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, and Salt Lake is holding a sort of celebration to commemorate the event. UP has been very cooperative in the proceedings, and brought the matching set (UP 2001 and 2002) to the Roper shops to be cleaned up. UP 2001 is now on Track 1 in Ogden, and UP 2002 is parked at the Salt Lake UTA Frontrunner station.
The Utah State Railroad Museum is home to the Torch Car, which was rebuilt from the 1998 Winter Olympics torch car, and is painted to match the locomotives. Right now it is in the Eccles Rail Center, out of sight from the 2001, but the next time UP's local switching crew visits the grain elevators to the south of the museum they will pull the car out and couple it to the locomotive for a temporary display.
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