Memorial Day weekend, we welcomed many tours through the shop. It was lovely to see so many people out and about!

When not talking to folks, we managed some work. Saturday night and Sunday morning, Bob ran conduit and wired outlets on the outside of containers 2 and 3 to provide electrical while working on the boiler. He also added circuit to put lights in container 3 later on. Given that we are having less and less cold nights, we finally turned the water to the shop on. Huzzah for washing up!

Roger put in some dedicated hours to needle scaling. You can see how much material is missing in the corner of the ash pan due to the corrosive effects of coal ash.

We are continuing to test new methods of light-weight rivet air guns and backers. We need something small enough to fit in the tight spaces where the cab roof intersects the walls. Pictured here is a prototype of a new backer. It is a tricky spot, but with each iteration we are getting closer!

While working on the cab, we realized that the hatch was bolted on — not riveted as we had supposed. Removing it will allow for critical riveting space to be opened up inside the cab. Additionally, it will allow for increased airflow. Right now, when we rivet in the cab, all the heat is trapped by the roof and it gets mighty toasty. The hatch came off cleanly. We also inspected the roof during the process and are happy to report that it is in much better condition than anticipated.

Present for the work day: Leverett, Hanna, Paul VS, Bob, Roger