Year 2002
Friends of 169 Updates
Chamber Connections Newsletters
September 2002
Main Rods
Well, it is time for another update on the work of the Friends of The 169. This month some work was accomplished on the Locomotive itself. The Main rods were disconnected to allow for the movement of the Locomotive into the pavilion when it is completed. There is still much work yet to be done but the process is under way! As always please feel free to join us on the first Saturday at 10:00 AM for a work session.
Charles W. Proudfoot,
President, Friends of the 169
October 2002
Russell Dodds
This month the authorship and subject of this column is different. The subject is about a reality that we all experience. It is the heart of the cycle we call life. One of our workers on the 169 died unexpectedly last month, and I wanted to take some time this month introduce him to you and share some of his dedication to the task at hand.
Russell Dodds was 61; he had just retired from a job of repairing and recharging fire extinguishers for Valley Lock and Security here in Alamosa. Russell showed up early in the process of getting the Locomotive ready for a gross hydro test to see if the boiler was good enough to return to service. He shared with us that his father Tom Dodds, and engineer for the D and RGW had operated this very Locomotive during its service years, and he wanted to see her run again. Russell returned each first Saturday of the month. For over three years! He did not know much about a steam locomotive, but he was very willing to learn. He took on any job and worked tirelessly to get it accomplished. He was one of the first to earn his 100-hour of service pin. (In fact he was at his death eligible to receive his second pin for over 200 hours of volunteer service.)
Each time we reached a crossroads Russell was there. When we removed the valve chest cover on the engineers side to discover not only a set well polished valve seats, but steam oil in place keeping the rust at bay, Russell remarked, “she sure wants to run.” Indeed one of the reasons that the 169 is in such good shape is that over the years many unknown and unnamed persons have performed acts of care and service for the Locomotive. It is the work of these who have gone before that allows us to return the Locomotive to service in the present day.
Today I want to add the name of Russell Dodds to that unnamed group of lovers of the 169 over the years. Russell, you have made a difference! We who have worked along side you will miss you and your dedication to the common task. We will miss your humor and observations of all things railroad; we will miss your sense of humor. But we will remember your dedication to the task at hand, and we will remember you with fondness when the 169 takes to the rails again!
The concluding lines of a railroad man’s prayer go like this, “…..As we make our last run headed homeward, if it be Your will, order our train in on time. Let the light of Your promises burn bright to light the last dark tunnel of death. As we run through the Grand Central Station of the skies, may we have the approving smile of the General Manager and the Superintendent, sign with joy the pay roll and receive our wages and have an eternal layoff with God and Angels and loved ones at home.” Have a good layoff Russell.
The family has asked that gifts to further aid in the restoration of 169 be given to the Friends of 169. We have set up a special fund to receive those gifts and will keep track of where the money is used. You may mail them to friends of the 169, Cole Park, Alamosa, CO 81101. Or you may donate by credit card at our website, www.friendsof169.org.
In other news the Pavilion is progressing well. The current plans call for a dedication on December 2nd and moving the B-1 into the pavilion in January after the Christmas lights are taken down. This will be the last year to see the train lighted in its current location! Plans call for the B-1 to be moved in January. The tender to leave us for a complete rebuilding to be returned at the end of April, at that time it will be placed in the pavilion followed by the Locomotive.
The Watercolor by John Coker continues to be on display at San Luis Valley Federal Savings. Sign ups are available to reserve a print of the picture. Please help the friends by reserving a print! As always your volunteer time is appreciated the first Saturday of each month at 10:00 AM at the train!
Charles W. Proudfoot,
President, Friends of the 169
November 2002
Pavilion Up-date
Pavilion Dedication
The big news this month is the dedication of the pavilion at noon on the second of December! Plan to attend! The mayor, the incoming president of the Chamber of Commerce, and members of the Friends of the 169 Board will all be in attendance. This is a real milestone in the Friends and the Alamosa Chamber’s goal of restoration, preservation, and interpretation of the Locomotive, Business car B-1, and Alamosa’s rail history.
