“Hot Rivet! Hot Rivet!”

RRHMA-Silvis has made significant forward progress on our steam restoration projects! Thanks to YOUR support, we were able to reach our boiler work goals on UP #3985, while also finishing up some very large side projects that contribute to the re-assembly of the engine.

Let’s take a look at the past month in Silvis!

The final step of the installation of the front tube sheet, as covered in previous updates, is the process of forming the 70 rivets using heat to create a steam tight seal.

RRHMA is proud to announce that the hot riveting process on the front tube sheet has been completed!

Our steam restoration experts, along with additional restoration specialists within the industry, teamed up the week prior to our first public fundraiser excursion, “The Quad Cities Rocket” to make the final push to complete the installation of the front tube sheet.

With the rivets now installed, what is the next step?

Since the rivets are now installed in the tube sheet, the next step will be to sandblast the inside of the boiler again to have a clean, scale-free surface that we can coat with Apexior No. 1. This is a corrosion-resistant coating that will preserve the life of this boiler for many years. Once the coating is applied, it will be time to install the tubes!

At long last, the end of our months-long staybolt replacement project is drawing to a close. We are within the home stretch, with only ~180 staybolts left to install at this time. 

With the completion of the installation of the rear tube sheet, it means that our hardworking crew has dedicated their time to installing the final round of staybolts.

For more information on how staybolts are installed, or why these three rows of staybolts are being installed, look back at our previous updates!

Once the final flexible staybolts are installed and seal-welded, caps will be welded on the wrapper sheet and ready for a hydrostatic test!

Our friends at Crawford Company in the Quad Cities completed our brand new cab floor for UP #3985 some months ago, and with the completion of the staybolt project on the backhead and wrapper sheets of the engine, our crews have taken the necessary steps to prime, prep and install the floor on the locomotive.

This momentous step allows our steam restoration crews to begin the process of planning the complete re-construction of the cab of #3985.

The original cab of the locomotive, when disassembled, was found to be in poor condition. Our team at RRHMA-Silvis has taken it upon themselves to work together to re-engineer the deisgn of the cab to allow for our future modifications and additions- while still maintaining the originality of the locomotive when it left the factory.

Be on the lookout for more on the cab rebuild project in future updates!

One of the most difficult challenges at RRHMA-Silvis, other than maintaining our historic fleet of railroad equipment, is maintaining our historic steam shop. There are many challenges that our crews face, but no challenge is too small for our crew.

Some of our most recent upgrades to our historic building this month include replacing a large selection of windows with glass block windows. The windows that were once in place of these glass blocks were broken, rusted, or no longer holding any heat or cool air in or out. With that being the case, these glass blocks were installed to reduce building heat loss during the winter, and to allow for more light into the building with a modern style, while still retaining the original look of the building.

In addition to these new windows, we have also been working with Bi-State Masonry to trim our ramp track.

The current platform next to the pit on Track 1 inside the building (the one in which the “Challenger” resides on) was deemed to be too small to allow for the steam engine to travel through it completely. In this case, we worked with industry experts to divise a plan to open the ramp track further in order to allow these engines and other equipment onto the drop pit for inspection and/or repair.

Every dollar YOU donate helps us preserve these treasures of railroading history for generations to come. Whether you’re passionate about restoring locomotives, revitalizing passenger cars, or expanding our infrastructure, your support directly impacts our ability to achieve these goals.

We would like to remind everyone that with the end of the year upon us, that RRHMA-Silvis is a 501c3 Not-for-profit organization that offers tax-deductible donations.

Your donations to our restoration efforts for this locomotive allow for us to continue to work at the pace we have been over the past year. We are incredibly thankful to each and every one of you who have donated their time, money, or resources to our projects; and we are incredibly proud of the forward progress we have made.

But this project is far from finished- and we need YOUR help to reach our goal. Visit our “DONATE” tab on our website to become a member today, or click the button below to submit a donation today. Every dollar you spend gets us one step closer to the return of Union Pacific #3985.

Every dollar YOU donate helps us preserve these treasures of railroading history for generations to come. Whether you’re passionate about restoring locomotives, revitalizing passenger cars, or expanding our infrastructure, your support directly impacts our ability to achieve these goals.

We would like to remind everyone that with the end of the year upon us, that RRHMA-Silvis is a 501c3 Not-for-profit organization that offers tax-deductible donations.

Your donations to our restoration efforts for this locomotive allow for us to continue to work at the pace we have been over the past year. We are incredibly thankful to each and every one of you who have donated their time, money, or resources to our projects; and we are incredibly proud of the forward progress we have made.

But this project is far from finished- and we need YOUR help to reach our goal. Visit our “DONATE” tab on our website to become a member today, or click the button below to submit a donation today. Every dollar you spend gets us one step closer to the return of Union Pacific #3985.