Paul Bown, DHC Poster-boy

Paul Bown, DHC Poster-boy
Photo J. Loucks

Paul Bown, poster-boy for the Dirty Hands Club.

This photo was taken after one of Paul's many exits from BRS' Steam Crane's firebox.


Paul was cleaning the crane's firebox which is one of the many tasks prepping the crane for winter storage.

Restoration shop update to Wednesday August 3rd 2011

Steve is still occupied with home projects so you have to suffer with another of my updates. 

Shop Activities 

The Pontiac Chieftain Hy-Rail Car No. 26:

The rebuilt wiper motor was received and installed. In fact Ed enjoyed the installation so much it was done 5 or six times. A piece to have it work correctly was missing so Ed did the engineering work and fabricated the required item. The part is now installed and appears to be working as per factory specification. Car is still hard to start so this needs to be addressed.

The OCR Woodings CBL Speeder: 

  Speeder was painted inside and out. The interior was reinstalled and the lights are in the process of being reinstalled. As soon as the decal and safety stripe are obtained and put on the project will be virtually complete. Now we need a place to run the beast.

The Spreader:

     

    The repaint of the spreader continues and the car is in the shop which gives the paint a chance to soak in while drying. The rotten wood has been cut out of the upright and a patch is being fabricated by Ross from a piece of oak.

The Baggage Car:

Charls continues his painting and patching. All big doors are now done and the feathering on the fence side is nearly complete. Lettering has been sourced and should be available soon. The painted side is now ready for lettering and numbering. The major repair patch to the side of the west door was welded in by Dave Elliot. Work is ongoing on the patch work needed for under and to the side of the end door. This will probably be welded in over the next two weeks. The rotted plywood floor near that door has been cut out, two layers of ¾" and the plywood is on hand for the repair. Ed Sr. has commenced the engineering to fabricate new pins to hold the diaphragm fabric. Work has commenced on the diaphragm to get it ready for installation. Painted east end door has been removed for some remedial weld repair.

TNVR #10:

The coupler lift lever on the front end was removed, straightened, had the lifter holder crack welded, and was reinstalled. It appears to have had a hard coupling (couplers missed) with the tender. The lift lever on the tender (boom car end) was also damaged and needs to be straightened and have a crack welded.

   

Sundry Bits:

The balance of the coal was sorted by felicity and Tim. The was some shelf clean up done as we searched for baggage car parts.

A revised job jar list follows.

The Pontiac Chieftain Hy-Rail Car No. 26:

1.       There is still a minor leak in the hydraulic system. This needs to be located and corrected.

2.       Complete the installation of the rebuilt windshield washer motor and reinstall wiper blades.

3.       Source (including some quotes) for the repair/replacement of the interior upholstery (we believe we have found a contact for the job)

4.       Since the tasks is virtually complete go through the remaining parts on the work shelves and either put remaining items into stock or dispose of them.

5.       Repair the windshield washer system. New hoses required.

The OCR Wooding's CBL Speeder: 

1.       Complete interior.

2.       Wire in remaining exterior lights.

3.       Order OCR decals and safety stripes

4.       Take for a spin.

 Coach #4977

1.       Wash roof with TSP.

2.       Do roof repairs if required and paint roof will alkyd gloss black enamel.

3.       Lacquer new window frames. As of this writing 3 more coats of lacquer are required.

4.       When lacquer is complete opposite side needs two coats of coach green.

5.       Install windows when tasks 4 & 5 are complete.

6.       Sweep and wash car interior. Check for any ceiling leaks.

7.       The south side of the coach could use a fresh coat of green.

     

Baggage Car:

1.       Complete installation of west end door by installing remaining hardware.

2.       Paint and stencil both end doors.

3.       Complete the feathering of Bondo into welding seam on fence side of car in preparation for painting.

4.       Install steam heating piping at east end of car.

5.       Fit and install weather stripping on all side and end doors.

6.       Needle gun west end of car (just the areas that are not primered. (the device for hooking up two needle guns in in the boxcar0

7.       Repair floor at west end of car. Plywood is in car but sub floor should be treated with wood preservative (green container in paint cabinet) before new plywood is installed.

