557 Restoration Company

557 Restoration Company The Engine 557 Restoration Company was established to restore and operate former Alaska Railroad #557.

The locomotive was moved to Wasilla, Alaska in August 2012 where it is being restored. This page is committed to sharing the efforts of a specially trained and gifted group, as they labor to restore a part of our State's history and our National Industrial Heritage. We at the Locomotive 557 Restoration Company invite you to look around and share the updates of our progress. Please ask any question

s you may have, but please respect the fact that these pages are not a community discussion board. All questions will be answered by one of our gifted VOLUNTEER Historians and or Mechanics. "More info and pics, along with donation information, can be found at our web site. http://www.557.alaskarails.org
Mission - The Engine 557 Restoration Company's mission is to restore, operate, conserve, and display former Alaska Railroad steam locomotive number 557 for the education and enjoyment of Alaskan residents and visitors. Vision - To give Alaskan rail belt residents the opportunity to see, hear, smell, and feel an operating steam locomotive, be exposed to an earlier technology, and to appreciate the difficulties and sacrifices which have contributed to the development of Modern Alaska.

For the past few weeks we have mentioned work to be done on the crossheads prior to installation. We are now ready to m...
03/22/2026

For the past few weeks we have mentioned work to be done on the crossheads prior to installation. We are now ready to machine new crosshead liners to the proper fit. The liners provide the side sliding surface where the crossheads meet the guides. Two liners are required in each crosshead. Per the original drawings they were 1/4" thick but the replacements are being individually machined to the properly dimension to center the crosshead on the guides.

After installing a new DRO on the big mill, Jeff Loffert began the process. First milling both surfaces of the 5 X 20 inch X 5/8 inch thick raw blank flat so they are straight and surfaces are parallel.

Material for the liners is from Magnolia Metal Corporation and is Modified SAE 64-C93600 SEMI-FINISHED BRONZE. The four blanks weighed 87 pounds ready for shipment.

5/8" was the thinnest blank available that we could purchase from Magnolia brass and about half will end up in our swarf bucket, carefully saved for use in casting future small parts.

The liners will be just over 1/4" thick when final fit is achieved. Then each of the four pieces will be riveted in place inside the crossheads through ten of the holes visible on each side of the crosshead.

We are sad to report the passing of Engine 557 Restoration Company friend, board member, Chief Operating Officer, major ...
03/20/2026

We are sad to report the passing of Engine 557 Restoration Company friend, board member, Chief Operating Officer, major financial supporter, and fund raiser Paul Bates. For several years, Paul has been working actively behind the scenes in leading the effort to bring 557 to operation on the Alaska Railroad.

- Paul Stephen Bates Obituary -

Paul Bates, 79, passed away March 7, 2026 in Anchorage, AK. He was born to Anna & Glenn Bates on November 23, 1946 in Spokane, WA.

He married Leigh Bates in 1975 in Colorado Springs, CO. He served in the AK Army National Guard 1968-1994 and was a program manager for the Department of Defense 1994-2012. Paul was a decorated Vietnam veteran, he received a bronze star award, Vietnam service medal, and Army commendation medal.

He was the founder of Mustang Hockey, State Hockey past President, Fur Rondy past President, board member of the 5th Line Blueliners, and board member of the Engine 557 Restoration Company. He enjoyed working on model railroad and watching hockey.

He is survived by his wife; Leigh Bates, sons; Thomas Bates, Doug Bates, daughter-in-law; Dawn Bates, grandsons; Keagan Bates and Alex Quick. Paul will be buried at Ft. Richardson National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to UAA Hockey Legacy, Blueliner 5th line, or Engine 557 Restoration Company.

Paul is 2nd from the left in this photo of the Engine 557 Board.

Contact information for making donations towards the restoration and operation of Engine 557 can be found at https://557.alaskarails.org/support/donate.html

Another image of the pieces that make up a locomotive. The blow down valves are located at the lowest part of the boiler...
03/19/2026

Another image of the pieces that make up a locomotive. The blow down valves are located at the lowest part of the boiler and are opened several times a day to remove sediment from the boiler. There is one on the engineer's side and one on the fireman's side.

We test and then add the proper chemicals to the water in the tender to keep the "stuff" suspended that remains after the water in the boiler is turned to steam. The blow down valve provides the means to dispose of it. When used, the blow down valve emits a spectacular and loud spray of 400 degree water which instantly turns to a fog. Sometime the valve is opened in the station and sometimes when moving, but never when anyone is anywhere near the side of the cab!

