Steam & Excursion > NKP 759 Restoration Crew

The attached photo of NKP 759 under restoration at Conneaut in July 1968 comes from the John B. Corns collection and is published in the book "Berkshires of the Nickel Plate Road" by Kevin J Holland.  No names are given in the caption of any members of the restoration crew.  I'm quite sure there are members on this forum who either know the names of these people or are themselves in the photo.  Reading the many posts on this forum over the years I have heard the names Ross Rowland, Wes Camp, Joe Karal and Doyle McCormack. 
With the 50th Anniversary approaching of 759's assault on Horseshoe Curve in September 1970, I have my own story to share.  I had just started sophomore year of high school and thus wasn't driving yet but joined with my father and a couple of his friends to drive through the night on Friday from the Chicago area to be on the curve in the early afternoon on Saturday.  Having read the detailed recollection on this forum by Wes Camp, I understand he was firing and Ross Rowland was in the right hand seat that Saturday.  I was plastered against the fence shooting 8mm silent movies and also running a 5" reel to reel tape recorder.  I vividly remember 759 marching up the grade at a steady 10-11 mph, unassisted, and not once loosing her footing and slipping.  I remember too 759 popping off as she passed the observation area.  After 759 had rounded the mountain west of the curve along came the two diesels that were trailing about a mile behind the excursion train.  Never needed!      
Can anyone help with the names?  Thank you in advance.
Sierra Western

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Third from the left is Doyle McCormack, fourth from the right is Wes Camp...Go!

Cheers, Dave

Also, on Wes's right is Joe Karal and on his left is Hank Webber.

Second from the right is Dale "pop" Moses, former roundhouse foreman of the NKP at Frankfort, Indiana. Dale was lined up by John H. Keller, Sr. Of Lima, Ohio, NKP employee and main organizer of saving NKP 779 at Lima.

Posted from Android

Is it safe to assume that when you open a smokebox front that has its own hinges that once you are off the studs that it drops to some degree?   I can't imagine those big hinges being very precise and a smoke box front is heavy.  So I'm guessing you can't just swing it closed and have it align with the studs but must either use a crane to lift it a little or maybe get a jack under it before it will close.  Am I correct?

filmteknik Wrote:
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> Is it safe to assume that when you open a smokebox
> front that has its own hinges that once you are
> off the studs that it drops to some degree? 

The big door, i.e. the whole front, yes. The small door, not so much, and it is much easier to handle.


  I
> can't imagine those big hinges being very precise
> and a smoke box front is heavy.  So I'm guessing
> you can't just swing it closed and have it align
> with the studs but must either use a crane to lift
> it a little or maybe get a jack under it before it
> will close.  Am I correct?

Again, the big door, yes.

Very keen observation..

Yes, we used a jack.

The hinges are a ‘compound’ arrangement... the 2 major hinge pins are mounted on threaded
shafts—- there are two ‘jacking nuts’ per shaft either side of a
Cast steel divider.

You loosen one side and tighten the mating nut to jack the smoke box clear of all of the studs surrounding
front. That way the door slides over all the studs without binding.

The two ‘jack screws’ will allow a forward ‘Travel’ of about 5 or 6 inches.

Very good observation..

W.

( for a good seal, you use a rope-like insulating gasket that fits over each of the studs surrounding the
smoke box front. Also, you use a plain, ribbon-like gasket around the smaller smoke box inspection door and held closed by its securement dogs. )

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Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/20 13:10 by wcamp1472.