ALAMOSA, Colo. -- Engine 169 is "the little engine that could."

Although much of its history is long past, the 1883 steam engine may be "on track" to operate again in the future.

Volunteers like Jim Poston, a member of the Locomotive 169/Business Car B-1 Restoration Team, are hoping to see the engine hit the tracks again.

"The fact we've got a historic artifact here in Alamosa is important," Poston said.

Engine 169 was part of a 12-locomotive order built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1883. It is a narrow gauge engine, meaning if it becomes operational, it would have to run on a three-foot track like the Cumbers & Toltec or Durango & Silverton.

For 55 years Engine 169 pulled its weight -- and then some -- on Denver & Rio Grande Railroad lines throughout Colorado. Retired from service for many years, Engine 169 has greeted visitors to Cole Park in Alamosa and has enjoyed an elevated status in its own pavilion, shared with the B-1 Business car, since 2002.

Poston said with Alamosa's railroading history, it is fitting that the locomotive should be housed here. The Valley's history and geography are tied to the tracks. Poston said it is no coincidence that Monte Vista is about 15 miles from Alamosa and Del Norte about 15 miles from South Fork.

"How far can you go with a tender full of coal?" Poston asked.

He thanked those who helped provide Engine 169 a home, including the City of Alamosa (which owns the pavilion and provides electrical and other utilities) and Alamosa County Chamber of Commerce/Alamosa County Economic Development, which owns the locomotive.

Poston and other volunteers would like to see the engine come to life again on the tracks and believe it is possible, just like 168 (which once pulled a train carrying President William Howard Taft) found a new home with Cumbres & Toltec.

"The locomotive will obviously need more work," Poston said. The tender has been refurbished, and in about 1999 the locomotive passed a pressure test. The boiler has also been tested.

"We just need to make sure the locomotive is mechanically reliable," Poston said.

He estimated the remaining work to get Engine 169 operational again would run from $500,000 to $1 million. The engine would have to meet federal regulations for operation. For example, repairs would need to be completed on the running gear.

Poston explained there are specialists who can work on steam engines in Colorado as well as other states.

Fundraising is ongoing for the Engine 169 project.

Poston has met with the Alamosa city council, Alamosa City Manager Heather Brooks and Alamosa County Chamber of Commerce/ Alamosa County Economic Development Executive Director Randy Wright to discuss the future of Engine 169 and possible financial support for its upkeep and restoration.

Volunteers are also needed.

"We are always looking for volunteers. You can know everything about steam engines or absolutely nothing," Poston said. "We are willing to teach people."

Volunteers are welcome to help greet visitors every first Saturday at the pavilion, when it is open to the public, and help with the upkeep of the locomotive.

Poston said many of those who worked on the steam engines are no longer around, so it is essential that the next generation become involved to preserve this historic heritage.

Poston, who was part of the space shuttle team during his professional career, has been interested in trains since his dad got a Lionel train set for Christmas. His license plate "challenger" encompasses both his favorite space shuttle and favorite steam locomotive. He has been involved with 169 efforts since 2011.

Poston will be promoting Engine 169 at the national narrow gauge convention in Denver Aug. 30-Sept. 2 with brochures, calendars, T-shirts and denim shirts.

Colorado is the perfect host for the convention, Poston explained, since the state is the home of steam railroading and one of the states known for the exploration of the American West.

Railroading is a tourist draw for Alamosa and the San Luis Valley, Poston added.

"If you live anywhere in Colorado, you are less than a day trip down here, and there's a lot of other things to do in Alamosa and a lot of things to do in the Valley."

In addition to the larger expenses of restoring the engine, there are insurance and other maintenance type expenses for which donations are appreciated.

"We have a core of enthusiasts that want to see the train operating," Poston said. "We need to augment that core."

------

Information from: Valley Courier, http://www.alamosanews.com/

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Locomotive restoration of 1883 steam engine 'on track' - Pueblo Chieftain

Q: We have an old steamer trunk that belonged to my great grandparents. It is in excellent condition inside and out except for the leather handles on each side, which have rotted away. My husband has replaced them with strong climbing rope. Of course, this ruins the appearance. We were told that the bolts that held the leather handles must be cut off, then new leather can be put on with new hardware. Is there someone who could come to our home and do this?

