Progress continues down south.

Not a lot can happen on site in Portola this time of year, given that we are not Polar Bears. Despite this, we continue to move forward here in my Lakewood shop, approximately nine hours drive south of the Museum.

The 165's bell has been cleaned up, polished and painted. Every chance I get to eradicate that accursed blue trim applied to the engine at the Alameda Fairgrounds is a victory. A new rope arm fabrication was made to replace the original that was broken off I assume after the horizontal-piston air ringer was applied. I hope to bring it to the WP Historical Convention in Oroville on May 29-30. There a few more people will be able to hear our engine's "voice" once again.

Another item that has been restored is the throttle valve handle. The original lever was "liberated" while on display, this one was donated by our rich Uncle, and modified to suit our needs. Thanks again Uncle!

We will once again be in Portola for our Spring work week April 16th - 19th. Stop by and we will put you to work! Until then take care and stay safe. - JCA

A Boxcar for the Steam Department.

Here is some background and an update on the progress to get the D&RGW 62962 moved to Portola for preservation, hopefully in the spring of this year.

This historic car has been offered to WPRM on a no-charge, no strings attached basis by the Bay Area Electric Railway Association. It is currently stored outdoors at Rio Vista Junction.

D&RGW 62962 – Current photo:

The 62962 was retired by the Denver and Rio Grande in the late 1930’s. Wood-bodied cars were fast being replaced by less maintenance intensive and higher capacity steel cars. Our car was later acquired by the War Department after the deadly explosion that took place on July 17, 1944 at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine. This car and many others were to replace those railcars damaged in this terrible tragedy.

The car came to Rio Vista in the ‘70s from the now-renamed Concord Naval Weapons Station, along with several others, for storage purposes. Another identical D&RGW car is being retained by BAERA for their permanent collection, consequently this one has been deemed surplus.

The car is complete and in fair condition. It needs to be painted as most of the Navy paint has peeled off leaving the body free of any paint.
The Collections Committee and subsequently the WPRM Board of Directors have approved this acquisition to be included into the permanent collection, based on key determinations:

· The 62962 is complete and intact, and representative of “steam era” railcars of the mid 1920’s up to post World War II, of which there is a noticeable gap in the WPRM collection.
· This boxcar was built by AC&F in 1909, the same year that the Western Pacific was completed.
· The Denver and Rio Grande was the driving force and financier in the construction of the WP, which ties this car directly into our mission.

D&RGW 62962 high brake wheel:

Estimated outlay in the amount of $5000.00-$6000.00 will cover movement by truck to Portola. To date Nathan Osborn, James Cowdery and I have donated $3000.00, which is an excellent start. We are well on our way to our goal.

This car is to be utilized by the newly formed Steam Department to house a modest machine shop and office. Members of the Steam Dept. will perform initial conservatory measures to arrest any decay at the outset, but any major work such as roof or siding replacement will be delayed until the 165 steam locomotive restoration is substantially complete.

I would ask that you help us to preserve this piece of history by donating toward the move and eventual restoration. Any amount will help us toward preserving this significant artifact of western railroading, as a tribute to American craftsmanship, and as a reminder of what once moved our great Country.

Please send your donation to:

Western Pacific Railroad Museum- DRGW 62962 Boxcar Fund

PO BOX 608

Portola, CA 96122-0608

Make sure to note: DRGW 62962 Boxcar Fund on the memo line of your check!

You may also follow the link below to donate via Paypal:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2973379

Drawings from the collection of the Denver Public Library have already been acquired which will help us to accurately restore this car to its post 1925 livery:

Thank you for supporting rail preservation in Portola! (And thanks to Nathan for providing the photos!)

Chris Allan, FRRS Steam Program Coordinator

A bit of winter warmth for Hotbox.

Here's a cellphone pic taken by Charlie Spikes yesterday, 1/17, of our shop cat, Hotbox, sunning herself on the running board of the 165.

No doubt this feline will appreciate the coming of Spring. So will we, when steam restoration work commences again in Portola.- JCA

Winter slumber.

