2009 Annual Report - the Seashore Trolley Museum

New England Electric Railway Historical Society
Conservation Report
Donald Curry, Manager of Restoration Shop and
Randy LeClair, Museum Workshop Technician
Highlights and issues of the
year
• Completion of restoration of ASL
100 and Wheeling 639
• Continuation of restoration of Denver
1, Connecticut 1160, Rochester
1213, Washington 1304, and Eastern
Mass. 4175 and 7005
• Resumption of restoration of Aroostook
Valley 70 and Rochester 1213
• Subcontractor for San Francisco
Municipal Railway No. 1’s seats
• Progress on the ADA lavatory
• Evolution of “Motor Madness” program
of traction motor monitoring,
maintenance, and rebuilding
• Reviving of “old technology” such as
babbitting and hot riveting.
• Exploration of “new technology”
such as applying tungsten burn tips
to copper controller segments for
longer life
• Installation of 24 inch Delta planer
and a complete woodshop dust collection
system
The year 2009 saw the completion of
our restoration of Atlantic Shore Line
locomotive 100 (1906). We started
the year by reuniting the cab with the
deck. We placed the now-rebuilt resistor
grids inside one of the hoods and wired
them into the car. Once in place, all major
electrical circuits were connected and
tested, including the fully-rebuilt K-35
controllers, switches, and light sockets.
The now-overhauled General Electric
CP30 air compressor went “on deck” next
Above: Posing in front of a nearly-complete New Haven, Connecticut 1160 are key members of its
restoration team: Shop Manager Donald Curry, Project Sponsor Roger Somers, Restoration Technician
Randy LeClair, and volunteer machinist Dean Look. The car was built in 1906 by John Stephenson. RS
in the other hood and the crew piped it
into the air system. After a series of tests,
several leaks were found and corrected.
Additional work to the cab included
refurbishing windows and doors. The cab
was finished by installing newly-fabricated
moldings and several coats of “Nut
Brown,” “Ochre,” and “Tile Red” paint.
Finishing a restoration involves chasing
many details. In the case of 100, this
included fabricating new sand hoppers
and covers, installing new canvas on the
hoods, and installing an accurate stove
system (including a pot-bellied model
and replica smoke-jack). Also important
was the lettering spelling out “Atlantic
Shore Line Railway.” (with the period
included at the end, accurate for the
restoration’s time frame). The “Laconia
Car Company” logo that adorns the righthand
section of the sill required a vinyl
decal to replicate. Dedicated volunteers
applied two coats of linseed oil to the
exterior decking, which surprisingly was
never painted. The portable Golden Glow
headlight received an overhaul and now
works very well.
A trip to our maintenance pit allowed us
to prepare the car for its dedication and
entry into service. Brake systems received
final adjustments, including to hangers
and shoes. Gear cases were bolted into
place and motor leads attached. After all
systems tested well, the locomotive was
checked for other clearance issues. It was
found that several air pipes had to be
re-routed and the slack adjusters proved
to be too low so these were raised. We
released the car to service September
25th for the formal celebration honoring
the history of the car, and numerous trips
were made on the main line for the benefit
of the project’s greatly-appreciated
supporters.
Above: Atlantic Shore Line locomotive 100
nears completion as final colors are applied.
JS
Above: Master woodworker Jim Mackell fastens newly formed roof ribs to Denver Birney No. 1. The
car is receiving extensive steel structural repairs in addition to the roof and interior refurbishing. DC
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