8.       Sweep or vacuum sand out of interior of car. Repair floor as required.

9.       Prepare diaphragm for installation.

10.   Install west end diaphragm.

11.   Complete painting and letter car.

Box Car

1.       Needle gun and paint car ends.

2.       Paint and reinstall ladder on east end.

Tender

1.       Remove and repair the coupler lift lever at the boom car end of the tender.

2.       Design an auxiliary water holding system in the coal bunker area of the tender. There are some tanks that can be used for this project beside the boxcar.

3.       Design a "looks like we have a load of coal" cover for the coal box.

4.       Install small portable steam pump (it is in the box car) somewhere on tender to pump water from tender to crane water reservoir.

Sundry Bits:

1.       Restore extra caboose stove. It is stored in the baggage car.

2.       Service & paint air jacks and move to warehouse storage when complete.

3.       Service other speeders.

This should keep us busy for the next little while. If I have forgotten an tasks let me know and I will add them to the list.

Paul Bown

3 August 2011

Restoration shop update to Wednesday July 20th 2011

Due to the forecast of very hot weather with high humidity for Saturday the 23^rd the crane will not be steamed that day. We will pick a date for some time in August.
 

with Steve away here is an update on recent activities in a much drier form than Steve produces. 

Shop Activities 

The Pontiac Chieftain Hy-Rail Car No. 26:

This project appears to still have a few challenges. A read driver side window was sourced and installed. The shop that produced the window does upholstery work so it may be a place to have the Pontiac redone. New rear view mirrors were obtained (thanks to Ed Sr.) and the one for the driver side has been installed. The windshield wiper motor has been shipped off for rebuild.

In problem areas the car derailed going through the switch in front of the shop (perhaps the new tires are a bit wider) but it appears that a fix to this has been found but not yet implemented. The bottom of the engine and the hydraulic lines were steam cleaned in order to locate a small leak of hydraulic fluid. This search is still to be done

The OCR Woodings CBL Speeder: 

  The small side triangular windows were purchased and installed. The interior was re-assembled and all critical areas taped and covered. The car has been given a first coat of black and looks really good.

The Spreader:

     

    A repaint of the spreader has commenced. In evaluating the condition of the wood one upright needs some patching. The spreader is back in the shop to have the wood work done and so that repainting can continue not matter what the weather conditions are.

The Baggage Car:

Charles has repaired and given the west side of the car a repaint. End doors have been primered and can be given a final coat of black. The away from the shop end door still needs the door handle installed plus a few other bits of hardware. The end patch has been designed and partially installed thanks to Ross and Dave Elliot. Hopefully this patch can be finished by next Wednesday. Parts are being fabricated (or will be soon) so that the diaphragm can be installed.

     

Sundry Bits:

    More coal was sorted and with one more session this sorting job will be complete. I am sure there are some other items that I have missed but we are rolling along with the smaller sized summer crews. I will send out a revised job list next week.

……….Paul Bown 

Re: Restoration shop update to Saturday June 18th, 2011

 

 

Greetings Everyone,

 

Here I sit with mixed emotions at the keyboard of my shiny new laptop. Nice big 17.5 in. screen, Blue-Ray Player, Intel i7 Quad Core 3.2 GHz CPU, ATI Radeon dedicated GPU, Holly 4 Barrel Carb., Dual Exhaust, ..la-la-la. Did I succumb to the Best Buy Techies pitch "new is due, up the H.P. of the C.P.U." ?  No, I just, ( after an appropriate period of mourning),  excepted the fact that my hand me down, 7 year old, battered and bruised Toshiba satellite laptop  which had a fatal hard drive failure, was past being cost effectively repaired. After that, one starts to get the after shock chest pains from the sickening realization that despite all the stern, knowing, "father to University age daughter(s)" lecturing regarding "Back-Up your school work girls!" I had not saved contact list, articles on rail-fanning I was composing, etc., etc. That said, its been some time since we had an update of what the "Dirty Hands Club" has been up to, so herein, with apologies in advance... please find the best recollections of a failing, sometimes foggy memory:  

 

Backshop TidBits............. 

 

( With apologies to Duncan Dufresene for plagiarizing his term "tidbits" when used in a rail context ).

