OBRM update

[MADDOG]

OBRM UPDATE 8-21-10

I arrived at the yard around 8am to an overcast day. I love working in this weather.
I started up the forklift and let it warm up a a bit  while I went over the days plan.
Rigged up the left side valve gear assembly for #35 and  (gingerly) placed it in the storage truck, then turned to place the pilot truck bearing box lock bars on the work tables to get them cleaned and coated.
After they were worked on, I realized that now we only had to prep the bearing boxes themselves next week.

While this was going on, a crew was busy painting the turntable motor frame with the 2nd coat of primer and another crew was busy taking apart the drive wheel brake assembly,

One of our other volunteers was working on those parts as they came off and by the end of the day, the entire assembly had been broken down, all bolts had their threads cleaned up with a die and the nuts had a tap run through them to clean them up. The parts had 2 coats of EXTEND applied and all of the pins had their rusted off cotter pins knocked out with a small drift pin. Any bolts that were shot were replaced with grade 8 replacement bolts.

Next week we will put the first coat of primer on these parts and a first coat of paint on the turntable motor frame.
We are expecting a visit from the rebuild contractor to go over the already completed parts and work out a time frame for delivery of parts down south for rebuilding.
MADDOG

[RGlueck]

Sounds terrific, Gary.  How soon before track will be placed on the TT?  The work on 35's moving parts is terrific.  The money you are saving the Museum is enormous.  I certain people appreciate everything you've done.  Please relate kudos and congratulations to all the guys (and gals) who have labored towards steaming up OBRM's G5s. 

[MADDOG]

We only need to send out the credit application to start the tie order rolling along. Fortunately, we already have the funding to pay for the tie order. I don't have the timeframe yet, but we are hoping to have them installed by the time Oyster Fest rolls around in mid-October. I WILL GIVE MY REGARDS TO THE BOYS+GALS
MADDOG

[RetiredLirrConductor]

MADD, this is elguapo.. As you know there are things being said about me, some of which are not true.

I am thinking about moving back to NY, and was wondering if I would be welcome helping out at OBRM.
In any case this would not be until at least  the spring, or early summer. thats when my lease is up.
Just be honest with me.
 If you dont know who I am, run it by gentle ben, he knows who I am.
 Thanks, Guap

[MADDOG]

Everyone is welcome who has an interest and can function.
We always need assistance, so thank you !
Gary

[MADDOG]

SATURDAY 8/28/10 at OBRM-
Another stellar day for restoration.

While 2 of our volunteers were going over the Alco Worlds Fair Cab display to fix the air horns-clogged baffles,
a 3 man crew was hard at work moving the cribbing under the turntables motor frame assembly in order to get to the unprimed areas.
With this task accomplished, they set to work getting a coat of primer on quickly. As the day turned out quite warm, the primer dried in a few hours, so they were able to get a 2nd coat onto the area. They also were able to get 2 coats of primer on all of the brake assembly and platform brackets as well.

We had one of the rebuild contractors on hand to go over some measurements that were missed on the last visit and to review our progress on parts renewal and breakdowns.
WE (OBRM Volunteers) are on schedule and if the air compressor situation continues at this pace, we should be able to complete the needle scaling of the drive wheels/tender truck assemblies/locomotive frame by the end of November.

We also picked up the rear  end of #35's locomotive frame in order to move the cribbing underneath. This enabled us to get to the drawbar pin which had been rusted in place for years. We made sure to drain any standing water in the pocket, then we put a jack on a timber under the frame and applied upward force to the pin. From the top, we poured in a "creeping" oil known as "Kroil".
This stuff is amazing and should allow us to pop the pin over the course fo the next few weeks. Then the pin and the pin pocket will get polished while the drawbars will be removed, stripped and coated with cosmoline for long term storage.
MADDOG

[MADDOG]

Saturday September 11th 2010-
I am flying my flag at half mast today, having put it out at 7am this morning before leaving for the day.
Never forgive, never forget.
Remember the people who gave their lives to save the others who were murdered 9 years ago.

A smaller than avereage turnout today, only 6 of us but what we lacked in hands, we sure made up for in efforts.
The turntable motor frame assembly now has its 2 coats of paint and the entire braking assembly has been given at least 1 coat. Some parts have 2, but next week we will give every part from this assembly another coat and do any touchups needed on the motor frame before we begin reassembly.
We checked the pin that holds the 2 drawbars on #35's frame and it hasn't "popped" loose yet, so we cranked up the jack another notch and gave a few new squirts of Kroil brand creeping oil to the pin between the drawbars and underneath the frame.
Hopefully we will find it loose within the next 2 weeks so we can remove the drawbars and have them cleaned and coated.

One of the chores that we were given in our extensive list of "things to do" by the restoration contractor was to get any of #35's parts off of the ground. We have been a little lazy in the way that we have handled a few of the really large and/or heavy steel parts and have put many of them on the ground.
Hey! they are made of very thick steel so we figured a little time on the ground wouldn't harm them too much.
Well, today we took all of the parts and placed them on either side of #35's frame on top of ties or pallets to get them off of the ground.

