November 2023 Update

Again, a great deal of progress was made during our October 25-27 work session and we are grateful for the skills and talents brought to the project by our dedicated volunteers. The Build 11 team focused on fitting the cylinder castings to the forward frame. We began by identifying a 0.002” space between the castings and frame rail – we needed this space to disappear. Noah MacAdam led the effort to precisely fit the cylinder castings to the forward frame during which we identified fit interferences, hoisted the cylinder castings clear of the frame, filed high spots in the frame and then lowered the castings. This evolution was repeated several times until we were satisfied the fit was perfect; and our effort consumed a whole day in the shop. Noah’s skills and expertise were crucial to obtaining a perfect fit.

Quentin Bethune spent this work session preparing axle stock for the rear truck. He was able to true up each axle and machine them to length, and has started to machine the finished contour on the first axle. Quentin has a lot of machining experience which is accelerating our progress.

Our 2023 fundraising is proceeding well. To date we have received a total of $44,214 (88% of the $50,000 goal for 2023.) Only $5,786 left to go! Remember, every dollar counts, and we need your help to keep up the momentum. 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: http://www.build11.org/

October 2023 Update

Exciting news! Our cylinder castings have arrived. We absolutely wish to thank our friends at Mountain Machine Works in Auburn, Maine for doing an outstanding job machining our cylinder castings.

Additionally, a great deal of progress was made during our October 4-6 work session. Harold Downey had machined the rear truck side bearings during the interval between work sessions and Noah MacAdam machined new fitted bolts in his home shop to be used to join the cylinder half-saddles.

On Wednesday Gordon Cook completed machining the rear frame fitted bolts and Rick Sisson ground and filed a fillet on each side of the forward frame to receive the cylinder castings.

Thursday Harold and Rick reamed the cylinder castings to receive eight fitted bolts which were individually fit and driven home by Noah; these rigidly tie the left and right halves of the cylinder assembly together. At the same time Gordon was completing installation of the rear frame fitted bolts. Gordon and Noah were able to use the Monarch and Victor lathes simultaneously to complete machining the fitted bolts; this demonstrates the value of having two lathes in service for busy Build 11 days. At the same time, Harold was using the horizontal mill to machine the lead truck equalizer pedestal.

At the end of the day, the Build 11 crew, aided by Bill Steussy and Ken Steeves, hoisted the cylinder assembly, turned it over and placed it upside down on blocking in preparation for further work. Meanwhile, Jason Lamontagne designed and fabricated a fixture to hold our riveting buck in place so that we could finish riveting the gusset plates to the rear frame.

Friday morning the entire crew supplemented by Jeff Schumaker, Bob Longo and Brendan Barry was able to successfully drive the remaining rivets in the rear frame gussets. New this session, we preheated the material that would receive the rivet; this change to our process worked out quite well as each rivet cooled more slowly than before providing us more time to form the rivet head.. The setup worked so well we proceeded to drive the remaining rivets tying the forward frame to the front bunter brackets. Gordon drilled and tapped the bottom of the cylinder casting to receive the lead truck equalizer pedestal while Harold was finishing up machining the same pedestal. Gordon also drilled and tapped a number of holes which will provide live- and exhaust-steam passage drains. The cylinder assembly was next flipped right-side-up, raised by overhead cranes and set in place on the forward frame.

Our 2023 fundraising is proceeding well. Over $4,600 has been contributed in memory of former Build 11 team member G. Wayne Laepple. To date we have received a total of $ 42,978 (86% of the $50,000 goal for 2023.) Only $7,022 left to go! Remember, every dollar counts, and we need your help to keep up the momentum. 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: https://www.build11.org/

September 2023 Update

A Build 11 milestone was achieved during the August 15-17 work session. The locomotive’s front and rear frames were moved to the northern end of bay 2, raised on blocking and screw jacks and readied for joining! After two days of meticulous alignment and leveling, the first four fitted bolts were machined and installed, thereby pinning the joint. Noah, Gordon and Quentin developed an efficient procedure for fabricating the required countersunk fitted bolts. Each hole needs to be match drilled, reamed, reverse spot faced and countersunk. Once reamed, each hole diameter is measured so that the corresponding bolt can be machined to provide an interference fit. We will continue fabricating and installing the remaining (16) bolts during our next work session. When this work has been completed we plan to concentrate on fabricating components for the rear truck assembly.