 

The Pontiac Chieftain Hy-Rail Car No. 26:

 

As we begin to close the chapter on the mechanical restoration of the venerable old high rail, allow me to begin by acknowledging the tireless efforts and perpetual optimism of a few of the core team who stuck with this project, namely:  Duncan DuFresne, Ed Sr., Andy C. and Jim L.  In order of occurrence since our last update, Dave Stremes has provided me with a copy of the Society's Charter, incorporation, and a document identifying BRS as a tax exempt "not for profit" by the Canadian Government.  A local, Provincially certified Historical Automobile Appraiser provided me with a portfolio which' with its included photos' vetted the vehicle, attesting to its originality as an unmodified historical automobile. I then dug through the club's files on Car 26 and found:

 

 (a) the last known vehicle registration, a 1964 Vehicle Registration certificate issued by the Provence of Quebec.

 (b) A letter from a senior V.P. at Canadian National Railway, (on the Railways letterhead), gifting the vehicle to Bytown Railway in 1968.

 (c) A black and white photo taken in Quebec in 1958 of the unit in service on the rails.

 

Thankfully, all the paper trail I assembled consistently referenced the same build number, engine id. etc.

 

Armed with all the aforementioned paperwork  I went to the Motor Vehicle Bureau and plunked the bulging accordion file on the counter and with a hopeful grin on my face informed the Ministry clerk of our hopes to register the vehicle for the road for the first time in approximately 47 years! Roughly an hour and a half later, several long distance calls to Ministry Head Quarters, and the tireless efforts of the lady behind the counter, I walked out of the building with a current Ontario Vehicle Registration, A province of Ontario Historical Vehicle Plate and a Temporary Trip Permit. 

 

The following Wednesday, with Andy  Cameron trailing me in his vehicle, (presumably to pickup any vehicle parts that might fall off the Pontiac), I aimed the vehicle in the direction of Osgoode Tire. ("Aimed" is, given the sloppy steering I had to deal with on the drive out, not an inappropriate choice of words). They, (Osgoode Tire), mounted our new spec. tires we had previously ordered from Coker and did a safety check on the old girl. I was rather pleased at the short list of  mechanical issues deemed as required prior to the issuance of a safety certificate. The unit needed upper ball joints and a front end alignment, (the technician had to install 6 shims) in the front end to meet alignment specs.! The other two issues Osgoode Tire allowed us to correct at our own shop, namely the replacement of the cracked left rear passenger window glass and the broken drivers side rear view mirror.

 

Armed with the Safety Certificate I made a return trip to the Motor Vehicle Bureau and acquired our permanent licence sticker. We are now licenced for the road through April 2012. Finally, the paper trail I previously alluded to as being required by the MTO folks has also been sent via priority post to our selected vehicle insurer. Unfortunately, the day after I mailed the documents off, Canada Post shut down, (labor dispute), the package now sits in a sorting facility in Mississauga Ontario! Oh well, the last bump in the road gives Ed Sr. time to track down a replacement vacuum windshield wiper motor and me time to get a new side window glass cut.

Two years ago I had reservations about the undertaking, but thanks to the tireless energy of a lot of committed DHC members I'm optimistic we will be touring various automobile and rail museum events this summer. Thanks again to everyone who contributed their time and skills to the project!

 

The OCR Woodings CBL Speeder: 

 

  Thanks to the efforts of the core team Ross, Jack, Jim and Charles, the speeder looks whole again! Like most of our projects however,  a lot of folks have contributed their time and efforts to effect the current status of the unit. Ross designed and fabricated a tubular aluminium frame which has reinforced the shells sides and allowed for smoother operation of the large passenger swing side doors. Ed Jr. welded all the aluminium parts of the frame together, then Ross and Bob Hobbs mounted  them to the shell, and the diamond plate aluminium step plate of the chassis. Ed Sr. has recently spent a lot of hours in the machine shop fabricating door handle hardware, hinge pieces and other "one off" unique fastener hardware. Charles has completed all the fibreglass repairs to the speeder shell and has firmly fastened the unit to the chassis. He also acquired and installed a replacement side window for the shells right side. All that really remains in the project list is for "Spraygun Charley" to repaint the unit and Jack and Jim to wire interior shell accessories, i.e. the lights, wiper motors, horn, etc.   

 

THE CENTRAL VERMONT STEAM CRANE:

     

    John Bryant  recently organized a fire up of the crane. It was a fun Saturday morning, the smell of coal smoke in the air, enthusiastic if perhaps excessive applications of the steam whistle echoing around the grounds. As we slowly built our coal fire John B. showed us (the newbies), how to place shovels of coal on the grate so as to avoid holes in the fire and have a strong even burn.  When the boiler was up to operating pressure we then, with the unit under steam, took turns operating the crane, running it on the main under its own power and then later with the unit properly braced, we practised working the boom's forest of control levers, (reminded me of the operating lever bank you see in a small classification yard tower). John Halpenny stayed in the cab and tutored us on the use of the levers while Andy and John B. worked on the ground strapping a load and giving direction as we practised moving box car wheel sets from one track to another (avoiding lamp posts and boom car super structure).

