IRM Steam Team

Weekend Update for July 12 and 13, 2008

The Shop Tours:

Vince, Matt, Jim, Ed, and Rick cleaned up the shop in preparation for the published Steam Shop tours.

In all, 111 people came through the shop. Tours started at 11 and ended at 5, coming through every half hour. Tours lasted about 20 to 30 minutes. Quite a few questions were asked and two or three people were very interested in volunteering.

Frisco 1630 update:

JD continued cutting out the paper thin metal on the tender, and replaced it with new metal, welding it into place.

Bruce came in on Sunday and got the bearing turning on the turret lathe. We are well under way cutting the first bearing.

Work on the Shay:

Ed cut the test tube sheet, that Nigel and Bill had bent the previous week, to see how well it fits in the boiler.

Nigel came in on Sunday and built-up the press face on the McCabe Flanger. We should be ready to go for the real boiler plate.

Miscellaneous work done around the shop:

Ed and Rick cleaned the area between the Shop and Barn 9 so that the Building and Grounds crew can put in a drainage ditch between the two structures.

Vince finished turning the ends of the brake mechanism for the coach car from the Passenger Car Department.

Nigel stripped and primed the roof of the Bay City crane.

Coming next week:

We hope to do another hydro test on UP 428.