| Tennessee Valley Railroad Classic Steam Updates |
| Scenes from East Chattanooga December 11 and Chatt. Choo Choo (Terminal Station) December 12, 2002 |
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| On Saturday, December 7, TVRM's Back Shop Gang welded a "spider" into the boiler of SR 630. This contraption serves several purposes: It will hold the boiler "in round" as the smokebox is cut from the first boiler course, and will also provide the proper support and angle as the cutting mechanism rotates around the boiler. Note the chalked cutting line just beyond the first set of rivets (see red arrows). This is a major undertaking. Has this been done anywhere else in the preservation community? Maybe...but doubtful. |
| << Al Phillips is shown welding steel plates to the new front fluesheet which will support the boiler bracing. The smokebox is beneath him sitting on the shop floor on its "nose". |
| And then there's the Polar Express.....TVRM operated 13 trains over four weekends. All trains were sold out well in advance and many folks were disappointed that they couldn't purchase tickets in December (tickets went on sale in June!) A new addition for 2002 was a "North Pole" sign constructed at Grand Junction. As each train slowly rolled into the station, Santa and an elf waved to the passengers. Happy Holidays!!! |
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