Work Session 4/19/15 & "470 NIGHT" at Governor's

Major accomplishments today, and one major frustration. First the good news. Shawn Melvin and Bob DeWachter worked together to remove the cylinder head cover and Shawn got the nuts free, so the team could open them. The cylinders appeared a bit worse for wear on early inspection, but oil and Bob's motorized brush cleaned them up beautifully. We feel this indicates the worst of possible damage could be a non-issue. Bill Alexander got a number of stuck nuts off and polished up the threads beneath. We removed the pilot from the locomotive and found the pony truck journals to be in good condition, with the single exception that one of four oil cellars was missing probably from her last shop visit. Joe Foley, our heavy-lift engineer, took an ample supply of measurements, still perfecting the best way in which to remove 470 when her turn comes. 

The frustration remains in the form of the wedge inserted between locomotive and tender. Despite some very interesting devices applied to striking it, the wedge would not budge. Stronger measures remain to be taken, and the piece will come free. 

We had a number of visitors, including Mr. Roland Boulette, who actually worked on 470 while she remained in service. He told us a number of stories, including one of a friend who was hit by the locomotive and had steel plates inserted in his wrists to correct the damage.

Wheel stops are going to be put on the track end, and we will soon burn off the nuts welded in place to keep the tender from rolling. That may increase the slack in the connection and help with the wedge issue.

Please join us for "470 Night" at the Governor's Restaurant in Bangor, ME on April 29th from 4PM to 8PM!

470 Work Session - 4/12/2015

Perfect day to work on prepping a big locomotive for restoration!

Leverett, Peter Violette, Peter Grant, Shawn Melvin, Bill Alexander, Joe Foley, and myself, worked from 9AM until around 4PM, turning nuts and bolts that haven't turned in over 60 years. This was major grount work, but, oh the rewards! The program of lubricating the moving surfaces over the past six months paid major dividends, and while a few objects required major encouragement to finally move, we opened just about everything we attacked. To use a well worn phrase of the past, "What we didn't find was better than what we did find", but we didn't find anything really bad to begin! Of special note, the eccentric rods are loose and we can remove them once the locomotive is rolled. The valve chests and the engineer's side cylinder, of which we worried quite a bit, were glassy smooth on the inside, with only a few pebbles and dead mouse carcass inside the cylinder. They still bore grease. If they prove to still be round, we may have dodged yet another bullet. We still have to open the fireman's side cylinder. We were able to remove the journal boxes from the heavy booster truck, to inspect the bearings. These boxes weigh about 100 pounds each, so they required some persuasion to pull out. 

Our heavy-lift engineer, Joe Foley, took careful measurements and data to perfect his plan to lift the tender from the site by crane. Joe also collected data for the locomotive move, later this year.

Peter Violette opened the cover of the feedwater heater pump and discovered the turbine to turn freely, be rust free and in beautiful condition.

A common question is, "When are you going to move it?" The best answer is, we are moving it this year. To be more specific, the tender will lift out first, perhaps in July or August, but possibly in June, assuming the crane and low-boy truck equipment is available -and- assuming the ground is dry enough to support such heavy weight. Right now the park is a sea of mud and residual snow. Moving the locomotive will come later, since it is heavier and it requires far more attention. We hope/plan to have it out no later than November. 

Problems of today- Separating the tender and locomotive is going to be a problem. There is a steel wedge between the two, placed there by the railroad to take up slack. That wedge is not cooperating, even under the authority of a sledge hammer. The wedge must be pulled in order to remove the drawbar pin that links the pulling power of the locomotive to the train.

470 Tender Move

This set of drawings has been professionally engineered for NESCo, indicating the most probable method of removing 470's tender from the current location. Assuming the city of Waterville is satisfied with our meeting the terms of their contract with us, it is likely the tender will be moved to its restoration site by mid-summer. There is considerable mechanical preparation to be completed before this move takes place. The locomotive itself will hopefully follow by fall of this year. Stay tuned!

NESCo Hats Now Available

It won't answer "who let the dogs out," but it will tell who runs with the pack!

NEW!!! NESCo MEC #470 baseball hat!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!