The other big news is that the reservations for the limited signed and numbered prints of the 169 locomotive are reaching the point where the prints can be ordered! If you have not reserved your print or prints yet, do so soon! (Oh, would they make great Christmas gifts!!) Reservation Forms can be picked up at Vectra bank, where the original will be on display in December, at SLV Savings in Alamosa, at the Chamber office, or you can see Allan Young at Safeway.
The next steps are exciting as well! Currently it is planned that right after New Years Business car B-1 will make its journey from beside the Library, to the pavilion. The tender (the car behind the Locomotive), will be loaded on to a trailer to be shipped to Ely Nevada, where Steam Operations Corp. will completely restore it! It will return to Alamosa in late April and be moved into the pavilion. THEN locomotive169 will make the trip across the street to finish the move. UNLESS, and this is big unless, enough money has been raised by then to begin major Restoration of the Locomotive itself! That restoration will take place right here in Alamosa, it is hoped in a place that you can watch the progress.
As always, you can help! Consider giving a 169 promotional item for Christmas this year, (don’t forget the prints!) items are for sale in the Chamber office and at Safeway. Consider working on the restoration process by coming by the train on the first Sat. of the month at 10:00 AM there is always something to do!
Until next month Four Shorts.
Charles W. Proudfoot,
President, Friends of the 169
December 2002
Coker Signed Prints
B-1 Move to Pavilion
Tender Restoration
Extra 169 West Print artists signing on January 5th!
As we shared last month the pre-sales of the 169 prints has gone better than anticipated, and prints were ordered in December. The artist, John Coker, will be signing the numbered prints right here in Alamosa on Sunday January 5th from ____ to ___ at the Comfort Inn. If you pre-ordered a print you can pick it up at the signing! You can also purchase a print at the signing.
January 5th just begins the activities at the train this month! On Monday Jan 6th work will begin on the moving of the train into the pavilion. Steam Operations Corp. will start by moving the B-1 on to a trailer and then over to the pavilion and unloading it. The tender will be loaded on to a truck for shipment to Ely, Nevada for a complete overhaul and restoration. The loading will be done by Wed. Jan. 8th. We anticipate the tender to return at the end of April, when it will be unloaded into the pavilion. Then the Locomotive will follow the tender into the pavilion.
Charles W. Proudfoot,
President, Friends of the 169
Year 2003
Friends of 169 Updates
Chamber Connections Newsletters
January 2003
The Great Train Move – B-1 Business Car Moved Into Pavilion
Tender Moved to Restoration Facility
“I can’t believe it!” Were the words that were said. “Believe what?” was the response, “how everyone works together.” Was the reply. Indeed everyone did work together. As Business car B-1 was prepared for lifting, lifted, placed on the trailer, backed into the pavilion, and winched into place. (Boy, that sounds easy on paper!) No one worried about what “union” was to do the work; no one said that it was not their job, no one complained about lapses in timing.
The Community that is Alamosa came together and moved its train. That includes those who did the hands on work and supplied equipment and supplies, Alcon Construction, (the crane) Southway Construction, (the truck and driver) Asphalt Contractors Inc., (the trailer, at the last minute!) and Layton towing (for that final “pull” we needed!) But in addition it was those who watched and cheered the workers on! Estimates are that as many as 300 people watched some of the process. (Or in a few cases all of the process) You are all “community “and it is your train! Don’t forget that!
From the friends of the 169 a great big thank you for all of your spirit and help!! We even liked the “teasing”. One person in the crowd shouted as we finished unloading the car into the pavilion, “It is in backwards!” To which we replied, “you are right!” “I was just teasing” the person said, but they were right. The car has been displayed backwards for all of the time it has been on display in Alamosa. When the car ran in the special train it was built for, the handrail end of the car was placed toward the engine. The closed vestibule opened to the other two cars in the train, allowing the porters to take food and spirits to the VIP’s riding. But never fear, we will always display the car “backwards”
The tender has made its trip to the restoration facility and has been disassembled, we have discovered that the frame of the tender had only 2”of good timber left. (That is what is left of a 6” by 12” beam!) The tender will be returning during the last part of April and will be a sight to behold. After the tender is back the locomotive will be moved to the pavilion. As they say stay tuned for details!
As always lend a hand! Workdays are the first Saturday of the month at 10:00 AM at the train. The work will focus on getting the locomotive ready for the move in April, so come on down! (A cheering section is always welcome!)