Silver Spring

A: Almost certainly, the leather was not held on with bolts that need to be cut off. The handles on steamer trunks are typically attached with clinched nails nails hammered in from the outside and then bent over tightly on the inside.

Colonial Restoration Studio in Gaithersburg (301-948-6652 ; colonialrestorationstudio.com) has replaced handles on hundreds of these trunks over the years, said Dave Hawksford, who runs the shop along with his son, Jarrod. The shop offers in-home repair of cedar chests in Silver Spring, as well as in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac and Rockville. But steamer trunks need to be taken to the shop to be outfitted with new handles. You have to take the paper off on the inside, Hawksford said, and removing the handles requires special tools that they keep at the shop.

Raymond Burkett, who runs a furniture restoration business in Takoma Park (301-589-2658), also said that he can replace handles on steamer trunks, but only in his shop. Because the trunks were built to be lightweight, he said, the wooden parts are very thin. So its a challenge to remove the bent-over nails without damaging the wood.

Hawksford estimated the cost at $150 to $190; Burkett said it might come to about $200. Steamer trunks typically fit in a passenger car, but if moving the trunk yourself isnt possible, both companies offer pickup and delivery, with the price for both trips in Silver Spring totaling $75.

If youre handy and want to do the work yourself, check out the website of Brettuns Village (207-782-7863; brettunsvillage.com), a company in Maine that offers dozens of styles of leather handles and other trunk replacement parts, the tools needed to remove clinched nails, and instructions for doing the work without damaging the wood.

Van Dykes Restorers (vandykes.com) also offers replacement trunk handles.

Q: We have an exhaust fan in the ceiling of our 1930s brick Colonial kitchen. The circular opening measures 9 inches in diameter. The fan, which we believe is original to the house, turns on from a switch on the wall. But it makes a loud squealing sound. Is it possible to replace the fan with one that would still fit the current opening? It vents to the outside on the side of the house.

Silver Spring

A: A Dayton ring exhaust fan with a nine-inch blade diameter might work. This model comes in a circular frame with an outside diameter of 9 5/8 inches and an inside diameter of 9 inches. Grainger, which owns the Dayton brand, sells it for $109.47.

Chris Nakis, who responds to technical questions related to heating and air-conditioning equipment for Grainger, recommended calling an HVAC contractor or an electrician to check before you order whether this fan is likely to work, and then to install it. Retrofitting a fan into an existing opening sometimes takes some fussing, and an experienced contractor is likely to figure out a solution. For example, the mounting tabs might need to be bent or even cut off, he said.

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How to fix up an old steamer trunk - Washington Post

Restored modernist icon houses Harvard fellows

Wimbledon House is knownfor its bold, modular design and sunny, inside-out aesthetic, but when then-budding architect Richard Rogers designed the London home for his parents in the 1960s, he wanted to create a flexible living space that could shape-shift to suit their needs.

The steel-framed, prefabricated house with moveable partitions influenced Rogers later work on landmarks such as the Centre Pompidou but more than an architectural experiment, the home was designed for living, a space where his mother, who loved to cook, could host big gatherings around the dinner table.

So its fitting that one of the first events to be held in the home since it became a fellowship residence for Harvards Graduate School of Design (GSD) will be a talk examining the way food and cooking shape cities one focus of study by the fellows this year.

Rogers gave the home to GSD in 2015 to ensure the Heritage-listed propertys continued use as a residence and last month it was unveiled after restorations by architect Philip Gumuchdjian and landscape architect Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, M.L.A. 84.

The restoration wasnt Gumuchdjians first brush with the house. In 1980 while he was an apprentice, he was tasked with replacing the homes iconic yellow blinds and even then he was awed by the houses flexible design, which he describes as radical.

I recall it as a place full of serenity and aesthetic harmony, he said, a place of sunlight and of views into landscape.

Fast-forward to 2015 and Gumuchdjian presides over a firm whose challenge was to restore the modernist icon to its original state while modifying it for its new role as a research home for Harvard. Replaced were the roof, the asbestos-filled external walls, and the servicing; removed were recently added buildings and internal partitions.

