Moving Forward
We would like to open by giving a big “THANK YOU” to all of our supporters that have made donations and contributions to date. We have raised over $4,000 of the $6,000 required to fully restore the cab of the Indiana Northern #4. These funds have allowed us to purchase materials and tools that have helped us move closer to our ultimate goal of seeing the #4 operate once again.
An AIRS volunteer uses a torch to heat the cab overhang so that it can be bent back into shape. The overhang was likely damaged when #4 operated at the gravel pit outside St. Louis, MO. A clam-shell type loader was used to load coal into the tender there, and some poor aiming when preforming this task resulted in the dents and bends you see above.
One of the first things we were able to purchase was a new torch set- complete with gas bottles, regulators, hoses, and both a cutting torch and rosebud torch for heating items up. This was immediately put to use to help straighten out dents in the cab’s overhang- the damage itself being a witness to the abuse the engine was put through when it worked in the gravel pit in Missouri. The usefulness of this torch goes beyond just what we can use it for on the cab, however. It will be a frequently used tool that will serve the life of AIRS on multiple projects.
New steel patches have been welded in, repairing the bottom of the back of the cab.
Another item made possible by donations made to date has been new steel, which is being put into the cab just as soon as we get it. The bottom of the cab’s rear wall has been successfully patched, and new angle iron to replace the rain gutters has been applied to the roof.
What was left of the old rain gutter has been removed and the rivets punched out, and now new ones are in place on the cab. Holes have been drilled with temporary bolts holding until they can be replaced with rivets.
All this and more has been made possible by generous donations from supporters and followers like you. If you’ve ever wanted to contribute to this project, now is the best time! Why? Because we’ve been given a matching grant challenge for the cab! Until April 15th, 2023, all donations made toward the restoration of #4’s cab will be matched dollar for dollar up to $1,000. If successful, this matching grant will guarantee the remaining $2,000 needed to fund the rest of the cab’s restoration.
Want to become a part of saving #4? Donate today and help us round out finishing the first major project of I.N. #4’s restoration.
Double your donation! Until April 15th, all donations towards the cab will be matched up to $1,000.
Also added to our collection is this 5-ton gantry crane, which was surplus to the needs of the Jones & Laughlin Narrow Gauge Railroad of Youngstown, Ohio, and summarily donated to our cause. It will be quite useful in moving, disassembling, and reassembling some of the larger components of #4.
What else is happening? New flexible staybolt sleeves and caps are taking shape for the #4's boiler! Thanks to a generous supporter sponsoring these parts, they are being made by Strasburg Railroad’s Mechanical Services for future installation when boiler repairs commence. As you can see, decades of exposure to the elements has taken its toll on the originals.
New and old- type “H” Flexible staybolt sleeves and corresponding type “D” caps taking shape at the Strasburg Railroad Shops, thanks to a sponsorship from a generous supporter. Decades of exposure to the elements has had serious effects on the originals. Boiler surveys and calculations for future repairs are ongoing, but these parts will be waiting and ready for installation when the time comes.
An example of what a Flexible staybolt looks like.
The socket within these sleeves will house the "ball end" of the flexible staybolt, allowing the freedom of movement that gives the name. Standard staybolts do not have this feature, both ends being “rigidly” threaded through both the firebox sheet and wrapper. #4 is equipped with 20 of these flexible staybolts in the front of the boiler's crown sheet- where firebox sheet expansion and stresses are greatest during fire-ups and shut-downs.
Something of a late Christmas present to AIRS- items we thought were lost resurfaced and found their way home to the rest of the engine.
Speaking of new parts, here’s another one. Well, “new” to us, at least. A couple months after we had purchased the locomotive from the Maynard family in 2020, we got a call from them saying they had more parts for us that were found as they cleaned out the depot. What we received from them was a crate, and within it were these pistons and piston rings for #4, which were made during Dave Miner’s restoration attempt on the locomotive in the late 1990’s. Safely packed away in newspapers from the time they were finished, we’re lucky these had been safely stored and passed down to us.
The #4’s running mate, I.N. #5, seen here in South Bend Indiana sometime in 1947.
Lastly, we wanted to close out by offering another look back into the past. We recently received the above image of #5 dated to 1947, just about a year from phasing out steam. #5 was a 1919 product of the Porter Locomotive Works of Pittsburgh, PA. Being an 0-6-0, it was quite an upgrade for the tiny railroad that had been making due with 0-4-0s for nearly 30 years at that point.
Another image we found within the archives of the Floyd County Museum, was the above from May, 1948 at the Indiana Northern Railway. A brand new #100 is shown with the two steam locomotives it will be replacing- #4 and #5. #5 would sadly be scrapped, but #4 had a much longer journey ahead.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our latest update from us here at the American Industrial Railroad Society. We can’t wait to bring you the next one with much more progress on #4, other good news, and more industrial railroad history.