The D&R #9 team will be having a volunteer session the weekend of 9/25 and 9/26. The start time is 10:00 am on Saturday, 9/25. We will be doing inventory, degreasing drive wheels under the boiler, and continuing to prepare the loco for paint and winter projects. All are welcome, so come on down to lend a hand.
Category Archives: Dardanelle & Russellville #9 Status Updates
D&R #9 Gets Steam Cleaned
STEAM is rising from the D&R #9 once again!!!. Yes…you read that correctly, steam was seen coming from the #9 during a second volunteer session July 24-25, but this time the steam was produced by J&W Services LLC. Using high-pressure water at temperatures around 250 degrees, the tender and locomotive were thoroughly washed and degreased.
Many thanks to Fletcher Reiman, Jerry Huntington, Steve Pahl, and Frank Fisher for helping to prep the engine on Saturday by wrapping steam lines, removing air hoses, and re-applying grease/oil where necessary. The next volunteer session dates are To Be Determined, as we coordinate with vendor for sandblasting and painting.
Update provided by Jason Reiman.
Prep Work
Preparing the D&R #9 for pressure washing. 
Pre-pressure washing prep work to protect some parts of the locomotive.
Pressure Washing
Equipment for the day’s pressure washing. 
Pressure washing the D&R #9 with steam. 
The crew from J&W Services pressure wash the D&R #9 with steam.
The Results
Tender trucks after steam pressure wash 
Some bare metal exposed on D&R #9’s tender tank after receiving steam pressure wash. 
D&R #9 after steam pressure wash. 
D&R #9 driver after steam pressure wash. 
D&R #9 driver after steam pressure wash.
D&R #9 July 10-11, 2021 Work Session Report
We had an A-mazing session working on the #9 this last weekend. The locomotive looks very, very different, as we removed the grab irons, sand dome, base of the steam dome, and her bell for restoration of those parts, but also to increase exposure of the boiler for future cleaning and painting. It wasn’t all stripping of parts this weekend, as we did reinstall the smokestack. So she still does look a little like a locomotive. Thanks to Ed Ripp for his excellent operator work on the Lull. And thanks again to our regular crew of Steve, Frank, Mike, Jay, and of course Fletcher, for making it an enjoyable and safe job. The next volunteer session is set for July 24-25, so come down and lend a hand, bring some young members family, or friends.
Update provided by Jason Reiman
Getting ready to remove items from the boiler. 
Prepping the repaired smokestack for installation. 
The Lull forklift begins lifting the repaired smokestack for installation onto D&R #9. 
Volunteers place the smokestack on #9. 
Volunteers attach lifting straps to the #9’s sand dome cap. 
Removing the #9’s bell. 
Partially disassembled sand dome. 
Continuing to take apart the #9’s sand dome. 
Removing components from the #9 for cleaning and repainting.
D&R #9 June 2021 Progress Report
Last month Dardanelle & Russellville #9 was finally moved to the end of the track to allow our team easier access with heavy equipment. Our team had a productive volunteer session the last weekend in June where we were able to separate the tender from the locomotive. This will facilitate easier access for washing, painting, and other restoration projects in those hard-to-reach places. Steve Pahl met with different vendors to discuss power washing and painting, and we have #9 scheduled for a wash at the end of July. We also removed all old running boards and set up temporary boards. The old stack has been repaired and delivered. Thanks to all that came out to help. A good time had by all.
We have 2 volunteer sessions scheduled for July: 10-11, and 24-25. We hope you can make it.
Update provided by Jason Reiman
Volunteers use manual car movers (large levers) to move D&R #9’s tender away from the locomotive. 
The #9’s youngest volunteer, Fletcher, shows the size of the locomotive’s recently repaired smokestack. 
The D&R #9’s tender after separation from the locomotive. 
D&R #9 volunteers pause for a picture during the June 26, 2021 work session. 
D&R #9 progress overview photo. July 8, 2021. 
A working platform and steps have been added to allow easier access into the cab for further restoration work.
D&R #9 May 15-16, 2021 Work Session Progress Report
We had a successful and safe volunteer session on the D&R #9 this last weekend, along with very cooperative weather. Only a light rain on Saturday morning. On both Saturday and Sunday, we had anywhere between 3 and 8 volunteers at any one time, and I want to give a huge thank you to those volunteers.
Fletcher works on removing the #9’s class lamps. 
Steve Pahl Sr. works atop the boiler to remove appliances while Fletcher looks on from the cab.
Lowering the hefty rear headlight which was removed from the tender. 
Rear headlight assembly being removed to permit restoration work.
With their help, we tackled “low hanging fruit,” and removed the rear light on the tender, the class lamps on the boiler, and most of the remaining loose parts and pieces that were in the locomotive. All those items are now stored and ready for individual restoration. We also removed the old rotting running boards from the flanks of the boiler, as they were only being held up by termites, so an obvious safety issue. We attempted to replace them with temporary running boards, but the old rusty original bolts prevented us from doing that for now. The only thing we were unsuccessful at was removing the #9’s bell. With the weight, and the height that it would have to be lowered using only manpower, we decided to play it safe and wait. We hope to get the #9 moved to a nearby location in the near future in hopes we can make access for equipment to be able to help us remove the bell and cradle.
As of now, we do not have a volunteer session planned for June but will send out that info when dates are determined. Again, thanks for everyone’s help this last weekend.
Update provided by Jason Reiman
