Society Photo Gallery
Restoration Work Progresses During Summer and Fall 2009
The engine for our Pontiac station wagon hy-rail came back fully restored and work continues on our ex-CN baggage car and coach. Following the successful "excursion" for speeders on the Hull Chelsea Wakefield Steam Railway in the summer, the "Dirty Hands Club" continued to work on the Society's own speeders.
On the right, our 1958 Pontiac engine waits to be reinstalled in Car 26 after a full restoration involving complete
disassembling and replacement of many parts. The engine will be put back in the hy-rail this winter
and other related work will be done to have the station wagon ready for display and operation in
the Spring.
Above left: Following a lot of body work and primer painting, our ex-CN baggage car, Number 9627, is stored outside for the winter waiting for more to be done in the Spring with more priming and the installation of diaphragms acquired from Capreol Ontario earlier in 2009.
Above middle: The former Ottawa Central Railway speeder, Number TU-1800, rests inside the shop after completion of mechanical work to put it in "tip top" working condition.
Our CV Steam Crane Performs Important Move - Fall 2008
The tender box for our Central Vermont tender had to be moved back on its restored frame in preparation for moving it into the shop for winter work. On a cold November 22, a crew of volunteers worked in sub-freezing weather (with a biting wind) to do the job.
At left, Dirty Hands Club members get the crane ready to make the lift. It was too cold to steam up the crane so air was used instead. However, because of the cold, work is delayed while the crew "defrost" parts of the crane (some of the fittings were stuck because of the hardened grease).
On the right, several volunteers put the newly-purchased slings around the tender box. The box is gently lifted slightly to take the weight off and checked to ensure it is balanced. Some adjustments are made and everything is finally ready for the big move.
At left, the box is carefully lifted past the Society's ex-CP 40ft boxcar. Several volunteers use ropes to guide the box through the "opening" between the boxcar and the crane, as the box is swung around to the right. The 5 ton box is no problem for the 50 Ton crane so it's an easy lift. Note the shop building and doors in the background where all the restoration work is carried out in the winter.
On the right, the tender box is gently lowered to its frame where it waits to be moved inside the shop for winter work to be done. A long cold morning has finished but the work was done as planned. No doubt a hot cup of coffee will be in order once everything is put away.
Work Continues on Spreader and Tender - Winter 2008
Volunteers are working hard to finish up winter restoration projects before moving to outside work. Efforts continue to focus on the spreader and the crane's tender.
In the photo at left, the spreader's headlight lies on a work table with the new funnel-like reflector at right. Some work needs to be done on the headlight to allow for installation of the reflector since it's size is slightly different from the original.
In the photo at right, three members of the "Dirty Hands Club", discuss some of the work that still needs to be done on the tender. Note the new rivets on the side frame all freshly primed and ready for final painting when the tender is reassembled.
The Dirty Hands Club Takes on New Skill - Riveting 2007
To make restoration of our crane's tender authentic, the Society's restoration crew insisted on replacing rivets with rivets as the tender's frame was completely rebuilt. Not many people in 2007 know this skill so it was a true learning experience for all the volunteers down at the shop. Our thanks to Matt Cummins for taking the following photos showing final success with inserting new rivets into the tender's frame.
Bill Weiler removes a hot rivet from the museum's little oven outside the shop building
on a rainy Saturday morning. Note the chalked sign "Hot" on the side of the oven - bit of an
understatement.
A look at the inside of the oven with several rivets red hot
and ready to go!
A rivet is placed in one of the holes in the tender frame
ready for pounding the bottom of the rivet into a "head".
Bob Hobbs works the rivet into the hole while Ed Bowkett
(wearing the orange hard hat) pushes it down from above.
The top of the rivet is hammered into place. Note the Society's locomotive number 10 watching from the
background as the work progresses on the tender frame.
Our Central Vermont Crane at Work - 2007
At the end of the summer, our Central Vermont crane was put to serious work loading a dumpster with scrap material being sold to a
scrap dealer. See Down by the Shop for more information about this event. Our thanks to John Bryant for these photos of the crane
Our crane begins to lift the 3-axle passenger truck from the
pile to swing it around to the dumpster on the other side.
A member of the Society's "Dirty Hands Club" keeps an eye on the ground crew
while waiting for a signal to swing the crane around to deposit another pile of scrap into the
dumpster.
The old passenger truck frame is lowered carefully into the dumpster
as the largest piece of scrap lifted by our crane during the day's activities.
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Page Last Updated: November 30, 2009