restor photo

Beginning of Workday # 1

07/28/2007 13 workers showed up to begin the restoration work. Standing, L to R, Don Thomas, James Bullock, Leta Feldmeier, Bob Hare, Dwight Skinner, Fred Flippen, Mike Stuckert, Don Garison. Kneeling, L to R, Dennis Wienck, Jerry Collins, Jason Blair, Mark Haire.

The Tree is cut down.

Jerry Collins cuts down the tree growing out of the top of the boiler section. That tree was our symbol of the hard times the 905 had fallen into.

Jason Blair cleaning the tender journal boxes.

Jason is cleaning the old oil soaked packing from the tender axels.

Bob Hare & Don Garrison removing journal box packing.

Fred Flippen & Jerry Collins removing the Engineer's side hand rail.

Engineer's Side Handrail coming down.

Tearing the hand rail into sections.

Bagging the small parts.

Removal of the red headlight left over from a Christmas lighting.

Fireman's side hand rail/electrical conduit coming down.

Dennis Wienck faithfully labels the parts.

Engineer's side Day 1, 07/28/07.

Day one removed parts are marked in red.

Fireman's side, 07/28/07

Parts removed are marked in red.

Beginning of day 2, 08/04/07

Fireman's side classification light.

Heating the stanchions.

Heating the hand railing stanchions to red hot made them come off like butter.

Unscrewing the stanchion.

The hand rail stanchions are mounted on threaded studs which in turn are threaded into the boiler.

Royce on the engineer's side.

Ready for transport.

The removed parts are ready for transport to storage.

Results of Workday 2, Fireman's side. 08/04/07.

Results of Workday 2, Engineer's side. 08/04/07.

Work day # 3, 08/11/07

From left to right: Bob Hare, Dwight Skinner, Don Garrison, Jerry Collins, Jason Blair, Roy Grabman, Mike Stuckert, James Almy, & Dennis Wienck, Leta Feldmeier taking photograph.

Jason Blair & Roy Grabman

...disconnecting bracket to steam supply pipe for front coupled cars.

Don Garrison & Bob Hare

...beginning work on engineer's side.

Fireman's side..

...Almy & Stuckert (on top) removing nuts to automatic speed control bracket..........(lower) Skinner, Wienck, & Blair putting some muscle to the steam pipe quick connect coupling.

24s were such great inventions.

Small Dynamo....

Stuckert removing retaining nuts for small dynamo....actual removal will wait until we have a lifting mechanism.

8 supervisors - 1 worker

or maybe just a rest break.

End of work day # 3

Engineer's side

End of Work Day # 3

Fireman's side

Work Day # 4, 09/01/07 Note the hole.

With most of the tubulars removed, one of the worst holes that hasn't been patched previously can be seen. 75% of the metal below the catwalk are patches.

Day 4 - Site Cleanup

The fenced in area is shared with the Kiwanis Kiddieland storage shed. We decided it was time to clean up the leaves and organize all the spare material laying around.

Day 4 Crew, earlier arrivals.

From left to right: Don Garrison, Mark Haire, Mike Stuckert, Dennis Wienck, Dwight Skinner. not shown: David Ballard & photographer Leta Feldmeier.

We filled 8 trashcarts.

One heavy pipe

Steam Pipe from above the catwalk is being lowed by straps to waiting volunteers.

Stuckert & Haire on the engineer's side.

You might notice that we labeled the "Fireman's Side" & "Engineer's Side" several places on the locomitive and tender. It kind of hurt our egos to do this, but it sure helps on communication. Not all the volunteers are familiar as to which is which.

Wienck labels tubes prior to removal.

End Day 4 - engineer's side

End day 4 - fireman's side

Work Day 5, 09/08/07

From left to right in front: Bob Hare, Mike Stuckert, John Haney, & Rick Duncan, on ladder: David Ballard

Removing air cooling coil.

John Haney helps guide the cooling tubes to the ground.

Break time.

Break time during lowering of air tank the slow way, using come-alongs. Future hint: make sure you have enough cable to get all the way to the ground.

One heavy son-of-a-gun.

Empty air tank retaining straps.

End of day 5, Fireman's side

Nothing accomplished this day on the engineer's side.

Day 6

Day 6 - Really Getting Into Your Work

Day 6

Day 7 Carman's Car Cart

This is an actual Rock Island Carman's Car Cart donated to our group. It is serving it's original function of holding tools for working on Rock Island equipment.