Build Locomotive 11: March 2025 UpdateOur latest Build 11 work session was held on February 18 - 20. Brendan Barry and Jason Lamontagne picked up driving wheels, axles and counterweights from Mountain Machine Works in Auburn, Maine and transported them to Millinocket Fabrication and Machine on Tuesday where they were joined by Quentin Bethune and Rick Sisson. Preliminary inspection of the axles was performed and additional work identified. On Wednesday MFM personnel – Robert, Rodney and Gary joined us in the fabrication shop and prepared their 200 ton hydraulic press to press our wheels and counterweights onto the driving axles. These guys were great to work with, took pride in their work and treated our components with care.
After getting fixturing in place on the press, and modifying keys for us, the gang pressed the first pair of wheels and it was lunch time. After lunch the remaining wheels and counterweights were pressed in less than an hour and a half. Brendan and Jason then brought the driving wheel assemblies back to Mountain Machine Works where the quartering will be checked and crankpins turned to final dimensions. We plan to install our tires (finished by Mountain Machine Works) during the WW&F Railway Spring Work Weekend.
This photo shows an overall view of the press:
Rodney, Gary and Robert (l-r) from Millinocket Fabrication and Machine:
One of the keyways – we put each key outside (in the snow) for a while to shrink the key:
We took care to ensure perpendicular alignment to the axle:
Pressing the counterweights:
Pressing the second wheelset:
On Thursday, Quentin turned an aluminum fixture plate that he will use to bore and turn the valve gear eccentrics. Quentin also brought back the cylinder heads that he worked on at home:
Harold Downey has also been developing a fixture to accurately position the shoes and wedges for machining. Harold has completed his tram measurements with which he can complete the shoes and wedges.
Noah MacAdam has continued to work on the lead truck journal boxes as seen here:
In other news...Rick started to form part of the fire ring we will use to install the driver tires during the Spring Work Weekend: April 25-27, 2025.
Gordon Cook has been refining our 3D locomotive model so that the team can determine the center of gravity and weight on wheels so that we can specify and order the suspension springs.
Jason and Rick have reviewed and revised the main and parallel rod models and drawings and are prepared to send these components to outside machine shops for quotation.
Our 2025 fundraising - $120,000 challenge to put Build 11 On the Fast Track - is well underway. To date we have received $33,313 which will be MATCHED by an anonymous member, bringing us to 56% of the $120,000 goal for 2025.
Recent donations included an unsolicited check for $10,000 and $1309 from Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (in appreciation of our CMO, Jason Lamontagne assisting Maine Locomotive & Machine Works in repairs on a locomotive just a tad larger than no. 11.)
Remember, you can donate directly by check to the museum, use a credit card to donate through the gift shop, PayPal, or you can go to
www.build11.org.
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