Remember to purchase a print of the 169 picture and to wear a T-shirt, embroidered shirt or a cap! Each of these items and the mugs and cups help with the restoration process. All are available at the chamber office or at Safeway.
Until next month, four shorts.
February 2003
Tender update
This month the major work on the 169 is being done away from Alamosa, so here is an update as of Feb.20th. The Tender has been dissembled into its component parts. These are the tank, (which holds the water needed to make steam); the frame, made of wood most of which was bad, and the “running gear”, which includes the trucks, (which hold the wheels, axles, journals, and bearings), and the brake system, (most of which was removed when the locomotive was placed on display at the New York world’s fair.)
The tender fame, as was reported last month, is mostly rotted away and is currently being replaced. Most of the “running gear” has been inspected, and shows signs of major wear while the locomotive was in service on the railroad. The good news is that the wear can be repaired. The tender trucks had several of the springs, which were broken, and these have been re-manufactured and are currently in route to the rebuild facility.
One of the big pieces of news is that the wheels, which are made of cast iron, have been inspected and are free of defects. We were thinking of replacing them with cast steel wheels, (which are required on railroad equipment used in “interchange service” [that is running on more than one railroad] but not mandated for us.) However when the cost was figured in it would more than double the restoration costs. So we decided to leave the iron wheels in place.
Another area of the restoration process that is taking a major amount of time is the re design of the brake system. As was noted earlier, the D&RGW shops removed the brake system when they prepared the locomotive for display. The parts for the brake system that the locomotive carried are no longer available, so a more modern system must be adapted. This is being done right now with great success! One of the items that will need to re-manufactured is the air tank that will set on the top of the tender just as it did when the locomotive was in service. The specifications for that tank have been located and match the specifications for the new brake system. So the new tank will look just like the old one.
The question is what is this entire going to cost? The final estimates look like there will be about a 23% increase in the projected costs for this phase of the work. Up some but not out of the range of costs anticipated at the beginning of the project.
While all of this is going on work must still be one ton the locomotive to prepare it for the move to the pavilion in April. Workdays are the first Sat of the month starting at 10:00 AM. Join us! And as always, if you do not feel you can work, feel free to come and visit and watch.
Until next month, four shorts.
June 2003
Train Day
This month includes train day and we the Friends of the 169 are planning to do our part. The business car B-1 will be open for tours, (the locomotive will not be open for tours this year.) The sales of the print of the 169 continue, the original is on display at Alamosa National bank. Prints are on display at other business locations around town. As always the prints are for sale at the chamber of Commerce office along with other 169 related merchandise. We will keep you posted as the work on the tender progresses and advise you of plans for its return.
Until next month four shorts.
July 2003
Train day a success for the Friends of the 169
Tender Work Continues
Train day was a great success for the Friends first on the lost is the fundraiser for the Friends by Ron Atencio and his Fairmont track “speeder” the rides were a hit with who participated and Ron graciously donated $181.00 from the rides to the Friends for further restoration work. Thanks Ron! We had over 50 visitors to the pavilion and business car B-1. And all had a great time.
The restoration work on the tender continues, with the return date being determined, at this point, by the scheduling of sub contracting work. It seems, as we were well aware, that most work cannot be done in the summer because of contractors work on their own equipment. Work is progressing though more slowly than we had hoped.
As always you can help by purchasing a print of the 169 or a shirt or mug, all available at the chamber office. And help is welcome on the first Sat of the month at the train itself. Come on by and lend a hand. We can find something for you to do, or tell you a story at least!
Until next month, Four shorts.
August 2003
169 doing paperwork!
This month all the activity regarding the restoration of the 169’s tender is in the paper work! Paper work is necessary in any endeavor so we try to get it done in the timeliest fashion. The interesting thing is that we had to submit pictures of all the repairs needed on the tender before we could receive any funding for the repairs. But most of the cost of repairing is in the disassembly! We have now completed that part of the job, and the pictures and plans for the needed repairs have also been submitted. The photos of before work have been approved and the plans are currently under review. As soon as those plans are accepted, which we expect them to be with out exception, we will be able to proceed with more restoration.
