The fund to restore the tender of locomotive 470 received a boost with a donation of $2,500, courtesy of Mr. Andrew Jones, representing the Deupree Family Foundation. The Deupree Family Foundation has be a strong supporter of New England Steam since our first application, in 2014. Mr. Jones and other donors of $250 or more to the tender or boiler funds, will receive our new enameled pin bearing a likeness of 470 under her protective shelter, with the title "Restoration Supporter" beneath.
Touch-a-Train 2016
NESCo's "Touch-A-Train 2016" will be held in Ellsworth, ME at the Washington Junction railyard of the Downeast Scenic Railroad on Saturday, June 11, 2016 starting at 9:00 AM. This is a day for kids, grandparents, and parents to satisfy their inner train craving!
You can...
- Sit in a real diesel locomotive cab!
- Ride the caboose hop!
- Receive discounted fares for the Downeast Scenic Railroad afternoon train ride!
- Eat desserts from Governor's Restaurant!
- Ring Maine Central #470's bell and hear the whistle blow!
- Support the restoration of Maine Central #470 to operation!
There is free admission and plenty of free parking! We'll see you there!
Visit the Facebook page for this event!
Bill Green Visits #470
On April 21, 2016, Bill Green shot a long segment at 470. They interviewed several members of NESCo, as well as our friend Kerri Marion, proving that women can like steam locomotives as much as guys do! Bill and his cameraman were very interested and got right into the mix of what we were doing.
Bill's segment is available at this link, and some photos from his visit are below!
Door Dogs and a Turbo Generator
Peter Grant of Odd Duck Foundry has cast new dogs for 470's smokebox door. Behold, the first new parts cast for 470! These were bit warm (spelled "h-o-t") when he knocked them out of the sand, but they are new iron dogs to replace those broken units on her face. These are made from 100% genuine re-cycled radiator iron. These are a bit rough still, although the original from which the pattern was made appears in one photo.
Additionally, AC Electric Corporation has started the rehab on 470's Sunbeam Turbo Generator. Check out the photos of the disassembly by clicking here!
Tender Light Casting and T-Shirts
What do these two things have in common? Not much, other than they're both things that NESCo has been working on in the past month!
First, the tender light that was repaired by donation at Forrest Autobody last year was still missing its bezel ring. Bernie Perch, a master pattern maker who performs work for the likes of the WW&F and CNJ #113, has supplied NESCO with a new pattern for this ring. The first shot is of the only portion of the bezel that survived total destruction by vandals, and the only piece Bernie had to use as a guide. The large block upon which is sits is called "the follower", and it maintains the shape of the inner ring. Peter Grant at Old Duck Foundry will be casting this first original part of our locomotive.
Second, all sizes of both the "American Made" and "Keep Calm and Steam On" shirts are back in stock, as well as "470" logo baseball caps! Shirt price is $10 for members and $20 for non-members, while hats are $10 for members and $14 for non-members. Order from the NESCo website by clicking here!
470 Move Work List 2/16/2016
Indicates completed.
Indicates partially completed or in process.