[Wimbledon] is not just an iconic, flexible machine for living nor simply a historic experimental building that foretold the architects future work, he said, it was also a home with a unique memory, patina, and aura.

The garden was completely re-created. Longstaffe-Gowan, a 1984 grad of GSD, strove to restore the original balance of the 1960s composition to better reflect the architects original intentions. Wimbledon is a total work of art, he said. The house, gardens, and interiors were conceived in concert to form a unified whole.

In addition to serving as the residence for the Richard Rogers Fellowship, the Wimbledon House will provide the GSD a new venue for lectures, symposia, and other events bringing together scholars and practitioners from London, Europe, and around the world.

One of the first events to be hosted at the house this fall explores the way food and cooking shape cities, which seems apt considering the central role of food and cooking in Rogers life his wife, Ruth, runs a Michelin-starred restaurant, and presented a lecture about food at Harvard last fall. One of the six inaugural fellows, GSD alum Jose Castillo, is studying cooking and eating through cultural, ecological, and political lenses, probing connections between urban food economies and forces like climate change and migration.

This application of design thinking to broad global questions exemplifies the work GSD hopes to stimulate, especially through the Richard Rogers Fellowship. Other projects by fellows this year will focus on public and affordable housing as well as citizen-driven revitalization efforts in cities.

The fellowship, launched in October, is inspired by Rogers commitment to cross-disciplinary investigation and social engagement as an architect, urbanist, author, and activist and is dedicated to advancing research on a range of issues key to shaping cities social, economic, technological, political, and environmental.

Each year, six fellows will be awarded a three-month residency, travel expenses to London, and a $10,000 cash prize.

To learn more, please visit the Richard Rogers Fellowship website.

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Restored modernist icon houses Harvard fellows - Harvard Gazette

Its the first word of our companys name, and its the first thing on our minds as we deliver quality and dependability to all of our clients.

We know log homes and their unique issues, and we understand the importance of keeping your home protected and looking good for years to come.

Even the most weathered and damaged log homes can be restored to their original beauty or updated to provide a new look with protection that lasts.

The wooden exterior of a log home has special needs to protect it from weather, UV light, and insect invasion. We can restore and repair your homes exterior so it looks as good as new. Ask about our Maintenance Program to keep your home in great condition.

We dont stop with the outside of your home. Our employees can take care of any interior restoration or remodeling, too. Walls, windows, floors, and more. We will update, repair, and/or remodel rooms so the inside looks as amazing as the outside of your home.

Let us put premium log-look vinyl siding on your garage or other buildings for a uniform look to your property. We also can help with porch and deck construction and/or finishing and door and window replacement.

The wooden exterior of a log home has special needs to protect it from weather, UV light, and insect invasion. We can restore and repair your homes exterior so it looks as good as new. Ask about our Maintenance Program to keep your home in great condition.

We dont stop with the outside of your home. Our employees can take care of any interior restoration or remodeling, too. Walls, windows, floors, and more. We will update, repair, and/or remodel rooms so the inside looks as amazing as the outside of your home.

Do you have a building that isnt a log structure, but youd like it to look like it is? We can do that! We can apply a log siding product that looks great.

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Your Log Home Restoration Partner - Reliable Log Home ...

Two former Texas A&M University at Galveston students, Michael Cordray, Class of 2006 and his wife, Ashley, Class of 2009 have returned to Galveston, Texas to reclaim and showcase the islands history in their HGTV pilot, Saving Galveston.

From working corporate jobs just a few years ago to officially starting their company, Save 1900, the Cordrays are no strangers to taking risks to achieve their goals. Before officially opening Save 1900, Michael was often encouraged by his wife to quit his corporate position in order to chase their dreams.

Ashley probably asked me everyday for about a year or year and a half when I got home from work, if I quit my job today, Michael said. I dont know many wives that ask that.

Shortly after establishing their company, the calls and messages began to come from production companies affiliated with HGTV.

Finally I just decided to quit the job because we wanted to start working on more, Michael said. And then just two, three weeks later, one of the production companies called. We were talking to 15 to 20 production companies in a week, out of the blue.

