The Latest From AIRS
Cart Before the Horse
We’re overdue for an update to our supporters! In the last months we’ve taken the cab from it’s base coat of primer, and riveted the drip guards back on. We then sanded, applied a second coat of primer, and sanded once again. Now we are proud to show off for the first time in over a century, #4’s cab in factory-spec Baldwin green!
Only a couple steps left to go. Next up, the interior of the cab will be lined with wood, and then we will apply the aluminum lettering and install windows.
Being indoors, the artificial lighting does not show the color well. This view brings out the olive-drab hue of the Baldwin green better.
Earlier this summer, we graciously accepted the donation of an air compressor from the Illinois Railway Museum. It’s of the same type that #4 was equipped with. We wasted no time in disassembling the compressor for evaluation, and so far we are surprised to find that no major red flags have presented themselves. Our volunteers are finalizing the scope of work for the compressor, and we look forward to having the first fully functional part of #4 sometime in the future.
When we took ownership of the air compressor from IRM in July, we weren’t too sure of what we had gotten.
Now disassembled, we can get a good look at what shape the internals are. We are surprised at how well the compressor remained sealed up since it was stored outdoors.
With our first major project of the cab drawing to a close, it's time to begin preparing for the next phase of #4's return to steam! The rehabilitation of our little engine's tender will be extensive. The years have taken their toll on this part of the engine and we will need your help as we evaluate and repair or replace various parts of the tank, frame, and trucks.
Help us get off to a strong start on the tender and support us with a donation, or by purchasing one of our #4 ornaments this season! You can find them for sale here!
Hot off the Presses!
After a busy summer for our volunteers, focus is turning back to our little locomotive’s restoration. Since our last progress update the metalwork on the cab has pretty much drawn to a close. Patches on the bottom of the cab have been completed, new angle iron fashioned to replace the deteriorated original sections around the bottom of the cab, and the rear cab overhang straightened out. One of the last items before we could sandblast the cab in preparation of primer and paint was permanently hot-riveting the angle iron onto the base. This task was not as straightforward as it sounds.
The roof overhang straightened back out.
Hot riveting requires a substantial amount of tooling before it can be done. Firstly, a torch or forge to heat the rivet white-hot. Secondly, an air compressor capable of delivering enough air volume and pressure to run the rivet gun. And thirdly, a rivet gun and accompanying set of “snaps”, or dies, to form the rivet, along with a “buck”, or tool to hold the rivet in so the rivet gun doesn’t push it back out of the hole. Earlier this year when we started the cab project, we didn’t have any of this. When we first signed the dotted line in purchasing the #4, we didn’t have anything other than the locomotive, basic hand tools, and a lease agreement. How far we’ve come since then! Thanks to the generous support of our members, donors, and partners, we’ve been able to acquire for ourselves or have had what we need loaned to us.
Watch the below video to see some of the most exciting work on #4 to date.
After the metal work had been completed, we had a contractor come to our site and sandblast the cab to bare metal- which guarantees a strong base for our primer and paint to adhere to and ensures a long lasting final product. After the blasting was completed, our volunteers worked quickly to clean and wipe the dust off all surfaces and then apply a coat of primer to protect the metal before it could begin rusting again.
The before and after shots show quite the difference!
Sandblasted to clean white metal- the perfect base for a strong and long lasting coat of paint.
Our newest volunteer Logan H. applies the first of the primer to the cab. While #4 had last been painted in the 1940’s, the inside of the cab being painted here was covered with wood lining, and consequently likely had not seen paint since it left Baldwin in 1913.
Fully covered in a coat of primer.
With the cab now primed and protected, we can move on to lining the interior with wood, which will be the subject of the next phase of this project.
More Good News
We are pleased to announce that the St. Louis Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) has awarded us a $3,000 grant towards our restoration of the Indiana Northern #4's cab! This grant will help pay for additional tools and materials which will aid AIRS in the completion of this project.
The #4 represents a spot in St. Louis' railroad heritage as one of the last steam locomotives to operate in the area, as gravel pits west of the city along the Meramec River held out using steam power until the early 1960's. #4 would call St. Louis home for over 40 years, and we are happy to have an artifact which can help represent the history of multiple cities across the Midwest, including the Gateway to the West!
Success!
As of this morning we have completed the $1,000 matching grant challenge which began only last Saturday. This means that we have raised the last $2,000 that was required to fully fund the restoration of #4’s cab. While the funding for this project is secured, there’s still quite a bit of work ahead of us to see this project to completion. Be sure to follow us on our Facebook page and here for future updates as we progress on this and other parts of #4’s return to operation. Thank you!
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.