Tender
1. Clean up tender journals and brasses
2. Disconnect tender truck safety chains
3. Disconnect tender brake rigging
4. Remove buffer wedge
5. Remove drawbar pin
6. Disconnect stoker
7. Move tender back to allow separation
8. Cut slope in coal bunker for height clearance
Engine
1. Clean cinders out of smokebox
2. Remove bolts from cylinder saddle
3. Remove bolts from 1st waist bearer
4. Remove bolts from front furnace bearer
5. Remove bolts from rear furnace bearer
6. Make locating plates for rear furnace bearer
7. Remove headlight
8. Remove generator
9. Remove safety valves
10. Remove smokebox netting
11. Disconnect reverse gear to valve gear link
12. Disconnect air lines between boiler and frame
13. Disconnect lubricator lines between boiler and frame
14. Make support brackets for ashpan
15. Remove corner pieces from ashpan
Prepare Cab for Removal
1. Label all valves on backhead and photograph
2. Disconnect valve connections from main turret
3. Remove shaft connecting reverse quadrant to reverse gear
4. Label, photograph and remove pipe from turret to feedwater control valve
5. Label, photograph and remove pipe from stoker engine control underneath cab
After Asbestos is Abated
1. Remove admission pipes
2. Feedwater heater pipes
3. Booster piping
4. Air pump
5. Feedwater heater pump
470 Gets a Home
NESCo is pleased to announce the purchase of the arch-tarp building to house locomotive 470. The structure is being constructed by Tarp-Rite Incorp., of Woodstock, New Brunswick. It will provide the first all weather shelter for the locomotive in over six decades. The arch-tarp building is designed to withstand Maine snow and wind loads, and will sit upon re-purposed cargo containers. This structure was fully underwritten with a grant from the Samuel Freeman Foundation. Additional funds will provide a servicing trench and drop-pit. The structure will be cooperatively used to service Downeast Scenic Railroad locomotive and cars as required.
2015 NESCo Recap
What has your support brought forth in 2015? Let's recall it together:
- We purchased 470!
- Your gifts, along with a 2014 gift from the Tom Daily Foundation, not only paid for 470, but secured contracts to lift and move the locomotive.
- The tender and locomotive were separated and the tender rolled on her own wheels for the first time since 1970.
- Grants from Deupree Family Foundation and the Samuel Freeman Foundation have made the purchase of an enclosed shop facility a reality. 470 will be undercover for the first time since 1954.
- The Jacobs Family Foundation, has initiated a fund to rebuild 470's tender.
- Governor's Restaurants have fed work crews both in Waterville and Ellsworth!
- Forrest Autobody of Winterport, refinished the severely vandalized tender backup light!
- The family of Joseph Vaughn family donated a previously unknown movie of 470's last run, along with a remarkable collection of historic timetables and ephemera for sale.
- "The 470 Club" allowed use of its photo-negative library.
- Individuals, too many to list them all, have contributed personal memorabilia, written articles, and marshaled their expertise to document 470's history and career. Special recognition to Bernard Perch, Ben Jankowski, Kerri Marion, and Keith Muldowney.
- Downeast Scenic Railroad has provided us with storage facilities and a place to call "home".
- Friends at Kennebec Rental, Furbush-Roberts printing, W.S. Emerson Co., Governor's Restaurants, A.C. Electric, Odd Duck Foundry, Penobscot Energy Reclamation, Dysart's Trucking, Central Maine and Quebec Railroad, Darling's Automotive, High Ball Graphics, Gifford's Ice Cream, the Maine Eastern Railroad, Cianbro Corporation, "Hot Shots Photo" - Ms. Jessie Drezner, Bangor Neon, N.H. Bragg, Broadway Limited Trains, and the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railroad have made our accomplishments to date possible.
- Memorial gifts have been received from Maine-3-Railers, the Fogg family, and the Stickney family.
As 2016 approaches, we continue to take advantage of this unusual weather to prepared 470 to be moved in the summer. We are disengaging pipes, removing appliances, labeling, color coding, photographing, and storing piping and parts. These efforts will continue through the season until winter conditions make us "take a break".
Check out some newly-unearthed photos of #470's last run on June 13, 1954!
NESCo Purchases Maine Central #470
NESCo’s purchase of 470 has been completed!
On Thursday, November 5, 2015, officials of the New England Steam Corporation completed its purchase obligation to the city of Waterville, Maine, turning over a check for the full purchase price of $25,000 to the City Manager. There was a great deal of media coverage by television and radio networks, and further coverage in the Bangor Daily News and Waterville Morning Sentinel.
With this transaction completed, work crews will begin lightening the locomotive for the impending move to Washington Junction on the Downeast Scenic Railroad. This will include freeing the boiler from the chassis, removing the cross-compound pump, and dismantling other large parts on the engine. One of the most awaited items will be the cutting of the drawbar pin, allowing the separation of the locomotive from its tender.
