When wood for the tender was donated, we stopped work on the locomotive and began working on the tender. Using jacks and cribbing the tender tank was raised from the tender frame and the frame rolled out. At that time, we had to begin a reverse engineering project. As the tender was disassembled, engineering computer drawings were made of each part. These drawing then became the standard for the new parts. After much work, the frame was assembled. The trucks were rebuilt with new custom babbit bearings and Stapax lubricators for each journal. The trucks were moved back underneath the frame and the brake rigging hung. Airlines and accessories are installed. The triple valve has been rebuilt and a new small tender air tank has been built. A final set of engineering drawings for the tender tank were completed on 19 March 1998. See current projects for information on the tender tank.
For over five years we were looking for a coupler for the tender and locomotive. We had a loaner knuckle coupler from the Colorado Railroad Museum to check for fit and to help us to better visualize the couplers we needed for the restoration project. Originally we thought that if we could not find another pair of couplers, we would use the loaner to build patterns and cast our own couplers. This idea was put on hold when we learned that patterns alone would cost approximately $10,000. In the early part of 2007 we arranged a trade of some diesel parts for a set of couplers from the Cumbres & Toltec railroad. In August of 2007 we picked up the couplers from the railroad at Antonito, Colorado.
