Compressed Air!

The big news for today is that I got the compressor running on the 319 and checked out the brake system.

It had operated at Cleveland, but the armature meggered only about 500K, which was worrisome. I started by mounting a space heater to blow hot air into the motor compartment to dry it out, as seen here. After a few hours it was to about 800K, which is better but still less than the desired 1M. I spoke to Bob Heinlein, who decided we should call Rich Block for his advice. Finally, at the end of the day we got up enough courage to start the compressor. It worked well, and we were able to test the brakes. Of course, there are some minor issues. The compressor will need new brushes soon; the governor works but needs to be adjusted; I found there's a missing handle for a brake pipe cutout cock, and the brake rigging will need some lubrication. But it's great to have air on the car. I didn't bring out a spare whistle, but both whistle valves appear to operate fine. Thanks to Bob for helping check out the system.

During the day, I attached two handrails that were already painted, and took the rest back to the Diesel shop for painting there. I lubricated and tested both controllers and the reverser, so the control system is ready. I removed the masking paper from the rest of the windows, so it will look better for visitors. I brought out another recovered seat cushion and installed it. And so on.

In other news, Tim is patching up the west end of the 1024. It had rotted out badly and was about to collapse. This is only a temporary fix, but should last until a complete restoration can begin.

And finally, as of 10AM the 409 was down to bare metal up to the letterboard on both sides, and Cody was industriously needle-chipping one end. He says they are planning to prime it on Sunday and paint it on Monday. So good progress is being made there!