Recently Duncan, Andy and yours truly mounted the four rail hook assemblies onto the brackets located on the corners of the cranes lower deck. Finally we have identified an issue with the (boom end) outboard wheel set brake, despite modifications to the brake key and recent brake pipe repairs, it continues to apply with less force then the inboard brake shoe. Stay tuned for a diagnosis from Dr. Bryant.

 

THE Baggage Car:

 

Charles recently had to chip and scrap away all the bondo he applied to the lower left side of the baggage car last fall. The area in question (which had bubbled and fallen of in chunks this early spring), is the transition point between the new steel Ed Jr. welded onto the lower leading edge of the car last year and the cars upper superstructure. When sanded off, Ed Jr. applied another weld bead to the transition point. Charles then ground it down and feathered the point with a new bondo product which has fibreglass strands in it. Charles is now doing some fine sanding and preparing the area for a blending respray.

 

     

Sundry Bits:

 

    Over the past few weeks Bob Moore has resumed work on the replacement window frames for our heavyweight passenger coach. He now has a substantial inventory which he has completed and at the last gathering of DHC was staining them and placing them outdoors to dry. 

 

                        Regards...

                        Steve Harling

 

Restoration shop update to Saturday, the 16th of April, 2011

 

Greetings Everyone,

 

This morning I have no problem dedicating a few moments to updating our recent activities at the shop given the alternative would be wandering outside in 32 degree rainy/snowy conditions to do some "spring?" pruning work to my apple and pear trees. My God, April 17th and winter is still managing to hold the area within its frigid grasp! Despite the reluctance of "Old Man Winter to leave, the hardy souls of "The Dirty Hands Club" have begun outdoor activities at the shop which will prepare our fleet for the 2011 summer operating season.  Herein please find my best recollections of what has transpired at the shop since my last update, advance apologies to those persons and activities missed.

 

 

The Pontiac Chieftain Hy-Rail Car No. 26:

 

The finish line is in sight ladies and gentlemen and the checkered flag is in the air! Our core team consisting of yours truly, Duncan, Ed Sr. with notable contributions of time and effort from Andy C. and Jim L. have pretty much reduced the refurbishment list of items to a shadow of its former self. The carburetor and vacuum power brake booster unit which I sent out for a factory fresh rebuild are back, installed and after some initial setup problems  have been road tested and judged to be in line with the GM Service Manuel's defined measurements of optimum specified performance.

 New 8.50 X 14-4ply B.F.Goodrich spec tires which were ordered from Coker, a Chattanooga based wholesaler of speciality tires for the North American antique car market arrived in Ottawa last week and as soon as I can acquire a trip permit**, car 26 will be driven to the shop. Here the tires will be installed, valve stems replaced, wheels ground if necessary, balanced and aligned.

 

**The current snag has been in my attempts Friday to get 26 registered with the Provence of Ontario and thereby obtain the aforementioned trip permit! I have no intention of boring our faithful readers with numbers of forms requiring completion, Affidavits and Notary Public attestations which will be required, (along with the vetting of the vehicles original line-built artifact status, which incidentally can only be, (in the Ministries eyes), attested to by a Provincially licensed "Historic Vehicle Dealer". Suffice to say myself, Dave Stremes and Ed Sr. are currently amassing a paper trail sufficient to please the most cynical of bureaucrats! Stay tuned. 

 

The OCR Woodings CBL Speeder: 

 

    I'm happy to report this is yet another winter project that is making great headway and approaching completion. Charles has returned from a work assignment and has completed the re-enforcement and fabrication of the damaged areas of the lower cab shell with sheet metal and fibreglass. 

 

    This allowed the team last week to mount the fibreglass shell back on the chassis and temporarily bolt it in place. I use the term "temporarily" because now Ross has to begin the fabrication of a metal box frame vertical support system on the cab sides adjacent to the left and right doors.  In the completion of this step the shell may well come off the chassis two or three more times prior to its final installation!