When Harold was not helping with the frame he was continuing to machine the rear truck swing link hanger castings. Harold has already completed machining on the rear truck journal truck castings.

Our 2023 fundraising is proceeding well. Over $4,600 has been contributed in memory of former Build 11 team member G. Wayne Laepple. We have received a total of $6,000 toward and qualified for our $6,000 matching grant. To date we have received a total of $ 40,014 (80% of the $50,000 goal for 2023.) Only $9,986 left to go! Remember, every dollar counts, and we need your help to keep up the momentum. 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: https://www.build11.org/

Thank you for “joining” us in this project!

August 2023 Update

On July 10, the Wiscasset Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum lost one of our key members. G. Wayne Laepple was one of #11’s earliest supporters, helping arrange the first pieces of hardware to be made in 2008 when there was only a smattering of hand drawn plans and a big idea.

From the spring of 2020 when the Build 11 team formed, Wayne was our spokesman and fundraising chair, crafting our monthly reports, WW&F newsletter updates, and spearheading our fundraising efforts and working with donors. He frequently made the trip from his home in Pennsylvania to join us for our work sessions on-site in Alna. Usually he made the trip with patterns or castings in-tow to set the project up for the next step. Incredibly, that is still only a fraction of his impact and involvement with the WW&F, and railroad preservation as a whole.

Wayne authored these Build 11 updates over the years. With his passing, members of the Build 11 team will continue in his stead.

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Another productive No. 11 work session took place on July 18-19, focused on fabricating the rear draft gear capture plate. This work involved forming the 3/8” plate into a wide “C” channel which will be bolted to the rear frame located below the rear coupler. Once the plate was cold formed using our plate flanging machine small areas were cut away to provide clearance for some rear gusset rivets and for coupler pin access. The capture plate was then drilled for the attaching bolts on our large radial arm drill.

The completed rear frame was flipped to its final orientation, that is, right side up. This allowed the team to use our Hanna riveter to complete riveting the remaining flat head rivets on the rear frame gussets.

While this work was proceeding, Harold Downey machined the finished surfaces of the rear truck center castings.

Our next Build 11 work session is scheduled for August 15th – 17th. The team plans to relocate both forward and rear frames to the north end of bay 2, occupying the space formerly used to assemble the passenger car trucks. The frames will be cribbed up, leveled, and positioned to allow us to drill, ream and fit the fitted bolts that will bind the frames together.

The 2023 fundraising total got a huge boost over the last month. Nearly $3,000 was contributed in memory of G. Wayne Laepple. We have received a total of $29,278 to date (59% of the $50,000 goal for 2023.) We have also received $3,200 towards our $6,000 match. If we can raise $6,000, he will match the amount, dollar for dollar. Does this sound like Public Television? If we can raise that $6,000, we’ll have $12,000, putting us over the 82% mark in our effort to raise $50,000 in 2023. Remember, every dollar counts, and we need your help to keep up the momentum. You can donate directly by check to the museum or you can go to: https://www.build11.org/

Heartbreaking News from Build 11

It is with heavy hearts that we must share the passing of one of the key members of the Build 11 team, G. Wayne Laepple. Beyond chairing the fundraising committee for Build 11, Wayne was a preservationist, railroader, and writer who was well-respected in many heritage railroad operations across the northeast.

We learned of Wayne’s passing just hours after sharing what would be his last Build 11 update – which he faithfully crafted for timely release on the 11th of each month.

Wayne believed deeply in the Build 11 project, and the team will miss his sage advice and honest evaluations. As such, Wayne’s family has designated that gifts in Wayne’s memory should be made to further the project, or to the Lancaster (Pa.) Public Library.

Wayne meant the world to us and we are at a loss for words. We’ll have more to say in upcoming weeks but for now, we are honored to share Trains magazine’s tribute article.

Clear tracks ahead, Wayne. We’ll be thinking of you when locomotive 11 steams for the first time.

