Engine 557 Restoration Company
Progress Report April 2025

April 3, 2025 was clear and sunny as the Hurricane Turn passed the 557 Engine House and the crew came out to wave. Students from the King Tech High School were on board waving back. The smiling faces greeting passengers on the Alaska Railroad, have participated in the Alaska Railroad Tour Guide Program.

Still no snow and the month continued with only a few dustings. Finally the seagulls arrived and the trees are leafing out early. May 15th will bring the regular passenger schedule and Tourist Trains.

Once again The AuRoRa Private Car will provide a space for 20 dedicated Engine 557 supporters on board June 20, 2025 for a trip to Seward Alaska and back on the longest day of the year. Please come on board the AuRoRa Summer Solstice Under the Midnight Sun Special, that departs Anchorage at 6:45 a.m., and arrives in Seward about 11:30 a.m. You might stay on board while the train turns on the Y. A hard core railfan treasures rare mileage, traveling a route not normally available to passengers, and such is the case here. Under amazing solstice sunlight, conductor Vern Gillis keeps a sharp eye out as the Alaska Railroad's flagship Coastal Classic backs slowly into the wye in Seward. providing some rare mileage.

While in Seward, Casey Durand will again provide our Private Shuttle Bus, on call to get our guests around Seward and out on local tours.

Free admission to the world famous Seward Sea Life Center will be provided for the first 20 Guests to sign on.

The train departs Seward at 6 pm, North to Anchorage 112 miles away over the most spectacular scenery on the railroad. Wildlife moves in the evening sun, expect moose, black bear and on the Turnagain cliffs countless Ovis dalli, Dall sheep, to complete the trifecta. Swans, Sandhill cranes and other avians along the shore entertain guests. About 10:15 p.m. the AuRoRa will pass under what is left of Gorilla rock.

Trivia: AuRoRa is the last observation car, purpose built in North America.

Did I mention, in 2024, it was a beautiful cloudless day in the 70° range? Casey Durand took these two images of the 557 group on the Anchorage platform in the midnight sun, under the still cloudless sky at 11 pm.

For details read all about it here. Brice Douglas is once again our tour director for 2025.

Fred Meyer Kroger Stores report that 96 families directed their stores to contribute $82.88 to the benefit of Engine 557 Restoration Company in the first quarter of 2025. It is painless to participate and costs you nothing to direct Kroger Stores to donate to Engine 557. The Fred Meyer Community Rewards Program does all the work. Let’s set a goal of engaging another 96 families by next quarter!

What others say:

Dennis King with Steam Incorporated in New Zealand provided this image of a beautiful 40 Inch gauge train.
“I have attached a recent photo of current operational steam locomotive. A coal burning Mountain Class Ja, running Baker Valve gear, and weighing in at 108 tons. So probably a lot smaller than 557, I expect.”  This is one of four Steam Locomotive in their care. What do we have in common? Steam and a need for 32 volt, 250 watt headlights. 557 PYLE Enterprise solved that problem for both organizations.

The need for Positive Train Control (PTC) for 557 and our progress on installing the LeapTC system has been mentioned here and in our status reports a number of times. For an update on the use of PTC on steam locomotives, including 557, read this article by Lucas Iverson, Staff writer for Trains.com Note that 557 gets mentioned right up there with the big guys!

 

Back in the 557 shop details, details, details. Manifold Connections are being fine tuned and we discovered that we need two #0 sized U-Joints to connect the control rods to the valve handle for the two Pyle Turbo K240 generators we will have in use. We have turned to our Secretary, Dick Morris who has a home foundry where he will do lost wax castings of the six pieces to meet the order. Changing a few numbers in his printer should reduce the #1 size to the #0 we need.

Paul Dalleska leads the crew in creating all the specialty piping needed along with all the brackets and clamps to keep them secure. The latter usually start with 3/8” by 2” flat bar being heated in the forge and bent to purpose. The raw forging then goes to the sand blaster and belt sander to remove scale and any sharp edges.

Al Stienbeck indicates where the new bracket will fix the air pump exhaust to the side of the smoke box.

The front left sand pipe has a similar clamp with a U bolt. One needed additional detail here is a lug welded to the sand pipe to ensure that it is secured in the proper position to prevent it from dropping down and possibly contacting the rail.

All pipe is stripped of scale and paint Then it is off to the paint shop. Fittings and prepared pipe are all wiped down with brake clean prior to primer. Clova Prime Gray covers the entire piece and in about 2 hours a coat of Armour Shield black completes the job.

The Nigata milling machine donated by Roteq Alaska is already in production, having arrived just in time to resurface the valve guides. The valve guide surface is about 6.5” wide and the tool is 8” in diameter. Terry Douglas and Jerry Cunnington set up the work piece and Terry posted this YouTube video of the process. A very respectable finish was obtained.

Board member Terry Stefani and his wife Karen hope to welcome visitors on board the AuRoRa for the Summer Solstice trip again this year, all in the good hands of Conductor Vern. All proceeds go to putting engine 557 on Track.

With all the warm weather, 557 has been smiling out the door, proving there is light at the end of the tunnel. First fire here we come.

Patrick Durand
President Engine 557 Restoration Company

 

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