Pelton Wheel for the Sunbeam Generator

At the board meeting two weeks ago, Keith Berry and Doug Youngberg announced that the railway had successfully purchased an original Pelton wheel for the Sunbeam generator.

"All for 32-volts," Keith commented when he learned of the $835 price tag.

"We could've bought lantern batteries for years!"
Kidding aside, the generator is now ready to test after it's first rebuild in better than 50 years.

Keith and Doug have been working on the dynamo in Doug's shot for six months. The coils were recently re-wound and new bearings have been installed. They are ready to test the unit with compressed air.

Removing the Hitch to Railbus No. 10

Another blog as the crew works ...

Late this morning, Dale cut two angle braces away on the Diamond & Caldor Railbus No. 10.

Removal of the hitch is necessary. Our plan is to restore the Railbus to its original configuration.

The extended hitch arrangement was added to the end of the Railbus when it was owned by Hal Wilmunder's Camino, Cable & Northern Railway.

The CC&N was a tourist line that opened in August 1964. Wilmunder rescued the Railbus from the scrapper's torch when the D&C ceased operation in 1953.

CC&N railroad closed in 1974.

Steps hung from both sides of the hitch during the CC&N days in Camino. The hitch has weakened after years of neglect.

EDWRF President Eric Stohl pours water through the rail planks to douse any fires. Junior railroader Logan manned the bucket brigade after Dale completed his cutting.

Journal Boxes to Arnold Z

This blog comes to you in real time ...

At our last work day two weeks ago, Garrett Augustus, Ken Romine and Scott Romine finished removing the last two journal boxes from Arnold Z.

Ken and Scott took the four boxes to Performance Machines (1348 Yosemite Ave., Mantica, CA, 209.239.2000) for service.

Owner Walt charged $40 boil the bearings in acid and steam clean the boxes. The job normally costs $100.

It's the generous donation time and labor by local business that helps the El Dorado Western Railway accomplish its goal of restoring locomotives like Arnold to service.

As I write, Ken is blasting rust away with a pneumatic needle gun in the museum yard. Ken, Garrett and Scott will prime, paint and repack the bearings at future work days.

Here's a few shots of the interior of a journal box:

Teaching the Young

This blog comes to you in real time ...

El Dorado Western Railway Vice President Keith Berry (the guy with the big forearms) help eight-year old Logan steady the power sanding disk.

Keith and Logan are preparing recently welded surfaces on the Railbus trailer for priming and painting. They are preserving the wrought iron surfaces for coming winter rains.

In recent months, welder Dale Mace fabricated and installed corner braces and truss rods to the trailer.