As always you can help! Join the workday the first Sat of the month at 10:00AM, buy a shirt, mug, print, or make a donation. Be excited about your locomotive number 169, she is a national treasure!
Until next month four shorts.
September 2003
Paperwork done!
Last month we told you that we were trying to get the paperwork done so we could start the reconstruction again. This month we can report that the paperwork is done! (At least for now, and we hope we will not miss any future deadlines!) There is a lot of work involved in starting up work again, and we are having a phone meeting with our contractor to set the schedule in place. A couple of months ago in this space I told you that once construction came to a stop we might have some difficulty starting it up again. That prompted a phone call from the contractor telling me that they were not the reason for the work being stopped, and indeed they are not. The work had to be stopped because of the funding paperwork. We are expecting continued great effort from our contractor in getting the ball rolling again. While it is to early to tell you the exact timeline, we are confidant that the tender will be in place in time for Christmas this year.
The first week of September most of the 169 Board will attend the National Narrow Gauge Convention in Denver. This group, which meets every year somewhere in the country and attracts people from all over the world, is one of our most ardent and biggest financial supporters. Alamosa is known the world over as the Narrow gauge capital of the world, and there is much interest and enthusiasm for the 169. they will be pleased to see the video of the moving of the B-1 into the Pavilion, and the work that has been accomplished so far.
As always you can help with the restoration by purchasing a print of the 169 or a shirt or mug, all available at the chamber office. And help is welcome on the first Sat. of the month at the train itself. Come on by and lend a hand. We can find something for you to do, or tell you a story at least! Until next month, Four shorts.
October 2003
Denver Narrow Gauge Convention
Larry Johnson – new Board Member
Pavilion and Tender Work Continue
The big news this month is the attendance by some of the 169 board of the National Narrow Gauge Convention in Providence Rhode Island September 4 thru 7th. In addition to seeing many members of the Friends, Board members Melody Johnson and Chuck Proudfoot had the privilege of displaying for the first time the watercolor painting “Extra 169 West” by John Coker. (It is a painting of the 169 ready to leave the Alamosa Station, with the business car B-1 in tow.) It will be on display at various places around town, check here for the schedule next month.
The original water color will be auctioned off late in 2003, as a fund raiser. Before that happens however, we are planning to have prints made and sold also as a fundraiser. We are taking reservations for the prints now, Limited to 250, they will be signed and numbered by John. The prints are going to be sold for $5.00, if you reserve now, with a $10.00 dollar deposit, you can select your print number! (first come first served!) We hope to have enough reservations to cover the cost of printing by the end of the year, so if you are interested please sign up now! Reservation forms are available at the Chamber and at various places where the original will be displayed around town. Watch this space for details!
The Narrow Gauge Trust fund met with our board members at the convention and received an update on all the progress made. The Fund granted us an additional $2,800. for our work for which we are truly grateful.
Work continues on the pavilion as you can see each day, and we are eagerly awaiting its completion! Keep up the good work all of you are engaged in the construction!
There is more to share but the space is running short,… so watch for next month’s installment! National Narrow Gauge Convention a Success
The month of September started off with a bang with most of the 169 Board of directors in attendance (at their own expense) at the largest gathering of Narrow gauge enthusiasts in the United States. This group comprises the largest base of support for the restoration of the 169 that is gathered in a single location each year. This year the convention was in Denver, and there were over 1700 registrations from around the United States and 15 foreign countries. People attended from every continent of the world. (We answered questions from several of them!) Our booth, which had a mock up of the 169’s cab as its theme, was well attended with many questions being asked. We were informed of and received an additional $5,000 grant from the Narrow Gauge Trust Fund toward restoration efforts!
In addition to all of the interpretive work of the Board our newest board member Larry Johnson had the time to enter several photos in the photo contest, and one was selected as the second place winner in the Black and White prototype section of the show. Congratulations Larry!
Work is scheduled to start again soon on the tender of the 169, but we are sad to report It will probably not make it back to Alamosa in time for the Christmas decorations this year. However, we are planning some changes in the way the train is decorated because of the new pavilion, more on that next month.
