Spring 2009 Workweek Report

Welcome to a new year for steam work in Portola and another trip for me up the I-5. It is always good for me to clear my head for a few days and get away from the mental fog that is life in the greater Los Angeles area. The date was Tuesday, April 14th, and I was on my way north to the Bay Area to spend an evening with my parents. Unfortunately they were headed south to Palmdale to make my Grandmother’s funeral arrangements, (she lived to be 100, by gaud!) so consequently I got to hang out with my sisters Mary and Patty, which I hardly ever do anymore.

I stopped briefly in Hayward to visit my friend Gary, and his current project, the Cortez Mines Porter locomotive restoration. This diminutive little three foot gauge 0-4-0T locomotive languished out in front of a casino near Boulder City, Nevada for many years, and it was good to see it coming back together again for operation. Noted FRRS director Eugene Vicknair joined us for lunch and we talked of Zephyrs, steam regs, and other topics. We wish the best of luck to Gary and his partner Tom on getting the little Porter out and steaming again for our enjoyment!

Wednesday morning Dana Greely parked his luxury vehicle in my parent’s driveway and we headed east for the climb over the Sierra. After a stop at at Cabela's sporting goods store just across the Nevada border in Verdi, (enough guns to arm the northern Nevada militia, even pink rifles for the ladies!) we overshot Reno by a few miles so that we might witness Union Pacific steam locomotive 844 literally blasting into town. After catching up with them in Sparks, I had to opportunity to meet UP Steam Dept. boss Steve Lee in person, and thank him for his moral support and advice on our project in Portola. Steve is a very down-to-earth guy considering the challenges he meets every day to keep the last US mainline Class 1 railroad steam program functional and relevant. Our FRRS president Rod McClure fired the locomotive the first half of the day out of Winnemucca, we found him riding in the luxury of the tail car coming into Sparks. Hopefully by the end of this tour for the 844 Rod will be a fully promoted steam fireman.

UP 844 westbound a few minutes out of Sparks, Nevada.

As luck would have it, steam team member Roger Stabler was laying over at the Nugget just next door to the UP yard, so we were able to dine with him that evening prior to continuing on to Portola. Once again Roger invited me aboard his private railcar “Two Rivers” the next weekend, and once again I had to decline due to prior commitments. Maybe someday I will get to ride with him. Until then I have to work on my timing, which stinks. Dana and I arrived in Portola and moved into the Pullman, visited with Steve Habeck for an hour or so, and turned in.

Charlie and Steve had switched cars for six hours or so Wednesday so that Thursday we would have access to the 165. Charlie and Dana moved in a steel staircase and placed it at the rear of the cab as a work platform, which made getting in and out of the firebox safer. The remainder of that day and Friday were spent removing tube ends from the front and rear tube sheets, and needlescaling the interior of the boiler shell.

Bill and Duane removing cotter pins in the brake rigging.

Charlie (just his hat visible) in the pit cutting cotter pins.

Dana grinds seal welds on rear tube sheet

Sadly our pals Nathan and James were not able to attend this session due to having to attend a trade show in Las Vegas. They promise to come up during the summer and continue taking ultrasonic readings on the boiler, which we hope to have completed by the end of this season. Roger Stabler was also not available to us this time due to his company moving his vacation around. We do however owe Roger a debt of gratitude for another generous monetary donation to the project. Bob Simms also sent in a check for $1000 and we thank him as well. Without the continued support of fine gentlemen like these our work would come to a halt. Thanks also to John Belluomini for the donation of the magnetic work light. Grinding in the firebox is much easier now that you can actually see what you are doing!

During the work week we were treated to temperatures in the low ‘70s, quite unexpected for this time of year. We didn’t complain. The balmy weather was welcomed by our new steam team members, the Wallace Family of Corte Madera, California. Dave Wallace brought his dynamic family: his vivacious wife Pam, and their twin boys Patrick and William, up to scrub on their new acquisition, Santa Fe caboose 999197, formerly a fixture in the Museum’s caboose train. This car will serve as a cabin for the Wallace’s and an ongoing project, a labor of love. I met Dave (aka “Eldee”) during our time on the steam crew at Rio Vista, maintaining and operating Western Pacific steam locomotive 94. He is a top-shelf machinist, specializing in vintage race car engines, and an excellent mechanic. The entire Wallace Family's talents and spirit of camaraderie are welcome additions to our team!

The Wallace Family aboard their new (to them) caboose.

Dave Wallace suits up for steam work!

Suffice to say the week passed too quickly. Although we did not get to accomplish any of our “big” goals this week due to our small number, we did get the job further along with the removal of the brake rigging, all the tube ends out of the front tube sheet, and over half of the rear tube sheet seal welds ground down by Dana, whose efforts were tenacious. Thanks to Charlie Spikes (and his coffee!), Dana Greely, Craig Ferguson, Bill Clark, Duane Vanderveen, Steve Habeck, and Dave Wallace for their efforts on site. Also thanks to Roger Stabler, Nathan Osborn (aka “Maverick”) and James Cowdery for their continued moral support and desire to be there despite their job responsibilities.

Craig Ferguson cleans up after us.

Come on up and join the steam “family” for the next work session, July 28th-August 1st 2009. After work there is always "social hour" and dinner; either a BBQ on the deck, or dinner at the Pizza Factory (or some other trendy location).

For those attending the 2009 WPHS Convention in Oroville on May 29-30, I will have a table displaying a few of the components that have been restored, so please stop by and say hello. - JCA

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!