As Portola currently slumbers under a blanket of snow, I offer this view taken in 1959 by our friend Tom Moungovan. Number 165 is relegated to the garden tracks at the Stockton roundhouse, her career for the Western Pacific now over. Two years later the engine will be taken to San Leandro, on the San Francisco Bay, for permanent display. The rest as they say, is history...-JCA

A Glimpse into the Past III

In this view provided to us through the generosity of Brent MacGregor, we see the WP 165 in it's previous role as United Verde Copper #87. This was likely taken just months after delivery at Jerome, Arizona. Notice the second air pump on the right side, this was necessary due to the large amount of compressed air needed to make the air dump cars function. This pump was later removed by the Western Pacific and a power reverse put in it's place.

An air dump car such as those pictured is preserved in our collection at Portola.

Here is a bonus pic, also graciously provided by Brent of another WP 0-6-0, this time the number 158, performing it's day to day activities switching industries in what is likely Oakland or San Francisco:

The brakeman, oblivious to the photographer, walks a bit ahead of the movement. Scenes like this were commonplace, and I am sure very little of what is pictured remains. The 158 and sister 156 were sold in May of 1951 to U.S. Gypsum in Gerlach, Nevada. Both returned to the Bay Area for scrap in 1955. -JCA

Fall 2008 Workweek Report

On October 23rd, 2008 we once again met to continue the ongoing effort to restore our 0-6-0. First task undertaken: get our new boiler tubes into the steam boxcar. Charlie, Nathan and I spent the better part of the morning passing tubes up and piling them in neat orderly rows. Of course the rows became less orderly as the morning progressed. Thankfully they are now in, and just in time, as the first snow flew that next weekend. Thanks to the continued generosity of Roger Stabler and James Mason we are now able to settle our debt with the V&T and Tom Gray. Also thanks to Norm and Rod for arranging and finallizing the purchase.

The tender was parted from the engine to allow us to jack it up a bit in an attempt to take some weight off the spring rigging. The engine is now in a semi-permanent location up against the Silver Hostel which will allow the diesel guys to utilize the west end of the pit. The rear of the engine was jacked up to see what would shake out. The #6 driving box seems to be wedged too tightly to drop down, so this situation needs to be remedied prior to a complete lift in the Spring. Roger, Hank and Tom spent most of the day in the pit fighting the wedged box, and removal of some brake rigging.

Nathan "Maverick" Osborn and James Cowdrey continued taking readings on the boiler shell, then downloading those numbers into the database. Around two-thirds of the first two courses are done, they will be back in the Spring for more. Everyone took a turn inside the shell needlescaling, not a particularly pleasant job, but a necessary one.

Nathan "Maverick" Osborn preps a surface for the ultrasonic tester. - pic by Dana.

Dana arrived Friday night and cooked up some roast beast. Portola nights were quite cool, bordering on cold. For me it was nice; real "Fall" weather is something we don't seem to get here in LA. As I type this it is close to 90 degrees here in Lakewood and I'm watching continuous wildfire coverage on the news.

Saturday was truncated due to a family obligation in Palmdale on Sunday I needed to attend, so I was out by 11:00. Dana helped out Nathan and James with shell readings, and went home late. All in all a productive session. Thanks again to everyone who pitched in, especially Charlie, who once again saved us by getting the coffee done first thing in the morning.

Please make sure to purchase one of our Steam Dept. Calendars for 2009. A portion goes toward the restoration. Have a safe and happy Holiday Season!

-JCA

WP Lives!

2009 Steam Dept. Calendar now available.

Click the calendar to order!

The 2009 edition of the WPRM Steam Department calendar, featuring a vintage photo by retired WP employee Carl Walker is now available through CafePress.

This year's calendar is a one-sheet for $6.00 + shipping. A portion of each sale goes to benefit the Steam Department and the restoration of our WP 165.

Thanks again to everyone supporting our efforts! We look forward to a memorable 2009, the Centennial of the completion of the Western Pacific Railroad. - JCA