As always you can help! Join the workday the first Sat of the month at 10:00AM, buy a shirt, mug, print, or make a donation. Be excited about your locomotive number 169, she is a national treasure. That is what we used to say; we now know that she is an international treasure!
Until then, Four Shorts.
Year 2004
Friends of 169 Updates
Chamber Connections Newsletters
March 2004
Coker’s watercolor “Extra 169 West” ready to leave station
The watercolor original artwork “Extra 169 West” is going on the auction block. The work done by John Coker is being auctioned as fundraiser for the friends of the 169, by sealed bid on June 19, 2004, “train day” in Alamosa. If you wish to place a bid you may do so by sending it to Wall, Smith, Bateman & Associates Inc., Attention Larry Pochardt, 700 W. Main St. Alamosa Co 81101. Minimum bid is $750.00 and Larry must have received all bids by 5:00 PM Monday June 14, 2004.
As you know The Friends have been selling prints of the painting for some time now, here is your chance to own the real thing. The prints are still available and can be purchased at the chamber office for $45.00.
The Painting is on display at Kavleys if you wish to take a closer look at it. Until next month, four shorts.
April 2004
169 restoration back on “track”
Tender Tank Repair Costs More – Tender Trucks
There have been no 169 articles in Chamber Connections for the last few months because there has been no new activity to report. At last there is news to share! The next phase of tender restoration is ready to begin. We have restored the tender trucks and frame, but the tender tank itself was going to cost more that the funds in our account from the Colorado State Historical Fund. It has taken 6 months, but we have received, as of Friday March 26th the additional funding to complete the tender tank restoration. Work will begin again as soon as it can be scheduled. We are hoping to have the completed tender back to Alamosa in time for Train day on June 19th. We want to be very clear that is a hope and our goal, but much will now depend on when the actual work can be scheduled.
The friends are going to sell, by sealed bid, the original watercolor “Extra 169 West” on train day this year. If you wish to place a bid you may do so by sending it to Wall, Smith, Bateman & Associates Inc., Attention Larry Pochardt, 700 W. Main St. Alamosa Co 81101. Minimum bid is $750.00 and Larry must have received all bids by 5:00 PM Monday June 14, 2004.
The Friends are also selling prints of an original watercolor, as a fundraiser for locomotive restoration. The prints, limited to 500, are numbered and signed by the artist, are available for $45.00 from the Friends at the chamber office.
Until next month (We promise!) Four Shorts
May 2004
Tender Work picks up again
Finally! All of the funding is in place; our contractor has us back on the production schedule! We are moving again on the tender for the 169. The tender trucks and fame are completed and the drawings for a brand new tender tank are done. The contractor has ordered the steel. (Which by the way is going to be much more expensive due to the war in Iraq.) We should have the tender done in the next two months. (This assumes that the steel is available at any price.)
It is interesting to note that the 169 was donated to the city in April of 1941, if it had not been donated then, and had not arrived until after Dec. 7 of that year, it would have not been donated at all. The Denver and Rio Grande sold any scrap available to aid the war effort. Paying some extra for the steel to restore her now is a small price to pay for having her in the first place. The tender fame was restored in Nevada and the tender tank will be manufactured in Kentucky, with the parts shipped to Alamosa for final assembly. So watch for activity around the pavilion.
As always think about a cup or print, (or bidding on the original watercolor) or a shirt, (all the shirts now have pockets!) to help us in our fundraising. Until next month, four Shorts. (A whistle signal for “what do you want me to do now?)
July 2004
Tender Tank Frame nearing final inspection
Well it is time for our monthly update. There is progress to report! The tender tank is taking shape, with most of the steel cut out and test fitted together. The rivets should be installed in another week and then it will be ready to be painted. Shipment will follow soon afterward. The tender frame is nearing final inspection and should be ready to have the tank mounted on it when it is completed. We are eager with anticipation to have the tender rebuilt and back in Alamosa.
Watch this space for updates! As always think about the locomotive in your planned purchases. Shirts, mugs and prints of the watercolor “Extra 169 West” are available at the Chamber office.
Until next month, Four shorts.