Black cotton, all cloth, including the back, embroidered tender speed logo in red and gold, with "470" stitched boldly in the center. NESCO website on one side, "Restoration" on the opposite. Adjustable cloth strap with bronze finish adjustment slide. Caps stitched in Maine!

Price:
Non-Members $14.00 + $6.95 Priority Shipping
Members $10.00 + $6.95 Priority Shipping
 

This summer, run with the steam dogs!
(Model does not date customers.)

470 Night at Governor's, Waterville, Mar. 26th, 2015

Come join NESCO at Governor's in Waterville, Maine, March 26th, 2015, to learn about our restoration project, meet members of the Board of Directors, see historic slides of Maine Central 470, see the restored bell and replacement headlight, and buy your tee-shirts and new 470 baseball style hats! Presentations at 5PM and 7PM, Governor's great food, and a chance to show your support for restoration of Maine Central's last operating steam locomotive!

Maine Central 470 in HO Scale

A year ago at the Amherst Train Show, Broadway Limited Imports President Joe Grubba, in cooperation with Factory Direct Trains, of Arden, NC, donated one of their USRA 4-6-2 models to be rebuilt as an accurate representation of Maine Central 470. Shortly afterward, a stock model of Erie 2922 arrived and was handed over to NESCo's webmaster, Rudy Garbely, for the reconstruction.

Rudy's HO scale models are incredibly detailed, and easily mistaken for the prototypes upon which they are based. Over the year, an accurate model of 470 began to emerge, starting with the replacement of the tender body and trucks, then moving forward with inclusion of a Delta truck with booster, replacement of the stock cab, and relocation of many small but necessary fittings. With the inclusion of a set of Maine Central speed lettering decals, donated by Highball Graphics, we now have the most accurate DCC-equipped HO scale representation of NESCo's pride and joy, just in time for the 2015 Amherst Train Show. Details of the complete rebuild will emerge in a detailed article later on.

At Amherst this year, please drop by New England Steam's booth to see this superb model locomotive.

Once again, thank you to Broadway Limited Imports, Factory Direct Trains, and Highball Graphics for your generosity and donations. Thank you Rudy Garbely, for using your artistic skills to create something wonderfully unique.

MEC 470 Receives $5,000 Grant

Locomotive 470 has become the recipient of a grant of $5,000, from the James & Betty Jacobs Family Charitable Trust. The grant was created by the family of James and Betty Jacobs, who owned and managed Longview Lumber, of Orrington, Maine. The Jacobs Family Trust also this year awarded a grant to Habitat for Humanity.

It is no small item to receive family funding with which to do well and good. New England Steam Corporation's resurrection of the 470 will have a long standing economic impact on Maine families, and in doing so, will create jobs and empower families to live just a bit better,as she steam's on. The Board of Directors wishes to thank the Jacobs Family, and pledges to use their gift wisely, that this seed may flourish!

11/4/2014 Work Session

Jim and Sandy Abbott of Highball Graphics, made, donated, and delivered a beautiful sign, which we hung on the smokebox on November 4. It is chained in place, so winter winds won't shake it off. Thank you Jim and Sandy!

During the work session, the last of the tender journals were tended to. More mapping was done in the firebox, and project manager Jason Lamontagne was able to get under the locomotive to inspect the driver journals, which are in better condition than we expected.

October 20th Work Session & Headlight Restoration

WABI covered our October 20th work session on 470 with an excellent video - CLICK HERE TO VIEW!

The Waterville Sentinel also covered the session - CLICK HERE TO READ!

The crew emptied the smokebox completely of cinders, removed the cinder grating to inspect the flue sheet, lubricated the locomotive again (we do this every two weeks to break rust and grit), began gridding the firebox sheet to ultrasonically test the thickness of the steel, and polished the tender journals. While we eventually will convert the tender journals from friction to roller bearings, these require servicing so the tender can be safely relocated. We also made an attempt to insert a fiber-optic camera into the cylinders and boiler, but met resistance from the digital age.

In other news, NESCo Treasurer Bill Alexander has nearly completed restoration of the Maine Central headlight donated to us by Ken White in September. This will adorn 470 when her restoration is complete.

