J&L 58 Locomotive Restoration at One Year

The restoration of the J&L 58 reached its one year milestone on December, 30, 2015.  On Dec. 30, 2014 the 58 was delivered to Youngstown Steel Heritage after a couple of months work in constructing the first section of the J&L Narrow Gauge Railway Youngstown Line. Here is a recap of the first year of restoration of the 58.

Here is the 58 being unloaded on December 30, 2014.

The current status of the J&L 58 as of the end of December, 2015.

January

We quickly learned that both wheelsets were stuck after removing the side rods and the drivers still did not move.  With the drivers being roller bearing equipped, it was feared that the bearings themselves were seized.  After much heat, jacking and consternation we got both drivers broken free and learned that the grease seals outboard of the bearings were seized, not the rollers themselves.

February

With the drivers freed up the 58 was winched around our tight 40 ft. radius curve toward the enginehouse.  

The 58 sitting in the framework of its enginehouse still under construction.  

March

By March most of the siding was on the enginehouse and I started doing some investigations into the condition of the boiler. The bolts holding the smokebox to the saddle were removed and more running gear parts taken off for refurbishment. 

The tubes were removed and the interior of the barrel cleaned out.

We found the 58's saddle tank and a spare set of drivers west of Pittsburgh.  This saves us much work in trying to build a tank from scratch, and the spare drivers were found to be in much better condition that the drivers under 58, so they will be swapped out. 

April

In April Youngstown Steel Heritage received donation of an Alco S2 diesel locomotive, McDonald Steel 777, We took a five month hiatus from working on the 58 to return the 777 to operating condition.

September

In September work resumed on the 58.  The boiler was lifted off of the frame and the cylinder saddle area was cleaned up with the old studs removed.  

Condition of saddle before removal of corrosion. 

October

The boiler was hauled up to JS Company in Middlefield, OH for rebuilding by volunteer Mike Gray.

Being unloaded at JS

Pete Jedlicka found the 58's smokebox door and brought it to us.

Work began on constructing the new cab

The rear driver set was successfully broke free from the frame

November

The top of the saddle tank was cut out and replaced with a removable access cover.

The smokebox door was restored and an authentic Porter number plate found and applied.  The number plate was donated by Preston McEvoy.

A new tender was constructed using a riveted scrap bin from the Labelle Nail plant in Wheeling, WV.

The completed tender, waiting for finish paint.

December

The frame was jacked up to remove the drivers.

The driving boxes were stuck to the frame so they had to be chained to the rails during the lift.

Rear driver set being rolled out. 

The "spare" drivers were set up in a jig at Carrie furnaces to be broken free, reprofiled, cleaned up and readied for installation on the 58.