 

      Finally, last week Jack L. and Jim L. also managed to diagnose and fix the "won't turn off" issue in the units ignition wiring. When the ignition work was complete, they put the little Wooding Speeder on our main line and took it for a "shake down" test run. Another item off the "Snag List"!

 

    While Ross works on reinforcing the speeder's shell (which thereby facilitates the installation of the refurbished doors), Jack and Jim will now be undertaking the rewiring of the shell. The new body harness will handle all the electrical requirements of such on board items as the dome lights, head and tail lights, horn, radio harness and the windshield wiper motors. The goal is to bring the harness back to the control stand with a single pigtail connector. This will facilitate simple, fast, "on-off" of the shell for maintenance requirements to the chassis and drive line.   

 

THE CENTRAL VERMONT STEAM CRANE:

     

    John Bryant and a parka attired team of hardy souls, (Duncan on no. 10 and the parka team on the ground) went out last Wednesday and worked cars in the yard to lift the crane and return it back to the shop.

 

    The following Saturday Duncan assembled a group of us who had attended the winter BRS Steam Course and gave us a hands on operational lecture in the crowded confines of the crane's cab. He identified the major components of, and their orientation in, the stationary boiler. He also explained the start up process and identified all the controls relating to the operation of the boiler and the crane.

 

    When Duncan had finished, John B. took over and showed us how to prepare the unit for seasonal operation. We were shown how to re-install the crane boilers steam gauges, the webbed mud rings (boiler wash out plugs), external lubrication and oil cups, etc. In effect, by the end of the morning we had had a most informative "hands on" experience with the cranes operation and the intricacies of a vertical steam boiler. Once again we owe a debt of gratitude for the time and efforts of John B. and Duncan in sharing their knowledge, ( did I leave out patience?) and ultimately giving many of us a greatly expanded understanding of steam operations. 

 

On our most recent gathering this past Saturday John B. organized a group of us,(the same newbies previously alluded to) and we assisted in the process of readying the boiler for steaming. Here are John's observations and comments on the mornings work with the crane: 

  

  "The problem with the brake system was traced to a cracked pipe elbow.  The cause is a mystery.  It rather looks like frost damage but, unless the entire air brake system was full of water there's no way in which there could have been water in this elbow ( it's at the top of a vertical pipe). 

  Until we replace the elbow the crane can't function as a vehicle in an air braked train, but the problem doesn't affect  it's "stand alone" braking system (the one we normally make use of). 

  The hand hole covers have were installed and the boiler filled.  As usual there was some weeping on the upper tube sheet but otherwise everything looked fine. 

  Most of the grease cups were refilled, the oilers for the travelling gears were reinstalled, and some oiling was done."

 

 

Sundry Bits:

 

    Over the past few weeks Duncan, Bill W. and Andy performed the preseason service on our little GE center cab switcher, no.10. They did a circle check style lubrication and fluid level service, greased the rods etc. Most recently they dumped the the oil and replaced all the engine filters on both no. 1 and no. 2 engines. 

 

    Ross, Dave and Paul now that the weather is a bit more spring like are back to working on the baggage car end doors refurbishment. Saturday one door was removed and brought into the shop to be re-hab'd.

 

    Ross and a few helpers have also started the finishing grinding and painting of the rail hooks for the crane which he had fabricated over the past winter. The plan is to have them ready for mounting on the crane prior to our first steaming of the unit.

  

Finally I have attached some photos Jim and Bob took last week at the shop which relate to the projects noted above. Under the heading "totally irrelevant to this shop update" and at the risk of exceeding the literary latitudes given me by our editor I have also attached a "Mystery Photo" entry. I took these last summer in New Orleans near the KCS marshaling yard just west of the lower 9th ward, (Treme). Can anyone tell me what it is and provide some background on the end-use for which it may have been obtained?   

 

 

Regards...

        Steve Harling

 

Restoration shop update to Wednesday, 23rd of March, 2011

 

Greetings Everyone,

 

Well this week brought about the first day of Spring on Sunday, followed by (depending on where in the Ottawa Valley you reside), two to  three inches of wet snow on Monday! Welcome to Springtime in the Great White North.

 

    Our BRS U Steam Course formal class instruction concluded last week with John B. and Duncan conducting a final lecture last Saturday in which they covered peripheral issues as yet undisscussed, followed by a Q & A on all the previous lectures. John then went through the TSSA syllabus and touched on questions typical TSSA exams might include. The day concluded with Duncan going through two C.P.R. training manuals typically handed to train crew interns in the 1940's and 50's. They had question and answer sections which would have been used in fireman and engineer qualification programs.

