Weekend Report: Progress on Several Fronts including the Pyke Crane!

Click on each picture for a closer look!
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In the picture at the above left, we find Michael Guy admiring the progress that has been made on the development of the scale model of the TRHC's full size CLC Whitcomb diesel switcher with a cab and handrails having been added to the chassis. In the middle photo, Mike Salisbury shows pride in the beautifully machined filler cap systems that he developed for the Sweet Creek locomotive to replace the "drop in" caps that came with the locomotive. In the picture at right, we find our "caboose team" hard at work at restoring the cupola seats and completing the tracing of the lettering on the caboose so that we can't accurately duplicate it when the caboose is repainted.
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One of the most urgent new undertakings this weekend was to prepare the Pyke Crane for an imminent move to Roundhouse Park the following week. Michael Guy reports on the effort as follows:
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"Since we needed to lower the boom and rotate the cab for transport to Roundhouse Park, operation of the engine for a brief period was necessary. The engine is a Detroit Diesel two-stroke, 6V-92T (six cylinders, V arrangement and turbocharged) rated at 550 BHP.
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On Saturday, we worked over the engine to attempt to render it operational but success was mixed. We did start it after clearing a solid plug of ice inside the air intake and several hours of work replacing missing electrical parts. Cooling system problems quickly appeared due to other parts which we suddenly found also to be missing. This caused us to shut the engine down again rather smartly!
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On Sunday, we resumed our work on the Pyke Crane. We made running repairs to the cooling system and the hydraulics. "Persons unknown" had removed the radiator, radiator fan module and hydraulic oil cooler rendering the entire machine inoperable. We “kludged” together enough of a cooling system using hardware store ABS plumbing materials to allow coolant to be reintroduced to the engine. With no actual cooling going on (no radiator or fan) we were not really fully operational but we could quickly make the needed moves. By 3:00 p.m. we had all systems operating and had managed to place the controls in the proper positions so that nothing unexpected was going to happen as we shifted the crane to the needed configuration to allow it to be moved."
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In the picture at the left below we find the crane in the Don Yard waiting to be moved. In the middle picture, bolt holes are being drilled into the turntable bearing for the miniature railway facility. In the picture at the right below, we find Tom Murison's crew painting shingles in the Roundhouse as they continue to make progress on the restoration of Don Station.

Posting by Russ Milland; Pictures by Michael Guy and James Rasor
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