DESC Prepares Track for #470

Volunteer and NESCo member, Ron Jenkins, prepares to replace fourteen ties on Track 7, at Downeast Scenic Railroad. This will be where #470 is restored. The siding is long enough to accommodate the locomotive and tender, while allowing it to be moved considerable distance for outdoor work. Civil Engineering students at the University of Maine at Orono, are designing a new shop building as a Senior Capstone project. This will include a drop pit, jacking pads, and utilities. It is another integration of the education component of the restoration program, providing practical experience to Maine students at the University level.

#470 Ultrasonic Testing 10/24/2014

Weather permitting, NESCo's CMO and Project Engineer, along with several trained volunteer members, will be gridding and ultra-sonic testing 470's firebox wrapper and boiler, all day, October 20th. Oiling, greasing, and polishing of journal bearings will continue at that time. Visitors are welcome, but may not enter the fenced area due to safety concerns. NESCo Board officials will be on hand to answer questions from the press and public. Additional volunteer workers are not required to perform work at this time.

#470 Work Session 9/24/2014

Several NESCo members turned out on the evening of September 24th to lubricate #470 and check her journals.  ABC Network affiliate reporter Karina Bolster spent about 90 minutes with us.  She did a great job interviewing, and learning as much as she could about the locomotive.   Some photos are included here to show the interview process and the results of the inspection.  Overall, the journals are far cleaner than we had hoped for.  The tops of the axles are smooth, oil basted, and nearly ready to roll once more.  The sides are rusted, but not nearly as badly as we feared.  Some Scotch-Bright on a paddle will clean the surfaces nicely. NESCo member Bob DeWachter came equipped with surplus ATF, once used to test radar equipment and perfect for our needs.  When we convene again, it will likely be journal polishing time, then repacking and making certain the oil covered all surfaces.  We were able to address all but two tender journals.  The booster journals received a dousing of oil and acetone, but would not release.  These journals had been full of rain water for a long time before we drained them, so this was not surprising.  Lots of new surfaces got lubed this time out.  Bob DeWachter is tall enough to get those surfaces the rest of us can't easily reach!

Dinner was provided by Governor's Restaurant, as part of their marvelous, continuing support.

The news article and video is available here: http://www.foxbangor.com/news/local-news/6547-preliminary-maintenance-underway-for-historic-restoration.html 

NESCo Receives Headlight Donation

Retired engineer Ken White, has donated this beautiful Sunbeam headlight from a long scrapped Maine Central locomotive, to replace or restore the headlight on 470. While the face glass is cracked, the reflector and bulb socket remains intact. These items are usually the first casualties when a locomotive is displayed. It is unknown as to which locomotive this headlight was removed. New England Steam is very grateful for this gift. Thank you, Ken!

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470 Moving Preparations

New England Steam Corporation is prepping the big Pacific for a move to take place sometime in the next year.  "When" will be determined by the alignment of donated services and continued growth of the capital fund.  Recent foundation awards and the generous response of the railfan community.  Maine retailers have also supplied tools, equipment, and lubricants.

Over the past few weeks, volunteers have met at the locomotive to begin applying rust penetrant and oils, in this case, a mixture of acetone and automatic transmission fluid.  Two weeks ago, we began by applying it with brushes to every surface that should move.  Yesterday, the effectiveness was only too clear. The rods have opened, there is some "little" movement, and we could began loosening up the joints.  A rental office in Waterville donated use of a power washer and Pan Am allowed us to use their spigot to give 470 its first cleaning in sixty years.  A three man team spent four hours washing out debris, broken glass, and probably a thousand pounds of ballast from the frame, ash pan, and every tight space where it could accrue.  Some material was bagged for removal.  

After the washing, a second team arrived and reapplied rust breaker lubricant.  They got into crevices which were painted shut and filled with matter only two weeks before.  Several journal boxes had been filled with storm water and generous helpings of stone ballast.  Drain holes were drilled and the water piddled out.  Workers went in with gloved hands and scooped out the stones.  The bearings will be inspected, cleaned, and re-lubed.  The holes will be tapped and plugged.  Eventually donated roller bearings will replace the friction surfaces, but maintained to appear as historically shown.

