A Year-End Boost From the Board.

Good news comes late in this season, but in time to get something done. The FRRS Board has funneled $10,000.00 into the steam account which will help us save what is left of 2015. This will allow us to get our boilermaker Norm Comer on site for a couple of weeks to finish up what work is left on the tube sheets, thus allowing us to get to sizing and annealing the tubes and flues.

Norman emerges from the firebox.

We will also be able to finally purchase the rough-cut lumber for the tender deck from the Amador Sawmill and Mining Association.   Bolting down the decking will allow us to move on to the tender cistern. It will be sandblasted inside and out and painted prior to being returned to the tender frame. Currently there is no funding for this as yet.

Amador steam sawmill video:

Later this month Steve Lee will bring with him the "Huck" bolts necessary to finish attaching the new deck plates to the top of the tender frame. Charlie Spikes and Duane Vanderveen have been working to fix up our well-used bolting machine so they can accomplish this task. 

Bob Sims has been working hard on the tool car in the meantime. He has all of the interior sheeting up, and soon Duane will be able to start on wiring. Thanks guys!

Thanks must of course go to the members of the Board who fought for this funding; including Charlie Spikes, Kirk Baer, and Wayne Monger. These guys are heroes! Hopefully this will keep some momentum going until next year. At that point we will be out of money again, so please consider a donation of any amount. Eugene Vicknair is preparing a Kickstarter campaign which should start shortly. I will post that here when he gets it going.

Thanks again for your continued support! - JCA