We did it!!!

A huge THANK YOU to you – our members, friends, and followers. Today we blasted past our 2026 fundraising goal thanks to a single $30,000 donation! This is in addition to the $60,000 challenge – of which $30,000 has been received from the matching donor. Thus, together we have raised (or have pledged) over $150,000 in 2026 to keep “pushing forward” on locomotive 11! We are humbled and truly grateful to everyone who shares our dream to see locomotive 11 in steam.

Now, be sure to admire these photos to see how our volunteers have been putting those dollars to work…

Our latest Build 11 work session was held on Tuesday through Thursday, July 21 to 23. Harold Downey and Rick Sisson spent the first work day checking the cylinder tram wires and measuring offsets to the crosshead guides to determine their proper locations. It is critical that the crosshead guides are mounted parallel to the cylinder center line (as located by the tram wires). We had to rotate the rear cylinder heads a very small amount to move the crosshead mounting point directly above the cylinder center line. After much fitting and re-fitting, we began to press the fitted bolts into the crosshead guides. Because of insufficient clearance on our Baldwin hydraulic press Harold, Rick and Gordon Cook started each press on our arbor press. We then moved to the Baldwin press to fully seat each bolt.

Noah McAdam machined another block to attach the lower crosshead guide to the right rear cylinder head. Quentin Bethune picked the block up from Noah (at the Portsmouth NH airport bus terminal on his way to Sheepscot), finish machined the tapered pin (part of the block) and lapped it into the cylinder head.

Marcel Levesque joined Quentin and Rick on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, after work, to install the rear buffer beam and front pilot beam. Marcel began work on both beams during the spring work weekend and continued through the summer. The rear beam went on easily; all the predrilled bolt holes were accurately located due to Marcel’s careful planning. We also mounted the rear coupler pocket, machined for us by Joe Monty.

The front beam went on just as easily. We test fit the front coupler pocket for the photo.

Joe spent time machining the front coupler pocket in his home shop.

Joe brought the front coupler pocket back to our shop to use our large radial arm drill and completed his machining.

Meanwhile, Earl Leavitt was working on our rocker boxes. We see him drilling and tapping holes to receive grease fittings.

The following week Earl split the bearings he turned to fit in the rocker box bores.

Gordon Cook has been working on his 1:8 scale model of #11. He’s added the locomotive brake rigging and vacuum pot actuators. Using a small vacuum pump, Gordon can actually apply and release the brakes! The brakes can also be applied/released using the brake wheel. Gordon added these features to his model to investigate several questions concerning the brake gear geometry.

Gordon also brought brake shaft bushings to the shop. Here we see Quentin heating the brake lever so that the bushing can be dropped into the hole.

Jason Lamontagne welded the bushing and lever.

Thanks again for your interest and support. Learn more (and keep pushing us forward) at www.build11.org