New England Steam Corporation is very careful with donated funds, but we wanted to show supporters that progress is being made and we are in the "positive column" with regard to restoration.  The lubrication program will continue indefinitely as prepping for removal from the park.

Please check us out on Facebook! Your donations (funds, parts, materials) make a huge difference.  NESCo is a tax-deductable 501c3 organization.

NESCo Wins Tom Dailey Foundation Grant

New England Steam Corporation has been chosen as one of fourteen railroad preservation groups to receive a grant from the Tom Dailey Foundation. An award of $2,000 to be applied toward moving Maine Central 470 was made in a response during the second quarter voting. The Dailey Foundation has become a friend to railroad preservationist in recent years, and the NESCO board is honored to be included among other strong candidates. We wish to thank the Dailey Foundation, and want to assure them, their funding will be applied as intended. 

A second private foundation, this one based in New England, has just sent NESCO notice of its intention to further underwrite development of the "Mascot of Maine" project. At this time we understand that grant to be at least $5,000, but may be substantially more. An official announcement of that funding will be made in the near future. 

Are you a grant writer? Do you want to become more active in New England Steam Corporations support activities, such as representing the NESCO's goals at fairs, town celebrations, and public events? We are looking for responsible, skilled, energetic, and available individuals to help raise the restoration fund. Applicants must be members in good standing and ready to meet and greet potential donors, as well as to get the word out. If this sounds like you, send us an email at newenglandsteamcorp@gmail.com. Tell us what you are interested in doing, what your skills include, and where you live. We'd like to meet you!

470's Builder's Plate

Odd Duck Foundry of Orrington, Maine, has undertaken the creation of a replacement builder's plate for 470. This is the master match-plate from which the plate replacements will be cast. The plates for the locomotive will be cast in iron, whereas copies will be made available for sale in aluminum, if interest is expressed. 470's original builders plate were lost during her service years when enlarged steam delivery pipes were applied to the locomotive. The new pipes overlapped the location of the builder's plates and they were either discarded or damaged and removed. Sister 469 had similar damage to its builders plates and wore them in damaged condition until she was scrapped. This plate is modeled upon an original rubbing of 469's plate, which is privately owned and made available to New England Steam.

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Donation from Altoona

New England Steam has received a number of gifts from steam locomotive preservationists and railroad historians, but one especially gratifying donation came this week from the "Horseshoe Curve Chapter N.R.H.S."

NESCo's President was taking a break from the #470 project by visiting, where else, but Horseshoe Curve, the Railroaders Museum of Altoona, the Strasburg Railroad, and several live steam railroad clubs.  Quite coincidentally, he chanced to meet members of the N.R.H.S. group, leaving their monthly meeting at the Railroader's Museum, in Altoona.  After a warm invitation to join the group at a local restaurant, NESCo brochures were distributed to the diners. With a quorum of voting members present, it was decided to support the salvation of Maine Central #470 with a donation of $500!  Talk about the "Brotherhood (and sisterhood) of Railroaders"!  This thoughtful gesture of support shows a recognition of the importance and immediacy of railroad preservation, no matter where it is being attempted.  Certainly the people of this Altoona chapter could have focused exclusively on their own backyard, their own projects.  Instead, in recognition of the need, the "Horseshoe Curve Chapter N.R.H.S." set the bar higher and showed faith in the #470 project.

New England Steam Corporation wishes to acknowledge this gift, and thank the chapter membership.  In time, New England Steam Corporation will emulate your generosity.

WLOB Radio Interview

NESCo President Richard Glueck spoke to the Portland Rotarians on Thursday, May 15th at their Sunrise Breakfast. The program included a short history of the #470, from arrival to its current position, followed by a second talk on the goals of New England Steam Corporation and the urgency of underwriting the project.

At 10:30AM, Rotary President and New England Steam member John Henninges appeared with Richard on the "Shannon Moss Morning Radio Show" on WLOB radio.  The segment lasted about 20 minutes and was broadcast live.  You can listen to the entire interview below!

New England Steam Corp.
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
P.O. Box 302
Winterport, ME 04496