The Oregon Railfan Podcast

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Rail Diamond in the Rough

After railroad cars have been restored and are shiny and beautiful, it is easy to forget what they looked like before restoration. The picture at left is of the smoke box of Oregon Rail and Navigation Engine 197 (OR&N 197). It is the most recent acquisition of Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation (ORHF).

Its restoration process is in the very early stages. As you can see, the smoke box door has been removed for cleaning and repair.
Notice the bolt holes around the rim. The boiler section normally bolted behind this smoke box is currently detached to install new insulation and to repair dents and recondition the metal.

The volunteers of ORHF will put in hundreds of hours of hammering, machining, cleaning, and repairing to find the railroad diamond beneath this now rusty engine of iron.

Once she is restored and able to run, the maintenance begins. Big steam engines with many moving parts, such as this locomotive, require lots of time and attention. ORHF relishes the challenge.

Their love of trains is evident in the detailed work involved in these restorations. Every bolt will be cleaned, metalwork repaired, and all rust removed. Then, after careful research to determine how this engine was first painted, ORHF will paint it to look as close to new as possible.

A lot of time and love go into these restorations. Think about that next time you ride a scenic railroad. Watching this process myself has left me more impressed than before.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Crater Greases the Human Wheels

For a railfan, visiting a roundhouse is among life's great pleasures. Being around others who speak "Train" is a real treat.

Another pleasure found at the local roundhouse is cat-in-residence, Crater. She is always at the roundhouse looking for attention and a nice scratch behind the ears. Petting her is good for me, and I hope she enjoys it half as much.


She is also a good excuse for strangers to talk about something other than the weather. I have met several great people who saw me petting her and meandered over to see her and say "Hello." How could you pass such a sweet kitty by?

According to Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation (ORHF) Vice President Robert Slover, Crater wandered onto the roundhouse grounds a couple of years ago and just made herself at home. The volunteers take turns feeding and watering her, as well as giving her lots of attention. She certainly seems relaxed and friendly, so they must be doing well by her.

Crater, for those who are curious, is not named for Crater Lake. She is named for the thick, dark brown grease which is used to lubricate locomotives' gear cases. It has the consistency of a thick cake batter and is about the color of Crater. Crater the cat smells much better, though.