HGTV production companies were in search of coastal homes selling for less than $500,000, which can only typically be found in specific regions of the United States.

Its really limiting on the east coast and the west coast, Ashley said. So I think it really drove [HGTV] down here and we got a ton of calls that week.

The show follows the couple throughout their creative process of planning and restoring historic

Galveston homes, while also sharing useful tips for home restoration. Galveston is also home to one of the largest concentrations of pre-1900 built homes in the nation.

Will Wright, director of communications and special events for the Galveston Historical Foundation said that efforts such as Saving Galveston, bring attention to Galveston and all that it has to offer and are finally giving the city the recognition it deserves.

[Saving Galveston] is a great way to educate people or showcase to people outside of Galveston what all is down here, Wright said. Its the kind of thing that advertising cant buy.

Since Saving Galveston is still aired as a pilot, the couple will know the status of their show sometime in mid to late August. If the show receives the green light, it will be aired as a full series on HGTV.

In the meantime, Ashley and Michael Cordray will continue to grow their company and restore homes throughout Galveston. They are currently working on three projects throughout the city and have five or six projects pending, should they receive the green light from HGTV.

Whether the couple is able to continue airing Saving Galveston or not, the exposure from the show has presented a number of opportunities for both Save 1900 and the city of Galveston.

Its all about just making the town as good as it possibly can be, Michael said. Its all about Galveston. The attention from the show could really be great for Galveston.

Michael said that if they are able to continue the show, viewers will definitely be seeing some maroon and white on their TV, but for now he will just have to settle for flashing his Aggie Ring.

Couple saves local houses through their own business Saving 1900

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Former students host Saving Galveston, rebuild historic Galveston homes - Texas A&M The Battalion

A Tallahassee museum is getting recognition from architecture enthusiasts. The Call-Collins House at the Grove received the 2017 Peoples Choice Award from the American Institute of Architects Florida chapter.

Its a rainy Tallahassee morning, but Grove museum director Johnathan Grandage doesnt mind because the porch of the historic Call-Collins House makes for the perfect spot to watch the storm blow by and enjoy the view. Four massive brick columns stand on either side of the homes sturdy white door with two sets of windows on either side.

The architectural style would be Greek revival or neoclassical depending on which architectural historian looks at it. But when he built the house this was a fairly popular style, Grandage says.

The House was built by Richard Keith Call in the late 1830s then passed through family members until most recently Mary Call Collins owed the home and her Husband LeRoy Collins used it as the Governors mansion.

After Mary Collins death, the home passed to the state and officials began rehabilitation work to turn the

home into a museum. Grandage says that process involved changes to make the house more accessible, like putting in an elevator, as well as changes that help the building operate as a museum rather than a home--such as adding new bathrooms and paring down the kitchen.

In the basement visitors can see the desk where Collins often worked as Governor and the typewriter he used to compose editorial columns for the St. Pete Times. But Grandage points to features the average visitor might overlook mortis and tenon joinery, huge original and replaced pine joists and careful repairs made on the homes brick walls.

So when youre repairing the mortar youre matching the historic mortar. Youre analyzing the chemical composition of that and devising a mortar in 2013 or 14 when they did it,that matches the 1838 mortar. Or looking for ways to restore the house in keeping with the original materials," Grandage says.

Another unique aspect of the homes rehabilitation its now LEED Certified, meaning it meets certain energy efficiency and environmental standards. Grandage says the recognition the building is receiving represents the importance of the preservation work. But hes careful to credit MLD Architects and general contractor, Allstate Construction.

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Grove Museum Celebrates Recognition for Call-Collins House Restoration - WFSU

Since opening on Feb. 14 of this year, the Encircle LGBTQ Family and Youth Resource Center has received a lot of attention.

Some of that recognition was by two historical organizations for the masterful way the group has restored the William D. Alexander House at 91 W. 200 South in Provo.

Josh Yost, preservation planner in the Provo Community Development office, nominated the Encircle home to receive the Provo Landmarks Commissions Provo Preservation Award, and the Heritage Award for Adaptive Use, given by Preservation Utah.

