Submitted by Steve Winicker.
LAST WEEKENDS SHOP ACTIVITY
It has been an eventful week. The main activity was getting the drawbar pin out which Al Rayner, Jeff Rayner, and Myself with the help of some INE folks were able to accomplish Thursday. Friday morning, we dumped the ash on the grates and emptied the ash pan using water from the tender. The remaining water was dumped on the ground to lighten the tender. Mid-morning the tender was brought into the INE shop and jacked up to remove the trucks. Supervised by Zach. The trucks were rolled out from under the tank and the front truck disassembled to change out the center axle which had some flat spots on the wheel. Zach, Samantha, and I along with the INE folks assisted in taking the truck apart. The pins and bushings we removed from the truck appeared to be in good condition, The wheel set changeout was accomplished by early mid-afternoon and the truck rolled back under the tender. The rear truck was rolled out as well and given a visual inspection with no problems noted. That done the tender was lowered back on its trucks, safety chains and cotter keys reinstalled leaving the tender ready to be put back on the engine Saturday. Reinforcements arrived Saturday morning and the tender was reattached to the engine with the added help of Matt Lee, Chuck Young and Andrew Johnson. Once the drawbar pin was in (no small task) the other tender connections were made up and Chuck put coal in the firebox. The engine should be ready to go next weekend.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
The plan for the next week is to fire up the engine early Friday. Once we have steam, we will check the function of the injector to be sure all the earlier issues have been corrected and adjust it as needed. Otherwise, the engine will be getting coal water and otherwise serviced to be ready for the Tri-State trips and members day. .
SAFETY SENSE
Vehicle Safety
Over the last several months and years several encounters with posts, poles and junk around vehicles have caused several people, including me, to hit things while backing out of spots. Fortunately, none, that I know of, caused injury or serious damage. You might want to consider performing a 360-degree walk around before leaving a parking spot. This enhances vehicle safety especially if the vehicle has significant blind spots such as vans, stake trucks and box vans. Walking around a vehicle gives a driver firsthand view of the backing area and any limitations. Drivers should look for obstructions, pedestrians, animals, vehicle defects and other hazards. Check for children, soft or muddy areas, potholes, tires hazards and other dangers to ensure you reach your destination safely.