So wait - I thought the tender was going to be moved this fall? It was, but reassessment of the loads to be moved over the roads has necessitated securing larger cranes and a different tactic for carrying the 470 to her new home. While we have several plans engineered and available for moving the tender and locomotive, it became obvious that rigging the heavy-lift cranes should only be done once. In that manner, work crews only have to be present and set up once in Waterville and once in Hancock. Chief Mechanical Officer Leverett Fernald and Supervising Engineer Joe Foley, Jr., feel the move can take place once the ground is hard and dry in the late spring or summer of 2016. Again, these are estimates and hinge on the safe use of the moving equipment. According to the contract between NESCO and Waterville, a window of 12 months is open for safe removal of the locomotive from the date of purchase. We certainly are going to beat that time limitation.
So 470 goes to Washington Junction. Then what? Two separate organizations, the Deupree Family Foundation and the Samuel Freeman Foundation, have donated $10,000 and $51,400 (respectively) toward the construction of an indoor shop on Track 7 in the Washington Junction yard. An enclosed shop, based on the design created by University of Maine Civil Engineering students, will be in place to welcome our new patient. An arch-tarp structure, designed for heavy wind and snow loads, will sit atop repurposed cargo containers with drainage rock under them. A drop pit will be added as well. The chassis and tender will sit on rails, while the boiler will be on a mobile truck-carrier. The whole locomotive will be mobile.
What gets repaired first? Most likely the tender. The frame, brake rigging, and trucks under the tender are appear to be in very good condition. The tender cistern and coal bunker are too far gone to serve as anything other than a pattern. Since 470 can't operate without a tender, and since a tender is a significant and fairly straight-forward project, that's where we are going to start. We have submitted several grant applications to purchase new tender steel at this time. By having those funds on hand, we can start that portion of the restoration in late 2016. Our colleagues at the Wiscasset, Waterville, and Farmington Railroad have offered us use of their riveting jaws. We hope at least a portion of the restored tender will reflect the traditional railroad shop fabrication technique.
New England Steam Corporation members are responsible for the purchase and the further restoration of Maine Central 470. The corporation itself is a custodial body for our priceless treasure. Be proud of what we have accomplished together and revel in where we are going.
Photos are courtesy of Kerri Marion, an independent history blogger in the Waterville area.
NESCo Purchase of #470
New England Steam Corporation will be presenting Waterville City Manager Mike Roy a check in the amount of $25,000 for the purchase of Maine Central steam locomotive 470. This event will occur on the morning of Thursday, November 5, 2015 at 10:00 AM at the locomotive display site in Waterville. Please see our press release for further information.
Shop Building Grants Received
The Board of New England Steam Corporation wishes to announce that they NESCo is the recipient of two grants to construct an all-weather shop facility at Washington Junction, Maine, on the tracks of the Downeast Scenic Railroad.
A grant of $10,000 has been awarded by the Deupree Family Foundation, and a grant of $51,400 has been awarded by the Samuel Freeman Foundation. These generous awards will be used to construct a 50' x 100' arch-tarp structure, which will be seated upon re-purposed cargo containers, on a footing of crushed stone.
This structure is based upon a design suggested and developed by senior Civil Engineering students of the University of Maine. It is expandable in the future, if deemed necessary. The student design was a capstone project which culminated in the awarding of their engineering degrees.
The arch-tarp structure will be ordered from Tarp-Rite company of Woodstock, New Brunswick, and is designed to withstand wind and snow loads commonly sustained in the Maine winters. The cargo containers will provide individual shop and storage spaces, as well as a library and office for New England Steam Corporation.
Volunteers of the Downeast Scenic Railroad prepared the track 7 siding to receive locomotive 470 over the summer, with new ties and track leveling. The shop building will be shared with DESR to perform maintenance on an "as needed" basis. This structure will be the first indoor facility to house locomotive 470, since 1954.