July 2023 Update

A very successful and productive No. 11 work session took place June 14-16, facilitated by five volunteers. They worked on several facets of the lengthy riveting process, including learning how to make flat head rivets, which are necessary in the gusset plates that join the rear and forward frames and also cradle the firebox of the locomotive.

In addition to driving up those rivets, the crew also partially riveted the bunter brackets on the front of the main frame as well as some work on the rear coupler pocket.

During the July work session, the final handful of flathead rivets will be installed on the frame gussets and the capture plate that goes on the bottom of the rear coupler pocket will be manufactured and bolted in placed. If all goes according to plan, the rear frame will be flipped over and lined up with the forward frame.

We are pleased that the $1,500 challenge grant offered by a friend has been met, and we’re thrilled to announce that another good friend of the Build 11 Project has offered a $6,000 match. If we can raise $6,000, he will match the amount, dollar for dollar. Does this sound like Public Television? If we can raise that $6,000, we’ll have $12,000, putting us over the 50% mark in our effort to raise $50,000 in 2023. Remember, every dollar counts, and we need your help to keep up the momentum. 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: https://www.build11.org/

June 2023 Update

(Our team apologizes for the delay in the 11th-of-the-month report.)

There was no work session in May since there were two work sessions in April including 5 days during the Spring Work Weekend. There will be an engine 11 work session this month on 14th thru the 16th.

There was however progress in May including rear draft gear design as well as a visit to Mountain Machine Works to finalize plans for machining the cylinder castings. Early this month, repair work on Engine 9’s valve gear lifting links took shop crew time away from #11 but the pit in the new engine house made the work much easier.

The Build 11 Fund Raising has slowed in the last 30 days and we barely passed the one-third mark on the current $1,500 challenge. So far we have raised $13,263 of our $50,000 goal. Remember we have nice gifts for donors including a full-sized cast bronze replica of WW&F #7’s Baldwin builders plate (for one-time $1,100 donors) as well as half size 3-D plastic builders plates for $110 and the very popular challenge coin plates for $11 which are sold in the WW&F gift shop and on-line store.

May 2023 Update

Another Challenge

We have another challenge! An anonymous friend of the Build 11 Project has offered a $1,500 challenge, as soon as other donors match that amount. That will double our dollars. Let’s see how quickly we can do this.

Right now, we have just over $12,500 in donations, or one quarter of the goal for 2023. When we meet the latest challenge, we’ll add at least $3,000 to the total, pushing us past the 30 percent mark. We’re making progress!

If you’re in a position to provide a challenge grant of $1,000 or more, or a matching grant of some similar amount, we’d love to hear from you. Just send an email to our fundraising manager at info@wwfry.org. He’ll get right back to you, for sure!

Spring Work Weekend

During the WW&F Railway’s annual Spring Work Weekend (April 28-30), we were able to accomplish quite a bit of work on No. 11. While the work weekend itself was billed as three days, we actually were able to manage five days of work. Several members of the team began working on Tuesday and we continued through Saturday. We had actually planned to work Sunday, but we ran out of materials by Saturday, so Sunday was canceled.

Tasks worked on by the team included straightening of the bunter beam supports on the front of the locomotive. These will eventually support the pilot and front coupler. Then we tackled the rear coupler pocket, specifically riveting the cheek irons in place. These pieces will check the fore and aft movement of the rear draft gear of the locomotive. It all sounds so easy, but it was serious work. A great team of regulars and volunteers spent most of Friday on the cheek irons. Finally, we positioned the large gussets that will attach and support the connection between the rear and front frames to the rear frame extension casting.

Other work accomplished on No. 11’s frame included manufacture and installation of the final half dozen fitted bolts joining the forward frame to the rear frame extension, planning and layout of the permanent attachment of the bunter beams to the front of the frame, and planning and layout of the attachment of the connecting gussets of the rear frame to the rear frame extension casting. All in all, good progress.

April 2023 Update

On the fundraising front, we are within shouting distance of 20 percent of the goal, thanks in part to a challenge grant from John Houghton, who matched the first $1,000 that came in for March. Since we are a third of the way into the 2023 fundraiser, we have about eight months to raise the other 80 percent of the dollars. So we need to bring in an average of $5,000 a month for the balance of the year. Please help us move this project along.

