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Weekly News December 7, 2015Description
A TIME TO REMEMBER: On this date 67 years ago (74 years ago on 12/8/15), President Franklin D. Roosevelt, addressing a joint session of Congress, began: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941, the United States of America was viciously and unprovokingly attacked by Naval and Air Forces of the Empire of Japan.” Congress immediately and unanimously passed a Declaration of War against Japan, Hitler’s Germany declared war on the U.S., and the U.S. responded by a like declaration against Germany. In just over 24 hours, we were fully engaged in World War II. In the next four years, nearly 16 million men and women served in the Armed Forces of our country. This was about 12% of the total population, and for young men in the 18-to-25-year age group (as I was), the figure was probably 70%. So it was no big deal to be a veteran of World War II, but now we seem to be a scarce commodity.
December 7, Pearl Harbor Day, became a day to be remembered over the years. Just 154 years before that, however, the State of Delaware ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1787, and I recall celebrating “Delaware Day” when I was in Junior High School in the 1930s. We learned the song “My Delaware” (all three verses, one for each county). It turned out that Delaware beat out Pennsylvania by one day and New Jersey by three days to become the first state of the original 13 to ratify.
Early in 1776, however, Delaware was not even a colony under British rule. The “Three Lower Counties on the Delaware” were a part of William Penn’s colony, as without them Pennsylvania had no access to the sea. On June 15, 1776, now celebrated as “Separation Day” in Old New Castle, the Colony of Delaware came into being as New Castle, Kent, and Sussex Counties not only separated from Pennsylvania but declared their secession from the British Empire. In less than three weeks, the new colony would join with 12 others to sign the Declaration of Independence from British rule.
June 15 is a very important day as well. On June 15, 1215, unhappy British dukes and earls forced King John to sign the Magna Carta on the island of Runnymede in the River Thames just upstream from present-day London. Many historians consider this document the cornerstone of free and representative government as we know it today. There is a lot wrong with our present system, but, as said so well by Winston Churchill: “Democracy is the worst form of government on earth, until it’s compared with anything else.”
Work Report: On Tuesday, November 24, 13 volunteers attended the work session, as follows: Mark Russell (in charge), Steve Bryce, Mike Ciosek, Bob Jordan, Ted Kamen, Dave Leon, Tom Marshall, Brent McDougall, Jerry Novak, Mac Taylor, Tim Ward, Jay Williams, and Kelly Williams.
A Lionel locomotive, having just been rebuilt, was tested in preparation for its use on 11/28. By lending us their personal engines, members of the “electric train crew” keep our layout operating at full capacity (four trains at once) on our Steamin’ Days. Several of the FAHP engines are apart being rebuilt. Installation of the new boiler in the Model 735 Stanley continued.
On the ’37 Packard, installation of the hood-louvre springs was completed, and the brake light-turn signal problem was addressed. A new throttle was installed on the Model 76, after acquisition of a 9/32 x 24 die to thread the shortened stem. The Mountain Wagon was prepped for its use on 11/28.
(The above report was not sent last week because of Tom’s temporary computer failure.)
On Tuesday, December 1, 14 volunteers turned out, viz: Jerry Novak (in charge), Ted Kamen, Tom Marshall, Steve Bryce, Tim Ward, Bill Rule, Jerry Lucas, Anne Cleary, Mike Ciosek, Mark Russell, Dennis Tiley, Brent McDougall, John Bacino, and Bob Jordan.
Many in the group enjoyed Jesse Gagnon’s December “Evenings at the Museum” program, this time on early motoring in the winter, after which they got down to work.
A steam leak appeared in the delivery pipe between the boiler and the new throttle on the Model 76, and it was discovered that the fitting coming off the top of the boiler was leaking. In trying to get it out, it broke off. The broken piece from the elbow was successfully removed. Locomotive 401 was thoroughly cleaned after its final runs of the season on 11/28. Its tender was drained and turned upside down for a needed repair in the leaking water tank.
Having obtained some twisted-string packing, the grooves in the cylinder heads on the Model H-5 engine were packed and the heads tightened in place. The running boards on the ’37 Packard were sanded prior to the installation of new rubber covering. Piping of the new boiler on the Model 735 continued.
On Wednesday, Dennis Dragon glued down the new vinyl flooring in the shop’s tiny toilet room after he had cut it to fit and laid it out to remove the curl. Base molding installation and a little paint will finish the job.
On Thursday, December 3, eight volunteers turned out, as follows: Ted Kamen, Lou Mandich, Steve Bryce, Devon Hall, Dave Leon, Jim Personti, Geoff Fallows, and Tom Marshall (in charge).
On the rear light problem on the ’37 Packard, it was determined that defective flashers and some original bare wiring are to blame. The broken fitting on top of the Model 76’s boiler was successfully removed. The rectangular down pipe from the bonnet on the 735 was shortened two inches and put in place, after changing the brackets to compensate for the 16”-high boiler (vs. the old one which was 18”).
Progress was made on the H-5 engine. The Stephenson links were slightly adjusted, and the slide valves were set. Taps and dies were used on the frame rods and rear nuts, and the springs, spacers, and bronze axle pieces were properly attached. The two halves of the rear copper case around the differential were cleaned and straightened.
On Saturday, December 5, the annual washing of the boiler on Locomotive 401 was completed with Steve Glazier, Brent McDougall, Anne Cleary, and Dave Leon doing the work as instructed by Tom Marshall. The boiler was then filled for the winter or until the locomotive is disassembled for a major overhaul.