#470 Move Update
Dear Members: A few words here to keep you in the official loop of what's happening with 470.
No less than three moving plans have been proposed, subject to scrutiny, and dissected in detail. We had originally proposed moving the locomotive as a complete item. After reviewing load limitations and clearances with our carrier, our engineers have decided to move the locomotive in two pieces, with the boiler moving on one truck and the frame, wheels, and mechanism on another. In preparation, 470 was weighed at the park, using specially developed equipment which measures back-pressure and provides a figure. The tender weighs 40 tons, and the locomotive weighs 120 tons! Discussion of separating the boiler and frame was undertaken with several consulting parties, including Steam Operations Corporation, the agency which has recently restored Norfolk & Western 611. It was decided this new approach would require far more effort, but in the long run, was a better plan.
470's boiler will sit on a loaned trailer bed alongside the frame, which will be on Track 7, at Washington Jct. Both will be under the cover of the Arch-Tarp structure which is being developed right now. Both pieces will be mobile and can be moved if required. The tender frame will likewise, be on the rails, indoors.
Three grants have been applied for the funding of the Arch-Tarp building. One grant has been answered in the amount of $10,000, another $1,000 has been donated by an individual, and two grant applications remain to be answered. Assembly of the structure by a large volunteer service group has been under development, making the shop structure a matter of purchase and assembly. We would like to further the matching of the $10,000 grant, so companies and individual can make donations specifically for the shop by specifying them as such. Crushed rock for the base is something we can use immediately.
Since 470's tender an absolute necessity, it will be the first part of the locomotive to receive attention at the new shop. A grant to purchase new 1/4" steel plate has been submitted. Of course, no grant is guaranteed to be funded, but this is our current line of thinking. We believe the frame, brake rigging, and trucks are all in good condition. Each of these will be disassembled, cleaned, repaired where required, then primed, painted, and reassembled. What remains of the tender cistern and coal bunker is only useable as a pattern for replacement. A few items such as the coal bunker doors, ladder, stoker motor, and restored headlight will be reapplied. We are looking for a skilled volunteer to do CAD work in developing a precise mechanical drawing of the tender cistern and bunker. Our colleagues at WW&F Ry. have offered us use of their power riveters to rebuild the tender in the manner of the original work, and helping us maintain the historic character of 470.
The tender will be moved this fall, in a matter of weeks. The locomotive will be disassembled and loosened as much as is possible, while the weather allows us to work safely. We have until December 28th, 2016 to move the locomotive, but plan to have it at Washington Jct. before summer of 2016.
A brief note of thanks to Ms. Kerri Marion, who, as a Waterville area historian, maintains a wonderful Facebook page regarding 470. As we have moved forward, Kerri has patiently followed us and kept an accurate record of our work.
Official answers to your questions are always available through our website or our Facebook page. NESCo will have tables at the Brewer Train Show in November, and at "The Big E" in Springfield, Mass., in January.
Drawbar Progress
Photo by Jessie Drezner, "Hot Shots", of San Pedro, California. From Left to Right, volunteers Al Jenkins, Paul van Steenberghe, Ron Jenkins, and Richard Glueck, at the end of a particularly hot and humid August work day. The team has been working on freeing up the drawbars and tender connecting pin under 470. After four weeks of intense work, it has been determined that corrosion between the drawbar pin and the tender frame casting will require sacrificing the pin, but sparing the two drawbars. Once this is accomplished, the tender can be rolled back and removed. Ms. Drezner spotted the crew working while on a photo tour of Maine and took over a hundred original photos of her own, while interviewing the members of the work crew.