Don’t forget that we still have the bronze replicas of No. 7’s Baldwin Locomotive Works builder’s plate for those who can contribute $1,100 or more in one donation. The plates look great, and they’d certainly look good in someone’s man cave or train room. We also have the half size 3-D printed replica plates for a donation of $110, and the gift shop is carrying the No. 11 challenge coins for just $11.

Good progress to report again this month. Gordon and Rick, with help from Jason, were able to drill all the holes needed to attach the forward frames to the rear frame extension casting. They acquired a new magnetic base drill that was small enough to fit into the space, and they drilled the hole that was in the tightest location first, or as Rick said, “Thought we’d go for broke.” They did have to file the drill’s casing a bit, just to be certain.

Gordon was making fitted bolts again, and they drove the first one. They installed regular bolts in two holes to hold everything in perfect alignment for reaming on both sides of the rear frame casting. Gordon will make the rest of the fitted bolts in his home shop prior to the next work session, which is planned for the week leading up to the Spring Work Weekend. They expect to work Wednesday through Saturday.

If you are going to be at Sheepscot for the Spring Work Weekend, coming up April 28, 29 and 30, stop in the shop and to say hi and see the great progress we’re making. Everyone is welcome!

March 2023 Update

The work days in March were taken up by fitting up the forward frames to be perfectly level, square and correctly spaced. The goal was to be within 0.005 inch in both spacing and parallelism for the length of the frame. Meeting that tolerance took quite a lot of time and care, working with a machinist level and rule while making tiny adjustments with a series of screw jacks.

Jason, Gordon and Harold were also working to develop and design the rear draft gear. There was no Baldwin drawing or even specifications to follow, so the entire design was from scratch. The rear draft gear is a sprung design, which was something Baldwin had put on WW&F no. 7. It was unusual on a locomotive of that era, according to Jason. Gordon Cook said, “We wanted to be sure that it wouldn’t cause a problem with harmonic oscillations in normal service, so the spring will be pretensioned so that it is only deflected under abnormal loading. Harold figured out what spring would meet that requirement, and found that an off-the-shelf truck spring would be about right. The next challenge was fitting everything in the short space that was defined by the erecting drawing. The coupler would need to pivot sufficiently to accommodate the sharpest curve the engine would encounter, while also providing the ability for the spring to function as desired. After several hours of modeling and thought, Jason realized that the pin that will hold the bolt which connects the spring plates and the spring to the coupler shank could provide that pivot point.” See illustrations.

Fund-raising is moving along slowly. We have raised a little more than $5,000 so far, or 10 percent of the goal for 2023. John Houghton, a long-time WW&F member from California, a strong supporter of the Build 11 Project, has offered to match all donations in March and April up to $1,000. This is a challenge that should not be passed up, since it doubles the dollars. If you haven’t yet made a contribution to the Build 11 Project, now is the time! Thank you, John!

Learn more and contribute at build11.org

February 2023 Update

Good progress was made on No. 11 by Rick, Gordon and Jason, with welcome help from new volunteers Noah MacAdam and Eric Snyder. During the most recent three-day work session (Jan. 31-Feb.2), the last two holes on the rear frame were reamed and the fitted bolts were installed.

Then, using a circular saw with a diamond blade and a hand-held grinder, the square edges of the large rear frame extension casting were chamfered to provide a perfect fit between the casting and the forward frame. First, a 45-dgree cut was made with the saw, and then using the grinder, the edges were rounded off. The same technique was applied to the forward frames for a great fit.

Next, the forward frames were flipped right-side up. They were then clamped to the rear frame extension casting to test the fit and alignment. Careful measurements showed the forward frames were almost perfectly parallel, off by only a few thousandths of an inch! The rear frame will be flipped over during the next session in March, and fitting it to the rear frame extension casting will begin.

New volunteer Noah is joining Gordon in machining parts at his home workshop in New Hampshire. He is a skilled machinist and will join the team whenever possible. Eric will also assist as he is able.

On the fund-raising front, the 2023 effort has gotten off to a slow start. During January, we raised about one percent of the target amount of $50,000. If you haven’t contributed, we’re always happy to receive your donations to keep progress moving forward. The premiums for larger contributions are still available.