Not everything we do at the R&GVRRM is easily visible or on a grand scale. Many times, the work we do is a series of small jobs that we hope result in small victories when we are done. Saturday, September 19th was no different.
While working on ex-Eastman Kodak Company #9 this year, it was discovered that the rubber shock mounts that hold the low oil pressure switch on the side of the engine block had failed.
A search for replacements was started. In many cases, we find that parts for locomotives made over 50+ years ago are make from a unique material first documented by Howard Pincus of the Railroad Museum of New England. It is called unobtanium, a material that is impossible to find anywhere. In this case, we were lucky. A check of the McMaster-Carr website turned up the exact replacement parts needed and at a very reasonable price. Thanks McMaster! Two were ordered, were quickly delivered, and in a small victory, installed by museum volunteer, Chris Hauf, on Saturday, 9/19.
A small job hidden behind the engine’s hood, but an important one to insure all of #9‘s safety systems are properly installed and properly working.
At the same time, more work was being done around the museum. RG&E #8 had just had all of its brake cylinders cleaned, rebuilt with all new rubber parts and reinstalled the Saturday before. Here we see one of the rebuilt cylinders waiting for the new pins to be installed to hook the piston push rod to the brake rigging. Rebuilding brake cylinders is another job that most would not be able to see that it took place, but an important job to insure #8‘s brakes are in perfect working condition.
While one may wonder on successive visits to our museum if anything changed or if any work was done, sometimes the work we do and the small victories we achieve are not easily seen, but are just as important to the success of the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum.