Link and Pin

The link and pin coupler joins the combine car to the parlor car behind the engine house of the El Dorado Western Railway. The Diamond and Caldor Railway used these basic couplers throughout its 47-year history. The dangerous devise spelled the death of at least one trainman on the common carrier line.

Ultimately, the existence of the coupler, which was outlawed in the U.S. in 1893 for common carriers, caused the demise of the railroad. They were common on many logging railroads in the west.

These two rail cars came to the El Dorado Western from the defunct Westside and Cherry Valley Railway, a tourist line owned by fast food mogul Glen Bell in the late 1970s.

Machine Work Done On No. 2 Engine

I stopped by the engine house this morning to talk to Keith Berry. Other than Sam Thomson, Bill Rodgers and Harold Tilton, it seems Keith and several other key volunteers were AWOL. My intent was to talk to Keith and then return home and complete a few projects.

I found Sam hunched over the No. 2 cylinder -- his usual posture these days. As I soon discovered, he had started the laborious task of disassembling the valve shaper from the No. 2 cylinder.

I walked into the machine shop to check on Bill and Harold. Bill was machining a spacer for the middle eccentric on the drive shaft while Harold was milling one of the slip joints (and here). It was at that point that Bill told me Sam had reached a milestone. He had finished resurfacing the valve facing to No. 2 cylinder last Saturday.

So I walked over to the engine house and asked Sam about the project. Yes it was true. He completed the last course last weekend.

Sam asked me to jump in the cab. That can only mean one thing -- he need a helper to raise and lower the slide on the shaper as he disassembled it.

As we worked, I asked a few questions. Our exchange went something like this:

"What do you have to say about the No. 2?"

"Finito! No. 3 is next." Sam pointing to the "3" painted on the cylinder head. "See, I can tell. It's that one."

The machine work is done on No. 2, Sam explained. He pointed out that some handwork remains.

"How long will it take to resurface No. 3 cyliner?"

It took eight months to completely resurface No. 2 cylinder.

"I'm not finished with No. 2 yet," Sam responded. "I've got to get this thing (Sam's Rube Goldberg or valve shaper) off. I know for a fact that's not going to be easy."

For the next hour, Sam struggled to fit his hand and the Allen wrench into the confined space between the No. 2 and No. 3 cylinders. Tight work space and low light conditions have plagued him since he put the shaper to work last March.

I didn't get a prediction out of Sam. But I'm certain he can shave two months off the time it took to resurface the No. 2 cyliners.

A note: I'll post photos as soon as I can. My laptop -- that's were the images are archived -- is heading for the shop.

Home and Garden Show

The crew pulled the Diamond and Caldor No. 4 out of the engine house for the second annual Fall Home and Harvest Show at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds. This was our first attempt at displaying the Shay geared locomotive during an event other than the county fair in June.

From my vantage point in the kitchen, located at the north end of the engine house, we received 50 to 75 visitors between 10 a.m. and early afternoon. As with the fair, vice president Keith Berry showed our rolling stock to two potential volunteers.

In the upper photograph, Sam Thompson doesn't let a little sunshine get in the way of his most important task. Since early spring, Sam has operated the valve shaping machine on the number two cylinder. He's almost ready to move to the number three.

Board member Garrett Augustus (standing to left) discusses the locomotive with a visitor and his wife. I took the right hand photograph last week just after the foll moon.

I took advantage of the nine volunteers present this morning and cooked lunch for the crew. In honor of our locomotive's 100th year, I selected dining car recipes from two railroad cookbooks.

The old fashion navy bean soup is composite recipe from the Denver and Rio Grand Western Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The cole slaw came from the Missouri Pacific Lines. The toasted hot Mexican sandwich was a favorite in the Santa Fe.

The recipes are posted to my personal blog at 'Round the Chuckbox.

New Roof for the W&CV Ry Combine Car

Bill Rodgers works through the cupola window as Keith Berry and Steve Karoly lay the first course of felt of the roof of the Westside and Cherry Valley Railway combine car.

While we laid the first course of felt this morning, a gentleman from Amador County stopped by and offered his assistance. Mac, as it turns out, is a roofer by trade. Mac was able to advise us on the job and helped lay the second course of felt.

Roofing the Combine Car

Sometimes the most expeditious way to accomplish a task is to do it yourself. The railroad has spent many hours learning how to build replacement parts. Applying a new roof to a 35-year old narrow gauge car is no different. The process helps us develop new skills and reserve precious funds for more pressing projects.

Yesterday, Eric Stohl, Keith Berry and I mounted the roof of the Westside and Cherry Valley Railway combine car to apply a new roof. Bill Rodgers and Jacob Karoly provided support on the ground while Sam Thompson and Harold Tilton operated the valve shaping machine inside the engine house.

In the top photograph, Eric pours the initial application of cold-ap roof adhesive while Keith prepares spread it on the roof to the cupola. We decided to use the cupola as the test patch for our roofing project. Next week we'll tackle the forward section of the roof.

Eric leans out of the cupola window as he assists Keith and Bill with the rear section of the combine car's roof. Bill and Keith worked on ladders while I took pictures.

I quickly learned that photography and roofing don't mix. After snapping my first pictures of the cupola roofing job, I had to lower the camera down to my son and concentrate on spreading adhesive and laying the felt. I'll get some picture of the finished job next week.

From Apple Hill to the El Dorado Western

Keith Berry spreads cold-application roof adhesive to the roof of the Westside and Cherry Valley Railway combine car. The crew from the El Dorado Western Railway is re-roofing the combination caboose and baggage car in preparation for the winter rains.

Crewman Bill Rogers, a local retiree who drives a tractor at one of the Apple Hill ranches, supplied the five-gallon bucket for the roofing job.

I wandered out loud: "Why is Apple Hill buying prepared apple filling? I thought its reputation was built on fresh ingredients like recently picked apples."

Bill assured me that his employer makes apple pies with fresh apples from the ranch. You know, the kind with a six-inch high crown of sliced apples that have been sweetened with sugar and cinnamon. The ranch uses sliced apple pie filling from a five-gallon bucket for turnovers.

Come to think of it, a nice slice of apple pie with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream would've hit the spot in the 90-degree heat on the roof.

Milling the Slip Joints

New volunteer Harold Tilton has taken over where Dave Spohr left off when he moved to the Bay Area several months ago. Harold was "recruited" during the 2007 county fair. The retired pile driver operator brings welding, machine shop and metal fabrication skills to the railway.

Here's how Keith Berry described the restoration process last year:

Dave has been working with Sam and Dale since February 2006 to restore the male driveshaft faces to specification. Over normal locomotive operation, surface-to-surface friction from turning and the constant presence of dirt kicked up from the ballast ground the driveshaft faces down.

Sam's challenge was to locate an arbitrary starting surface point to weld/build the contact surfaces and end up with a four-sided square drive shaft. Once established, Dale welds, and Dave mills the surfaces. Then Dale welds, and Dave again mills, and around it goes. Or in this case, square it becomes! Eventually, the shaft will reach finished specification and they'll start on the next shaft.