Next week we will start cleaning, coating and reassembly of the 6 drive wheel bearing box assemblies. These are made up of 7 parts which will only fit into their respective boxes and do not interchange, so it will be a challenge to us. I am sure that it will take up the better part of a day to accomplish this task.
MADDOG

[MADDOG]

Saturday September 18th 2010

Today was a day that we will remember for a long time.
Seems a bit dramatic I know, but, We were fortunate to have had RMLI donate a 10 lever Armstrong interlocking machine to us.
This unit was originally a part of Nassau Tower in Mineola and RMLI had it on site in Riverhead for a while. They realized that since they already have a working interlocking-BLISS- that this unit was excess. After a meeting between President Don Fischer and I in July, RMLI Trustees voted to donate this unit to OBRM.
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv102/THEWINEGUY35/Parts%20Restoration/9-18-10/003.jpg

A HUGE THANK YOU to RMLI and to Bob Flutie who trucked it to Oyster Bay from Riverhead and to Steve Krisman of 5th Industrial. Steve is a valued supporter and friend of OBRM who has done many jobs for both OBRM & RMLI and we couldn't have accomplished this acquisition without his help.

Today we also were able to install the braking system for the turntable. Its only 90% completed as we found out we needed to modify one of the brake shoes and just plain ran out of time.
I am confident that next week, we will finish this job and have the turntable motor frame assembly ready for installation into the turntable pit in the coming weeks.
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv102/THEWINEGUY35/Parts%20Restoration/9-18-10/003.jpg
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv102/THEWINEGUY35/Parts%20Restoration/9-18-10/003.jpg
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv102/THEWINEGUY35/Parts%20Restoration/9-18-10/003.jpg
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv102/THEWINEGUY35/Parts%20Restoration/9-18-10/003.jpg

We are also still moving on the drive wheel renewal project for #35 and we should be complete in about 4 more weeks.
This is a very labor intensive project of cleaning and prepping the 6 drivers and all of the bearing faces according to the plan set forth by Steam Operations Corp. of Birmingham Alabama.
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv102/THEWINEGUY35/Parts%20Restoration/9-18-10/003.jpg
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv102/THEWINEGUY35/Parts%20Restoration/9-18-10/006.jpg

We will be open during the weekend of the Oyster Festival October 16+17 and hgave already launched our new website at www.obrm.org
Why not follow my railyard blog while you are there!
MADDOG

[MADDOG]

I don't know why the other pictures did not come up, only the interlocking machine photos showed.
try these.
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv102/THEWINEGUY35/Parts%20Restoration/9-18-10/001.jpg
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv102/THEWINEGUY35/Parts%20Restoration/9-18-10/011.jpg
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv102/THEWINEGUY35/Parts%20Restoration/9-18-10/002.jpg
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv102/THEWINEGUY35/Parts%20Restoration/9-18-10/004.jpg
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv102/THEWINEGUY35/Parts%20Restoration/9-18-10/005.jpg
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv102/THEWINEGUY35/Parts%20Restoration/9-18-10/006.jpg
MADDOG

[RGlueck]

From whence cometh the term, "Dog day afternoon"?

[Block Limit]

Really sweet job on the web design for the OBRM website. It almost appeared that the museum was under full operation.

Having checked it out I came across the Photo of the proposed restored canopies west of the station building. In one of the photos is show the entrance to T.R. Park under the longer canopy. I could not help but notice such "modern" grade crossings in the background.

Keeping in touch with history. Is there any way that the old diamond crossing signs be used at that location?
If the old diamond crossing signs cannot be used. Maybe some kind of Older looking crossing gate?
Black an white arms? Ect.
It's only a pedestrian crossing. Which currently appears to be west of the proposed location and I don't recall it having gates now?

[MADDOG]

Very good eye Block, however as a businessman myself, since we have normal operating hours at both the display site (yard) and the Museum 's visitors center and are accepting cash, I guess we are an operating museum. alBEIT WITHOUT OPERATING EQUIPMENT
However you are still correct that we are not operating in the station as we are proposing. This will take some time as we are working on getting the funding.
I like your idea of the old time crossing signs and will bring it to the Town of Oyster Bay liasons officer that we work with, however, since this is an active LIRR line, the NYS DOT may NOT go with the idea or of the old time crossing gates.
BUT, ya never know!
MADDOG

[MADDOG]

From whence cometh the term, "Dog day afternoon"?

I think it has to do with the dog days of summer while I am panting for air while sweating up a storm!
or, could be something totally opposite!!
Thanks for the laugh Richard!!
MADDOG

[LIRR Agent - Retired]

I am glad to see the two museums working together to preserve LIRR history.

[Block Limit]

MadDog,
Thank you for considering that Idea. I just picked it out when looking out the renderings as it would only be "appropriate".
Being that the current crossing at this location is not fully protected at this time and the main entrance into the park is west of the current LIRR station. With an agreement with the town, railroad  and DOT, A waiver may be permissible. After all It's located on the lead into the yard. Something that is in a restricted speed (10MPH) area.
It's nice to see both museums coming together almost hand in hand.