 

    John has indicated that as the weather moderates we will go and get the steam crane with number 10, bring it up to the shop, and prep it for annual certification and summer use. The hands on aspect of the course will include firing up the crane and hopefully putting everything we have been taught over the winter to practical use. Allow me on behalf of all the persons who enrolled in the program to extend our collective thanks for a job well done to John and Duncan. I personally have greatly increased my knowledge of Steam operations and enjoyed the program thoroughly!          

  

 

PROJECT STATUS:

 

 

The Pontiac Chieftain Hy-Rail Car No. 26:

 

Since our last update a great deal of progress has been made and if I may be allowed one hackneyed cliche, we definitely can see the light at the end of the tunnel, ( Railroad tunnel of course). Since the engine re-builder came through we have focused on the brakes. Given all wheels were removed,rear axles replaced, and new brake lines installed, the brake reservoir had to be filled and the individual brakes bled.

 

Ed Jr., Paul and I made the first attempt. A subsequent test drive with fearless Duncan behind the wheel ended up being a bit unnerving for our test pilot as he lurched around the parking lot screaming "whoa Nelly" and yelling out the drivers window at us, "no brakes, long peddle!" (Interpret long pedal to mean it went to the floor when applied and the car responding by gradually drifting to a stop).

 

The second attempt at setting up the brakes started with Duncans son Bruce, (up visiting for week from Colorado Springs to celebrate his mothers birthday), Ross and yours truely going around to all four corners of the car and adjusting the pad travel to the drum. The right front corner turned out to be a "Jack the Bear" exercise. One dimply didn't pull the wheel, drum and then manipulate the adjuster wheel. With no inspection port the entire wheel had to be disassembled, the bearings pulled etc. Bruce drew short straw and dealt with that exercise. With the four wheels adjusted it was decided it would be prudent to bleed the brakes again. With the unit up on four jack stands, Ross and I went around to all the bleeders and began the tedious process all over. We had a real team effort this time with Duncan pumping the brake pedal on command, Andrew monitoring the fluid level of the reservoir and topping it up as required while Ross and I jammed in the wheel well, manipulated the bleeders and watched the air bubbles run out into the overflow jar. It became clear bleeding a completely dry, new system required far more time than adjusting an established wet system! 

 

Road test number two, (parking lot as a venue again), same players and unfortunately same result as test no. one. Ed Sr. slipped behind the wheel following Duncan's second harrowing experience in a week. After a brief tour around the lot he called me over to the car and said "listen to this". With the engine running he depressed the brake pedal. We both heard the unmistakable sound of escaping air!

 

Back in the shop Bruce traced all vacuum lines from the carburetor to the firewall side of the Bendix power brake unit and detected no air leaks. I stuck my head under the dash after he removed the brake pedal and there it was staring us in the face. The rubber boot rod dust cover which serves to protect the valve operating rod had dried out and fell apart in my hands as I tried to remove it. Now exposed was the source of the leak, the aft seal for the air reservoir. We dismounted the unit from the firewall and disassembled it on the bench. The air reservoir was full of contaminated hydraulic fluid, all seals and rings worn or deteriorated, not an encouraging site! 

 

Fast forward to the time of this memo's composition and we find: (A) The Bendix Power Unit out being rebuilt, (B) The cars Rochester 2GC two jet carburetor is pulled, and at local speed shop awaiting the arrival of a carb kit prior to undergoing a complete rebuild. Let me close my quoting Duncan, who seeing me leave the shop Wednesday, (apparently looking some what dejected), with the carburetor and Bendix unit in shopping bags, said: "chin up Steve, we're almost there. We've changed out or rebuilt everything on the car except for the Pontiac Hood ornament"!        

 

  

The OCR Woodings CBL Speeder: 

 

Jim and Jack began drilling mounting holes in the new cast aluminium rail sweeps.  Charles is continuing to work on refurbishing the cab and appears close to completion. When done and prior to painting the shell we will mount it on the chassis so Ross can begin taking measurements for the material which will be installed to increase the structural stability of the shell around the door frames. Also while on a dry fit mount, Jim and Jack can start the final stage of rewiring the unit, namely the shell, for interior and exterior lighting, wiper motors etc. 