The Alexander house has been one of the standout historic homes in downtown Provo for many years. The house was built in 1891 and has had various owners over the years, as well as gaps of vacancy.

It is a rare Utah example of the decorative Stick Style, and also combines Eastlake porches, and Queen Anne shingling, wrote Yost in his description of the home in the nomination application.

The house is distinguished by this eclectic style, its unusual wall dormers with rounded bottoms, and its unusual orientation with three corner porches.

The Eastlake styling is the same architectural design used in the Provo Tabernacle and, most recently, the restoration of the Tabernacle into the Provo City Center Temple.

Yost added the building was in good original condition, the house is basically unaltered.

The Stick Style was one of the two most purely American styles of the nineteenth century, Yost stated. The geometric pattern of crossing horizontal and vertical sticks on this house is reminiscent of Japanese framing as seen in the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia which influenced the Stick and later Prairie styles, and may have been an influence in this house.

Architectural designer Jared Connors said this was the most restoration he has ever done on a project.

It was beat up, Connors said. Obviously we wanted to keep it the way it was, just clean it. We celebrate its history.

Connors said the same ideas were a metaphor that applied to those who would find peace in this house. It would be a place to discover who you are under all the waxed and worn surfaces.

According to Yost, several steps were needed to get the building up to restoration standards including cleaning and repairing parts of the house, and removing non-historic elements, such as wall and floor coverings, a jetted tub, exposed ducting and trim. There were also upgrades to electrical and mechanical systems and reconfiguring the main floor service area to accommodate an ADA-accessible restroom.

By following their desire to leave it alone Encircle completed the interior rehabilitation while making only limited changes and maintaining a patina of age and use that enhances the sense of historic authenticity experienced in the house, Yost wrote in his nominations.

Yost continued, Encircles work and long-term commitment to the property has already created a sense of stable investment in the surrounding area and will ensure the continued use and preservation of this unique house long into the future.

Companies and individuals that helped in the restoration of the Alexander House include Dean Peterson of Demar Construction, Jared Connors of Connors Design, Mountain Land Design, Arizona Tile, Juilliard Rivas, Holly Alden and the John Williams Memorial Foundation.

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Encircle Home receives restoration awards - Daily Herald

Kelly-Griggs House Musuem closed for...

RED BLUFF, Calif. - The Kelly-Griggs House Museum is closed for restoration work and their annual Ice Cream Social has been canceled.

Lizabeth Forsberg, a board of director, said the Victorian style home built in the late 1800'sneeded some work done on the south side.

However, they realized the foundation also had to be fixed before exterior restoration was done.

Through community donations and a $50,000 grant from the McConnell Foundation the restoration is now possible, Forsberg explained.

"The foundation just started two weeks ago, it's already completely done. We are just waiting for the new windows to come in and we are waiting for the siding to come in, because we are dealing with a 128-year-old home the siding was kind of hard to find, but good news is we found it," she explained.

The rest of the work is expected to start in early September and then once the work is completed they expect to have a grand reopening.

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Kelly-Griggs House Museum closed for restoration work - KRCRTV.COM

Plans to restore M.F.K. Fishers Glen Ellen residence into a destination honoring her legacy and celebrating her love of food, wine, literature and nature are moving forward with two announced events in coming weeks.

Known as the Last House, the single-story adobe on the grounds of the Bouverie Preserve, designed for the legendary food writer by architect David Pleydell-Bouverie, was her home for the final years of her life.

The palazzino, as she called it, featured two large rooms one of them a kitchen divided by a huge bathroom, with black tile floors throughout and built-in bookcases for over 2,000 books. She lived here most of the time, aside from intermittent trips to Europe, from 1971 until her death in 1992, at the Last House.

As part of the restoration, some of her personal art, books and other possessions have been returned to the house from storage. The Chinese Red wall of art in her bathroom has been recreated, and can now be enjoyed as it was when Mary Frances welcomed visitors to Last House.

Reaching out to family and friends who have lovingly shared items, memories, and stories has been rich, said Kennedy Golden, Fishers daughter and an advisor on the project. Among the donated items, Fishers Coronomatic typewriter sits quietly in one corner, rough draft secured on the platen for curious observers.