September 2004
169 tender continues to take shape
Checking in once again with the monthly update on the tender progress. As of August 10th the tender tank has been riveted and is in the process of being checked for leaks. The next step is riveting the top on and then the tank will be painted. A change from last month is that we will paint the tender tank in Alamosa! It will be shipped to us in primer. We are looking for people who would like to be considered for that job. If you are interested please call the Chamber office 719-589-3681 and ask for Pat.
At this time we are working on a timeline for final assembly and placement in the pavilion, but no firm date has yet been finalized, however, we are getting closer!
The end of August, several of the 169 Board Members were in attendance at the National Narrow Gauge Convention in Santa Clara CA. This is a time for reporting the years activates and renewing acquaintances with folks from around the world who are following the progress of the restoration from far away. (Details of the convention in next month’s report.)
As always, think about the locomotive in your planned purchases, Shirts mugs, prints of the watercolor “Extra 169 West” are all available at the Chamber office.
Until next month, Four shorts.
October 2004
National Narrow Gauge Convention in Santa Clara, CA, a success
As in past years we had a booth at the NNGC convention in Santa Clara CA Sept. 1 thru the 4. Pat Skroch, Melody Johnson, and President Chuck Proudfoot represented our Board. Scot Proudfoot and Bill Hilbert were also in attendance. We passed out the new Friends Calendar for 2004-05 and answered questions about he progress of the restoration. We auctioned off the original watercolor by John Coker, “Extra 169 West” for $750.00. The winning bidder was Joe Vandermark of Macomb IL. We also received word that the Narrow Gauge Trust Fund had voted to allocate $5,000.00 to us pending our providing them with a specific use for the funds. We also renew and received memberships during the convention.
Our display was larger this year. In addition to the 169 original watercolor we had farmed copies of the print displayed. Several artifacts were also on display, the whistle, a pop safety, and the throttle valve casting. One person even accused us of trying to show off the whole engine, one piece at a time! (Not a bad thought, although the boiler would be a little difficult!) Also present this year was a HO model of the 169 running back and forth across the table. Southern Colorado Sign Co made and donated a display showing our categories of membership and extolling the virtues of the project. Thanks to Bill Hilbert for that addition to our booth! As usual we sold “Extra 169 West” prints, shirts, mugs, postcards and anything else we could think of. We also saw the pre-production model of PBL’s Sn3 model of the T-12 at their booth, (or more correctly, in their room). It is a beautiful model in keeping with PBL’s tradition. Look for it to be out soon!
November is fast upon us and the train will be lighted for Christmas again this year. We look forward to the season with the locomotive and tender having joined the B-1 in the pavilion. Remember there is always work to do, or stories to swap, the first Saturday of the month at 10:00 AM at the Chamber office. Plan to join us! As always there are prints, shirts, mugs, hats, and coffee cups for sale in the Chamber office.
Until next month, four shorts.
December 2004
Train Update
The train is lighted for Christmas this year with the tender and locomotive joining the B-1 in the Pavilion. All are back together in their new home! The tender will not receive its final coat of paint and lettering until the weather warms up again in the spring, but the end is almost in sight! Some have asked, “What is the tank on the top of the tender?” That is the main air reservoir; it was taken off of the locomotive when it went to the New York World’s Fair in 1939, so that it would look like an older locomotive. In order to operate on any railroad, the 169 needs brakes, so the air reservoir was re-installed where it had been in the past.
We want to also acknowledge some additional gifts from the 24th National narrow Gauge Convention. We wish to thank Jim Vail, Gary Schrader, and Eric Bracher all members of the convention committee, for choosing to share with us a portion of the proceeds from the convention activities, the amount received from these people totaled $3,143.20 Thanks again!
To those of you right here in Alamosa, here is a way you can help out the restoration effort. If you have an account at San Luis Federal Savings, sign the friends of the 169 up as a recipient of a share of the $25,000.00 charitable donation for the Christmas season! Just pick up a registration form at the bank and list us as a recipient. It is quick and helps us so much!
Always remember Prints, mugs, shirts, and postcards in your Christmas gift giving plans! As always the first Sat of the month at 10:00 AM at the Chamber office is our work session! (This time of year it is really a talk session!) Plan to join us! Last, but certainly not least, have a very Merry Christmas!
Until next time, Four Shorts Connections 2004