 

 

Sundry Bits:

 

 CAR 27:  

 

John Bryant, John Halpenny and our newbie, Chris Furman, this last Saturday  morning, with ladders and buckets in hand, got up on the roof of Car 27. Utilizing a cleaning solvent John purchased (TCB), they gave the unit a good scrub down. A long season of use outdoors and winter storage in the shop can and did lead to the roof being quite filthy. Thanks to their efforts it looks great, like a shiny new penny and if deemed necessary is prepped and ready to be painted in advance of the 2011 Shay season.

 

 

THE CENTRAL VERMONT STEAM CRANE:

 

A small team of hardy DHC members  Felicity, John B. and John H. to name a few, ventured out in the cold to go down to the siding where the crane is stored for the winter. In preparation for its upcoming move up to the shop for annual servicing, they proceeded to remove all the big winter storage tarpaulins and put them away. Ahh a sure sign of spring!

 

Engine No. 10:  

 

Duncan and Bill W. are draining the oil out of the old doll in preparation for the new season. Duncan took a fluid sample from the diesels sump and had Cummins do an oil sample analysis recently on the units oil. It was a good news bad news type of report card. The tests detected the presence of fuel oil in the sample in sufficient quantity as to be a concern. However the tests did not detect any appreciable level of metal particulate in the oil sample. The later being of far greater concern then the presence of fuel oil, which at worst only reduces the oils viscosity. Cummins suggested a complete replacement of engine oil and a subsequent follow up oil test after a measured amount of running hours and/or days.  

 

Finally I have attached a few photos Jim took last week at the shop.   

 

 

Regards...

        Steve Harling

 

Re: Restoration shop update to Wednesday, 2cnd of March, 2011



Duncan du Fresne with '58 Pontiac



Steve Harling and Duncan working on the Front end.

Pontiac Ready to Go

Duncan getting ready for Engine Startup

Ed Sr., Steve and West Carleton Automotive Mechanic



O.A. Boivin with driver Albert Lemieux
Montreal - Pte Claire
Nov 1958

CSTM Photo of Pontiac in 1958


Greetings Everyone,

I'II keep the BRS report brief and to the point. I'm typing this update seated at the table in my kitchen, which has several ceiling to floor south facing windows. Early morning  sunlight is streaming in warming the room with  spring sunshine. The net effect on me is a bad case of "cabin fever". What a contrast from Monday which dawned under dark sky's and began with rain, which quickly turned to freezing rain, ending with an all day spring snow event. By 3:00pm we had 3 inches of high moisture "heart attack" snow on the ground. Fire Punxsutawney Phil! That said his spotty track record on weather predictions would probably put him on the fast track for a senior position in The National Weather Service.

  

The Pontiac Chieftain Hy-Rail Car No. 26:

Things continue to move forward with the restoration of the Hy-Rail car. Last Wednesday Duncan scheduled in the engine re-builder to do the contracted break-in run up of the engine. About an hour before his arrival l said to Duncan, "ok lets check all our wiring, hose clamps, and fluid levels before the engine folks arrive". Every thing was ship shape until l filled the radiator with water. Ed Sr. walked by the engine bay as I was finishing up and uttered those most crushing of words, "why do I hear running water"?  After a frantic half hour of crawling under the Pontiac trying to source the leak, Andy spotted a loose bolt that secured the power steering pump bracket to the block. That same bolt also transitioned through the metal thermostat cover which was loose as a result and the source of our water leak. We no sooner got the thermostat tightened down, the large pool of water mopped up from under the car when in walked the gentleman from the engine shop!

I ran out and purchased five gallons of fresh fuel for the Pontiac given our newly refurbished gas tank was still empty. On my return I dumped most of  the gas in the tank but saved about a pint which we would need to prime the carburetor jets. Duly primed, Duncan slipped behind the drivers seat and on a signal from the mechanic who was manually holding out the throttle linkage, cranked the engine. After lying dormant for nearly a year the old doll roared to life and from the crowd around the engine bay was heard a collective sigh of relief. Since even the fuel lines had been replaced, it took about 4 or 5 gas primes to the jets before the engine ran continuously. At that point the mechanic jammed the throttle linkage open so the engine was running at a continuous 1800rpm. We held it there for about 25 minutes and then checked and adjusted the timing. What a milestone in a challenging undertaking for all connected with the project.  

