El Dorado Western Railway Website

George Potter, EDWRF webmaster and board member, has started working on an updated website for the railway. The website hasn't moved -- it can still be found at EDWRF.org.

The extensive database of photos and articles will temporarily be unavailable while George develops new links and layout. Check back frequently, please. For now, we will continue to place up-to-date news items on the blog.

Water Tank Braces

I stopped by the engine house this afternoon after I spotted Doug's truck in the parking lot. Doug and Keith are meeting tonight for a few hours to discuss the placement and riveting of the braces. They plan to do it in the next few months.

Doug showed me the location of each of the four braces. Two are installed on back end of the water tank. The other two braces, which secure the water tank to the locomotive frame, are located inside the cab.

In the photo, the lefthand brace is visible above the grinder. Unfortunately, this is the only photo that I've taken of the water tank. I'll take a few shots of the brace detail this weekend.

The bottom of the "L" on the brace sits about two inches above the deck, just above the rivet line on the tank. Doug said the water tank will settle once the locomotive starts operation. Approximately 20,000 pounds of water and oil (the oil tank sets on top of water tank) and the motion of the Shay will encourage the underside rivets to dig into the wood deck.

Adjourn to Pie

The El Dorado Western Railway Foundation has a tradition.

Regardless of the scope of discussion or extent of disagreement, the board meeting always adjourns to pie. A slice of pie and cup of juice has a way of placing us at ease. It allows us to relax and turn our attention away from the business of running a railroad.

Last Thursday's meeting was my first turn to bring pie. Each board member is scheduled to bring pie once each year. My next scheduled turn is September 7, 2007.

It gave me a rare opportunity to bake a chocolate cream pie for the meeting. Baking the pie brought bake fond memories of baking in the Navy. I first worked as a night-shift baker at Naval Air Station Lemore, California while assigned to Attack Squadron 127. Each night the crew baked about 200 single-and double-crust pies.

The recipe is posted at 'Round the Chuckbox, my personal blog.

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.