A Look Back at the Old Indiana Northern
For New Years we wanted to take a look backwards in time, as well as into the future for AIRS and #4. This map from the AIRS archives shows the Indiana Northern Railway in 1916 for a valuation report by the Interstate Commerce Commission. While just a simplified view (only showing the I.N.'s "mainline" tracks) it gives a pretty good idea of the layout of the railroad as it once was in South Bend, Indiana. Barely stretching a mile north to south, by the 1940s the I.N. had nearly four miles of track. This would expand to over 7 miles by the 1950s. In the northern section was the vast complex of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works- the parent company of the I.N.
1916 Map of the Indiana Northern Railway from an ICC valuation report.
From the 1870s to the 1960s Oliver produced hundreds of thousands of plows and other farming equipment to meet the needs of the agricultural industry. Motivated by high shipping rates and poor service by existing railroads, in 1891 James Oliver chartered the Indiana Northern RR so that the plow works could provide its own rail service and switching chores. Because of Oliver's location nearby multiple railroads, they established interchanges between the I.N. and the others to take advantage of whichever one happened to offer the most competitive rates at the time. When the Oliver plant was built in the 1870s, it sat on the outskirts of South Bend. The surrounding land was mostly open fields, but by the time that the I.N. started operation this had changed. As the area developed, the railroad also expanded to meet nearby businesses' needs.
An artistic impression of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works in South Bend, Indiana c.a. 1900. From the collection of the Center for History Archives, South Bend, Indiana.
One of these was the Wilson Brothers Shirt Factory, which on the map was southeast of where the I.N. crossed West Sample Street. The I.N. (and later the NJI&I after they bought the I.N.) eventually served the factory, which was built on land sold to them by James Oliver in 1887, up until it was closed in 1975. The Wilson Bros. Shirt Factory only partially still stands in a state of ruin, after years of material salvage and a fire in 2019 which destroyed much of the complex.
Other businesses served by the I.N. in 1916 included the Sanders & Egbert saw mill/lumber yard, N.P. Bowser feed mill manufacturer, and more. As the I.N. continued to expand in the coming years, so too did their list of customers (including later, Studebaker Automobile).
Photo of the Wilson Brothers Shirt Factory from 1926. This view was taken from W. Sample St. facing southeast. The I.N. RY crossing would have been a short distance behind the photographer.
We also wanted to provide a look at the latest with the work on #4’s cab. Heading into the end of 2022, we finally cleared the $4,000 mark towards the $6,000 required for the cab’s restoration.
Just $2,000 to go!
Work has already begun in earnest on this project. The process of documenting and removing old and rotted material to be repaired or replaced is nearly complete. This is the point at which we prepare for the metal work to be done- this includes replacement of the cab rain gutters, and patching the lower portions of the back wall.
We recently posted a video covering what work is cut out for us in the immediate future, you can find it, and subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s77kvN7wsDc
Removing what is left of the rain gutters on the roof of #4’s cab. They will be replaced with new metal.
The bottom six inches of the cab’s rear wall have been cut out and are soon to be patched with new material.
Remember that thanks to your generous contributions, we have been able to come this far- and with your continued support we can bring the cab back into like-new conditions! Please consider ringing in the new year with a tax-deductible donation to AIRS and #4 to help keep things moving.
Where to start?
When the excitement of our purchase of #4 had worn off, many of us within AIRS were left with the daunting question- where do we start? The engine had been left in a wild state of disarray, having been taken apart and moved by no fewer than three individuals over a thirty year span. And while we had a pretty good idea of what we had when we bought #4, a full inventory would be needed to figure out what was missing from our locomotive. The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum donated enough pallet racks for us to organize, consolidate, and store many of the palletized parts that had taken up precious floor space up until this point. While this happened, volunteers took inventory of everything we had. Unsurprisingly, there were a few freight and passenger car parts that had found their way into the mix; these were separated and marked for us to rehome later.
An assortment of parts that make up #4.
Then organized, inventoried, and shelved.
We estimate that #4 is about 80-85% complete as we have it. Most of what we’re missing are the engine’s appliances, such as headlights, dynamo, air compressor, brake stands, and more. Additionally, we are also missing the wooden tender frame, which rotted away long before AIRS acquired #4. Most of these items are replaceable, so their absence has not disqualified our engine from our plans for operation. On the other hand, in our inventory we also found a number of parts which were freshly machined and rebuilt by Dave Miner when he owned the #4 and was restoring it at the Fort Madison, Farmington, and Western Railroad. Many of these fresh parts were rebuilt and stored until we found them, which will save us much time and money later! Included were brand new pistons, piston rods, piston rings, valves and valve rods, and much more. Added to the rebuilt axle boxes, turned axles, and the new crank pins and tires already in place, the rebuild of #4’s chassis is already well underway from the work done prior to AIRS.