Touch-A-Train - June 20, 2015
"Touch A Train 2015" proved to be a huge success for NESCO, bringing in hundreds of families, senior citizens, and other guests from the region. Downeast Scenic Railroad were the perfect hosts for this occasion, made only better by the presence of Governor's Restaurant and Darling's Ice Cream Truck. We had many more children visiting the exposition, many wearing their "Thomas the Tank Loco" shirts and hats, but all wearing happy faces. We also want to recognize Hancock Fire and Rescue for bringing in one of their trucks, and Whited Ford trucks of Bangor also brought in a "big rig". A special thanks to "Operation Lifesaver," which has recently lost a significant leader, but made it to "TaT 2015" just the same.
A huge thanks to everyone who made donations, became members of NESCO, or purchased hats of other items. We hit the Father's Day Weekend weather exactly right, too! The caboose rides were especially enjoyed by visitors, with a the sound of a Crosby steam whistle echoing in the woods of Ellsworth for the first time in decades! Downeast Scenic Railroad ran their afternoon train as scheduled, once "Touch A Train" was over. Thank you to DESR once more, for being such great friends and supporters.
View our photos of the event below!
Audio from 470's Last Run
Here it is! The radio broadcast from WGAN recorded 61 years ago today, during 470's final run. We can all finally hear 470 for the first time in 61 years.
470's Backup Light
470's tender headlight has suffered as much abuse over the years as the rest of the locomotive. Since the entire tender body must be replaced in its entirety, we removed the damaged backup light in hopes it could be restored. The cast iron lens ring was snapped off, leaving just the hinge hangers and pins, with the can body was crushed and home for hornet nests. The paint was scrawled with graffiti. Forrest Autobody of Winterport, Maine, stepped up to the plate on this project and here are the spectacular results. The body was hammered out and back into shape, the dings were patched, and the entire piece was sand-blasted clean. Judd Moores, owner of Forrest Autobody, had the whole lamp primed and painted with a permanent outdoor finish. The missing side door and front ring still need to be cast, but in the meantime, 470's new tender has a beautiful example of restoration to ride above. Much of what we are doing will require a community response and recognition of Maine's history. NESCO wishes to thank Judd Moores and Forrest Autobody for being a significant piece of this effort!
Touch-A-Train 6/20/2015
Please view this poster for Touch A Train 2015, a railroading event for parents, children, and grandchildren (Grandpa, too!).
Please join us and consider sharing the poster with friends, family, and co-workers! We look forward to seeing happy faces on train lovers of all ages!
Free ice cream from Darling's Ice Cream truck! Free desserts from Governor's Restaurants!
Work Session 4/26/15 and "470 Night" at Governor's
We worked at the 470 for another extended day with some wonderful accomplishments. Bob DeWachter was able to burn off the nuts being used as wheel stops behind the tender. While there is no chance of the locomotive rolling, a chain wheels stop was placed on the rail end. Peter and Paul (members, not Apostles) worked on removing the tender wedge and steam booster pipes. Ron was able to clean out a portion of the locomotive stoker, collecting the remaining coal from 470's last service run of the 20th century. Dick and Tom worked on cleaning the crossheads and crosshead guides of dirt and rust. They then used paint solvent and scrapers to remove as much of the paint that had been applied to the pistons as possible, bringing them down to clean, bare metal before heavily oiling them. In some places the paint was 1/16th inch thick. Leverett cleaned and lubed the booster journals, getting most of the corrosion off the sides. Toward the end of the day, Ron continued to attack the stoker covers while Leverett heated the nuts with a torch to loosen them. Finally, we cut free the throttle bar and were able to slightly move the throttle for the first time in 60 years. Everyone in attendance did numerous other chores, helping out the team members.
At the close of the day, our crew ate at Governor's Restaurant, which sponsors our work sessions with complimentary food.
Each work session is exhausting, long, and strains the muscles. Each work session has resulted in a great number of positive leaps forward in prepping 470 for her next trip. Tiring, but most rewarding.
Please join us for "470 Night" at the Governor's Restaurant in Bangor, ME on April 29th from 4PM to 8PM!
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.