More recent component photos along with a couple of images to provide context. Two injectors, one on the engineer's side...
03/17/2026

More recent component photos along with a couple of images to provide context.

Two injectors, one on the engineer's side and one on the fireman's side are the only way to replenish water in the boiler as it is consumed as steam to the cylinders and appliances. They are a bit of steam locomotive magic - steam at boiler pressure and water from the tender enter at the two top connectors and water, at a higher pressure than the boiler is injected into the boiler. Via some rods and universal joints the two valves to control the volume of steam and water from the tender are controlled by a pair of valve handles next to the engineer's and fireman's seats. The water is fed into the boiler by through a check valve and steam is turned on by the injector start valve (controlled by the red ring in front of the seat) in front of the cab and above the injector.

Shots of various parts of 557. It takes a lot of parts to make a locomotive, including thousands of feet of pipe and tub...
03/17/2026

Shots of various parts of 557. It takes a lot of parts to make a locomotive, including thousands of feet of pipe and tubing.

The Westinghouse cross-compound air compressor was rebuilt to as-new condition, including the replacement of many internal components. The five-pipe lubricator provides steam cylinder oil to the steam side of the pump and lubricating oil to the air side. This is an upgrade from the lubricator that the Alaska Railroad fitted when they replaced the lower capacity single cylinder pump mounted on the smoke box front (which was the reason for the off-center smoke box door) shortly after receiving the locomotive. The lubricator came from a steam locomotive scrapped in China and is probably a knock-off off a Nathan unit.

Note the "donuts" on the piston rods for the pump which kept them clean and lubricated.

More 557 industrial archeology. When one of the crossheads was brought down from storage to fit a new slipper (sliding s...
03/15/2026

More 557 industrial archeology.

When one of the crossheads was brought down from storage to fit a new slipper (sliding surface) onto it we noticed "280 19S 809 L" stamped on the front of it. That was to be expected as that is the Baldwin Serial Number of 557 followed by "L" for left. Many of 557's parts have the similar markings. The second crosshead was a surprise. It is stamped 202023 and 1R. One can surmise that at some time there was a need to replace the right crosshead. One can also surmise it not a BLW crosshead originally fit on 557 or swapped from on any of the 10 other Baldwin-built S-160s that the Alaska Railroad had.

Swagelok drains were added to the connections for the governor on the steam delivery going to the Air Pump. The pipe la...
03/11/2026

Swagelok drains were added to the connections for the governor on the steam delivery going to the Air Pump. The pipe lagging IS NOT ASBESTOS, rather fiberglass wrapped and secured with stainless tie wire and then painted with a quick dry equipment enamel.

The gasket under the smoke box door is also Fiberglass. Central Environmental Services got rid of all the asbestos for us back at the beginning of the project. 5 men here for a week, removed 8 cubic yards of the "bad stuff" and left a floor we could eat off. They sent us a bill for $45K and at the bottom it was noted. "In-Kind donation balance 0."

Apollo valves are used as secondary check valves on the lubrication feed lines to the Air Compressor / Air Pump.There ar...
03/10/2026

Apollo valves are used as secondary check valves on the lubrication feed lines to the Air Compressor / Air Pump.

There are original check valves on the 5 delivery lines at the Five Pipe mechanical lubricator. The delivery lines all go up and some are several feet long so we added insurance with the additional check valves at the delivery point into the Air Pump

As of March 2026 there are endless finishing details that the 557 volunteers are working with.Swagelok stainless drain c...
03/09/2026

As of March 2026 there are endless finishing details that the 557 volunteers are working with.

Swagelok stainless drain c***s have been installed on injectors and check valves to allow draining of hardware that may be subject to freeze damage in the event of a shut down during winter conditions when away from a warm retreat. The original 3/4" pipe plugs are retained as spares.

S-160 6046 being moved from one preservation railroad to another.
03/05/2026

S-160 6046 being moved from one preservation railroad to another.

Gene was at our table at the Great Train Show in the Alaska Railroad depot on Saturday and again on Sunday. We have been...
03/02/2026

Gene was at our table at the Great Train Show in the Alaska Railroad depot on Saturday and again on Sunday. We have been telling the 557 story to a steady stream of people despite the temperature outside never getting above about 10 degrees f. About half were familiar with the 557 restoration and many of them have been stopping by for several years.

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Wasilla, AK
99687

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