News from the 261 Shop

The shop has been a busy place lately with many volunteers showing up to get ready for our Spring excursions. Typically the pace will accelerate as the weather warms up and outdoor work becomes easier. For the last few weeks, work has centered around the installation of the rebuilt trucks under the 202. It is at least a day-long process to jack the end of the coach to obtain clearance for rolling the truck back underneath. Once the center of the bolster is correctly positioned below the coach the jacks can be lowered. Some adjustment to the car height may be required after the truck is in place and adding shims to the equalizer springs or a thicker pad between the equalizer and the bearing box is often sufficient. These have been significant improvements to one of the longest-serving coaches in the fleet and will make it fully Amtrak compliant.

Also on the 202: marker light housings have been added using some existing wiring on the car as well as a battery/charger to power the lights if the power should fail, the air line to the lavatory has been rerouted and the “B” end vestibule has been reworked.

On the 261, new arch bricks have been cast and will be installed this week when the arch is rebuilt. The grate bar supports have been cleaned and adjusted and the grate fingers reinstalled. A number of staybolts were replaced earlier in the month (typically 10-20 will be replaced every year, depending on condition) and the seal welding completed. The water glasses and pressure gauge will be inspected and installed in the next week preparatory to our first fire-up in early May.

Two upgraded bathrooms are near completion in one of the stainless-steel coaches and emergency escape windows have been upgraded. Last but not least, the Victorian ambience of the concession car has been improved with the addition of wainscoting opposite the serving counter.