A Peek into the Last House will be offered on Saturday, Aug. 26, by Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR), which owns and manages the Bouverie property. Attendees will be able to tour the house and grounds from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and refreshments will be served. Tickets are $45, $40 for ACR members, and available until Aug. 19 on Eventbrite at tinyurl.com/y95ez5xs.

With Bold Knife and Fork, a benefit for the Last House, will be held on Sunday, Oct. 8 at the Generals Daughter in Sonoma. The menu will feature cassoulet, one of Fishers favorite dishes, prepared by the Depot Hotel and Epicurean Connection, as well as other dishes. Tickets are $100 for members, $125 for others, at tinyurl.com/y83yrqug.

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MFK Fisher's 'Last House' in Glen Ellen undergoing restoration - Sonoma Index-Tribune

Depot employees earn DoD award

An innovative engineering solution developed at the Tobyhanna Army Depot was named one of the best value engineering proposals in the Defense Department for fiscal 2016.

Team Tobyhanna personnel accepted the Value Engineering Achievement Award for the team engineering category during a recent ceremony at the Pentagon. The proposal will save the depot more than $12 million over the next three years.

Dr. Clinton Holder came up with the idea for an in-house testing capability for the detector/cooler bench assembly, a major component of the Long Range Advance Scout Surveillance System. Holder joined forces with electronics engineer Christopher Antall, Dallas, electronics technician Jeffrey Borosky, Wyoming, logistics management specialist Bret Hunt, Moscow, and electronics engineer James Waters, Clifford Twp., to develop a capability allowing the replacement of certain components rather than the entire DCB. Holder, an electronics engineer who worked in the Production Engineering Directorate, retired in July.

Dress for Success

Dress for Success Lackawanna is announcing enrollment for Retail Jobs Trajectory, a job-training program funded by the Walmart Foundation. This specially designed program helps entry-level employed women gain professional skills by providing them with the tools and resources needed to successfully advance in their careers.

Dress for Success Lackawanna was chosen as only one of 20 Dress for Success affiliates to pilot this new program for the worldwide organization.

Goodwill donation

FNCB Bank, locally based for more than 100 years, recently presented representatives from Goodwill Industries with a $1,000 donation for the Choose Your Future Program. Choose Your Future is a career development program designed to help low-income high school students gain exposure to and transition into the world of work.

Lawn volunteers

Grasshopper Lawns, a member of the National Association of Landscape Professionals, participated in Renewal & Remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery on July 17. This marks the 21st year that industry professionals have worked to help care for this national burial ground that serves as the final resting spot for more than 400,000 military service men and women and their spouses. It is the 21st consecutive year for Grasshopper Lawns participation.

Every July, hundreds of landscape and lawn care professionals come from across the nation to the cemetery to participate in the event organized by the National Association of Landscape Professionals. They volunteer their time mulching, upgrading sprinklers, cabling and installing lightning protection for the trees, pruning, planting, liming and aerating the soil.

EEC applications

Lackawanna Colleges Environmental Education Center is accepting applications for its Conservation and Natural Resource Officer certificate program. The program is set to begin Sept. 6 and ends Dec. 15.

During this 15-week accelerated program, students will complete five undergraduate-level field biology courses at the LCEEC, located on 211 acres of diverse habitat in Covington Twp.

The curriculum focuses on the conservation and interpretation of the natural environment. The program includes instruction in subjects such as environmental interpretation, wildlife management, freshwater ecosystems, dendrology, ornithology, and recreational use of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources. Students will experience both classroom and hands-on field training throughout the program.

Habitat award

Habitat for Humanity presented the 2017 Golden Hammer Award to Christine Chissler Fazzi, Tracy Chissler Perry and Patty Chissler Phillips Pavlock at a recent home dedication in Wilkes-Barre. The Golden Hammer Award honors those who have shown exceptional commitment to help further the organizations mission.

The four-generation Chissler family home on Espy Street remained vacant for years after the passing of their father. Since the siblings had settled elsewhere, the sisters donated the home to Wyoming Valley Habitat for Humanity. The Chissler sisters were also very active as volunteers and often donated lunch at the job site during their family homes restoration.

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