Boss visit

Jeff and Janice, the owners of the Squamish project, have been carefully watching the progress of the locomotive build along with everyone else. They were watching from Squamish where they have been very busy working on the groundwork for the new golf, now only months away.

Today, Jeff and Janice were in the area on business and phoned to ask for an inspection. We were more than happy to oblige. They loved what they saw. They were very excited to see pieces of their dream come to life.

I appreciated their visit and the lively discussion of things to come. It is full speed ahead.

-grampa dan

Adding the BLING

BLING is normally shiney and bright but on an old steam engines it is rusty. The hardest item to source on the train so far has been rusty chain. These days the chain in every store I've been is is galvanized, plated or adonized to keep it from rusting. I want OLD chain and the rustier the better. I've been stopping in at all kinds of places, looking for used chain. I've found a bit so far and have feelers out for a bunch more.

The chain stashed on the old engines would have been looped over the bumpers and grab rails, handy for when a tree fell over the tracks or a log needed yarding from near the right of way. I hung the chain appropriately and then carefully welded it into place.

Up in the cab, the guages were glued into place on the pipes. I'll be painting and aging them in place.

There's lots more bling and detail to come. Stay tuned...

-grampa dan

Running gear complete

That big pile of cut pieces of Precision Board is getting smaller all the time. Today the last of the pieces for the running gear of the Shay steam engine was fastened in place, painted and then rusted to look like it had been there for the last hundred years. It sure felt good to get off the floor at last.

The back side of the engine is much plainer than the business side. We'll still dress it up with lots of rivets and accessories. I also have to make the 'wooden' doors with the numbers as well.

Hopefully tomorrow the big smokestack is ready along with a few other pieces. it won't be long now until this engine is loaded onto the trailer to get ready for it's journey up the road to WhistlePunk Hollow Adventure Golf.

-grampa dan