Buoyed by the successful start-up of the engine we decided to take another run at reconnecting all the hydraulic lines associated with the Fairmont Hy-Rail System. Duncan had a new hydraulic hose Malmburg made up for us to replace the defective line we discovered last attempt. With the pump reinstalled, lines connected, l refilled the reservoir with transmission fluid. Duncan switched on the pump and this time Andy let out the "whats that all over the floor under the car" cry. Turned out the fitting for the line to the rear wheel set hydraulics was leaking badly.As Andy and Duncan attempted to properly secure the line I once again found myself on hands and knees in the humbling exercise of mopping up bright red Dex. with Cotton waste. It was at this point that Paul glided by and dryly commented "you know guys we don''t have an endless supply of transmission fluid in our inventory". I think it was his way of trying to boost our moral, after all it was our second load of transmission fluid on the shop floor.  In an attempt to save face for the team I pointed out that as a result of the radiator dumping its watery contents on the floor we managed to mop up any transmission fluid residue from the previous hydraulic failure. Despite our initial despair at the thought of having possibly stripped the rear lines front fitting, Duncan and Andy, (now armed with his glasses) coaxed the fitting onto the pump. Using a pry bar to alter the path of entry for the fitting to the pump also facilitated a less stressed connection. Holding my breath and attempting to convince myself "Third Try Charmed", was a valid observation I poured in the our last quart of transmission fluid into the reservoir.  Duncan then put the front and rear Hy-Rail unit through its paces and nary a drop of bright red on the (now very clean) shop floor! 

    Yesterday Duncan, Jim and I jacked up the rear end of the Pontiac, placed floor jacks under the rear axle in preparation for this coming Saturday morning when we hope to begin manually bleeding the brakes. Finally as a symbolic gesture, I suggested to Duncan we bring down the Pontiac's hood from the storage area over the workshop. With Paul running the forklift Jim and I climbed up the ladder to the upper deck and pushed the hood through the guard rails onto the forks. I am pleased to report all the original mounting hardware was found, the mounting of the hood took only one attempt, (although alignment of the hood did need one minor adjustment) and no fingers were lost or jammed in the spring loaded hood mounting mechanism. On that upbeat note we all left the shop around 12:30pm. 

  

The OCR Woodings CBL Speeder: 

    As previously noted, Jack and Jim have completed all the mechanical and electrical work on the speeder chassis.  Last week Charles, utilizing formed galvanized skirting fabricated by Ross, began rebuilding the lower leading edge of the speeder shell. He slid the u shaped galvanized skirting over the damaged lower leading edge of the shell and pop riveted them in place. Next he applied a layer of fibre glass over the galvanized to smoothen the transition from the skirt to the shell. Finally he applied a coat of bondo to the fibre glass, then sanded and primed the restoration area. He has done a fabulous job! Once the shell is in its operating paint scheme the rebuilt lower portions of the shell will be undetectable to any casual observer. Charles also mounted a new front grill constructed of expanded metal, did some bondo work around the mounting, then sanded and primed the immediate area surrounding the grill opening. He has only one side to reskirt and the shell will be ready for a test mount on the chassis. At that point new permanent mounting brackets can be drilled, Ross can size up interior stability braces and the "Electrifying duo of Jim and Jack can begin the interior shell wiring.

Sundry Bits:

    On the previous Wednesday, Dave Elliot requested we retrieve from the dark confines of the museum's dead storage area, some portions of running gear associated with the American Class 4-4-0, number 40. He and Paul had spent a day the preceding week driving around town to all Science and Tech's storage sites trying to find all the missing running gear, appliances, gauges etc. not currently on No.40. The only relevant discovery was what they found on an upper deck storage area at St. Laurent. The artifacts in question  turned out to be the four eccentric rods and straps belonging to No. 40. As per Dave's request John, Paul, George and Ringo.....(sorry that just fell out, substitute George and Ringo with Steve and Andy), went back into the dead storage area with Paul operating the forklift, and retrieved the eccentric rods. They were, interestingly, tagged by museum staff as belonging to 40 and the tags were dated 1967/68. After examining one on the shop workbench and not beinging able to see any type of identifying stamps, Dave asked us to place them all in-between the rails on track two behind the overhead doors. To the best of my knowledge no further actions have been sanctioned or requested. 

Finally I have attached a few photos Jim took last week at the shop.   

Regards...

        Steve Harling