The rest of #4 laid up in storage
One of AIRS’ primary concerns has been cleaning and inspecting the #4s boiler to identify what repairs will be needed to bring it into compliance with federal regulations for safe operation. To this end, over two thousand ultrasonic thickness measurements will have to be taken to calculate our form 4, and identify any thin or heavily corroded areas that will need attention. We’ve already made decent progress in this area, having already noted several items to be added to the list of boiler repairs. Once our inspections have been completed we will be able to elaborate on the true extent of the boiler repairs.
Taking ultrasonic thickness measurements on the boiler barrel.
Removing the remains of the old smokebox baffles to facilitate inspection of the front tube sheet.
Further investigation of the tender tank has led us to determine that the best course of action will be to replace it entirely. The bottom is almost non-existent, as does the top show serious corrosion. The sides are not far behind- the Indiana Northern cut out and replaced the entire middle at some point in the past, and even those repairs are worn thin. While this project is still some time away in the future, we are trying to stay ahead of the curve. Designs are being drawn up to have a new tank pre-fabricated in kit form and riveted together by AIRS volunteers when the time comes.
#4’s tender tank. Note that a faint “Indiana Northern Railway” can still be seen after decades of sitting outdoors. Plans call for the construction of a a new tank using components from the original.
Additionally, our Chief Mechanical Officers and Board have decided to move forward on what will be our first major project of the restoration. Every locomotive needs a cab, and that includes #4. The cab will be a very visible component of the engine which we will use to show our progress and give insight to how #4 will appear once returned to operation. The work necessary, while extensive, is not unmanageable or uncommon for most locomotives. Only a minor amount of metalwork has been identified- replacement of the rain gutters on the cab roof, patching small sections of the bottom of the rear cab wall, and replacing the angle iron brackets at the cab floor that allow the cab to be bolted down. From there the cab can be media blasted to bare metal and painted with primer, the wood lining remade with new lumber, and then it can be painted over in the appropriate shade of Baldwin green. When we’re done the cab will look just as fresh and green as it did when #4 left Baldwin nearly 110 years ago!
#4’s cab sitting in Aledo. The cab will be the focus of AIRS’ latest fundraising and project effort.
To have all of this done we have anticipated a total project cost of $6,000. This will ensure that it is turn-key and ready to install when the rest of the engine is ready. While not the most significant or largest project ahead of us, it is still a necessary milestone.
Only with your help will we be able to meet this goal- we are running a fundraiser through customink to sell our first T-shirts to support this project. Consider supporting the restoration of #4’s cab by purchasing an AIRS shirt through our Customink fundraiser, or by making a direct donation through our website. Please be sure that any donations made to the cab are marked as such in the “more information” section of the donation portal. Thanks!
Want to support the restoration of the Indiana Northern #4’s cab, and get a cool shirt? Get yours today at our Customink fundrasier
We’re already looking forward to bringing you the next update from AIRS. Until then be sure to follow us on Facebook and our Youtube channel for more!
Davenport Non-Profit to Restore 1913 Steam Locomotive
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DAVENPORT, Iowa, September 9th, 2022: The American Industrial Railroad Society(AIRS) today announced their acquisition of the Indiana Northern Railroad #4, an 0-4-0 tender type locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in January, 1913. The locomotive was purchased by AIRS in 2020 and relocated to a restoration site in Davenport where volunteers are working to return the dismantled engine to operational status in its as-built appearance.
AIRS, an Iowa-based 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization, was established in 2020 with the mission to preserve, restore and interpret equipment, artifacts, documents, and more related to industrial railroading in the United States. Partnered with the Davenport Industrial Railroad and the Youngstown Steel Heritage Foundation, the group plans to travel to various museums and railroads across the country with the engine once it is operational.
The locomotive operated for the Indiana Northern in South Bend, Indiana until 1948, and served numerous customers along the two mile long railroad, including the Oliver Chilled Plow Company, Studebaker automobile factory, and more. The engine was then purchased by a gravel pit outside St. Louis, Missouri, where it switched carloads of gravel until the late 1950’s or early 60’s. The disused engine languished in the abandoned pit for years until it was rescued and later dismantled in an ill-fated restoration attempt. AIRS purchased the locomotive from the estate of the previous owner in Aledo, Illinois.
“No. 4 is representative of the thousands of switching locomotives that helped turn the gears of industry in the US for decades.” said Sam Aufmuth, President of the organization “It’s a perfect fit within the mission of AIRS, and by restoring the engine to operation, we aim to bring to light to the vital and often overlooked role that the industrial railroads and railroaders played as the last-mile connections to the country’s economy.”
Persons interested in learning more are invited to find the latest on the AIRS website and Facebook page. Tax-deductible donations can also be made to assist in the restoration of No. 4.
Colorized depiction of No. 4 new at the Baldwin Locomotive Works in January, 1913.