The FRA was favorably impressed with the condition of the boiler and locomotive in general and gave the go-ahead on the work that was planned. Other efforts have been locating gauges and getting them tested, finding other miscellaneous parts. In May, a contractor was hired to reinstall the new flues in the locomotive and a quick hydrostatic test was performed to check for leaks. The flues looked great but there were a half-dozen staybolts in need of replacing.
Volunteers are current setting about removing and replacing the broken staybolts.
Once that work is complete an FRA inspector will come back to witness the official hydrostatic test and file the Form 4 paperwork. Much work remains to complete all the systems, but getting the boiler work finished is a significant milestone . The steam crew is looking forward to this summer. The volunteers are still optomistic that the engine will be up and running by the end of this year. Like a lot of restoration projects, things can take longer than anticipated as problems are encountered along the way.