Restoration Journal - June 2, 2010

The tender drawbar pin was removed on May 21, using a "Tiger Torch" to heat up the pin and Drawhead casting. As the pin was heated, we tried lifting it with a jack until it finally came loose. Once it was jacked up, it brought a bushing in the drawbar pin hole along with it, which had to be heated off, thus allowing us to remove the pin. In all, it took 3 continuous hours of heating to get the pin loose, but only used three pounds of propane. Three Cheers to Dave Spiegelman for this one (One per hour...).

Today saw another small work party getting 6167 ready for the impending move to the other side of the tracks. The retainer plate (after being sandblasted and primed) was reinstalled under the engine drawbar pin, and a "temporary" drawbar pin, originally devised for working on 6213 last year has been installed in place of the original drawbar pin to hold the drawbars in place for the time being.

Most of the day was spent cleaning around the drawhead castings on engine and tender, and vacuuming out the smokebox. There is still LOTS to do in both areas.

Also, the larger of the two Tender Tool Boxes was removed and an attempt was made to sandblast it, but it disintegrated (as we expected it would, there was obviously not a lot holding it together, and the same goes for 6213) so a new one will be made for 6167, and hopefully 6213, as the same firm is involved with both projects.

Finally, the new pad has been poured, ties and rails have been delivered, now its just a matter of letting the concrete cure laying some (plastic!) ties and rail, and it will be ready to accept the locomotive.

Left Side.

Right side showing gap. The cab numerals have been painted white for the time being so that they will be visible to the media and photographers during the move. Hopefully later on they will be painted Imitation Gold. Also note the patch that's been welded onto the side of the cab to cover a small hole that had rusted through (visible in photos of the engine while its being sandblasted and painted). We hope that this is temporary and will be removed, and a proper patch fitted into place, welded flush with the side of the cab and ground smooth. This is going to get in the way of the lettering that will be done one day.

View of radial buffer from the left side.

Retainer plate has been temporarily put back on the engine. Its been sand blasted and primed.

Tender drawhead casting looking down on pin hole with drawbar pin removed. You can see at top of hole where bushing was fitted. It actually came out with pin (when pin the was first raised). The bushing is shown in another photo.

Looking down at Dave Speigelman's temporary drawbar pin on engine. This was also used while working on 6213 last year. It actually does pass through both drawbars but does not quite touch retainer plate.

Looking up through pin hole in the tender drawhead casting with stoker clevis in view.

Tender drawbar pin, retainer and displaced upper bushing. Small nub indicates the bottom end.

Tender drawbar pin and engine drawbar pin for comparison. In the back are some parts that have been sand blasted and primed.

An amazing archeological find was made today. We have noticed previously while working on the engine drawhead casting, this piece of aluminum poking through a hole in the cradle (right by the drawhead casting) but could never remove it as it was wedged in good with crap. Today we tried harder and found that we could reach into the casting from above and grab it. The picture says it all. Note this is AFTER it was cleaned and straightened. We forgot to take a BEFORE photo but it was illegible and badly bent. Part of the workings were attached behind it. The dial used to be black, but all the paint has come off. Impressive, though how the needles have retained their paint.

Guelph's new public swimming pool! Actually, this is 6167's new home - the slab is poured and the water is used to cool it to help the curing process. The space the water is in is as deep as the ties, as that is where the ties will go. Looking southwest. This is the front end.

Ties are recycled composite plastic from Texas. Rail is 100 lbs. rail from Algoma Steel. The timbers are for ramp to be built over Guelph Subdivision for the float.

New slab looking northeast. This is the back end.