RGS 20 more photos

Just fit the door sheet today after final prep for stress relieving on Monday.

I understand the earlier post regarding whether #20 will still be #20 when she is done. Unfortunately the answer usually lies with each individual so it is difficult to make blanket statements regarding the subject. I will relate a short story that may have some bearing.

To me a cold steam locomotive is not unlike a corpse so I tend to prefer seeing live steam engines. Today I was sitting in the barrel while Brendan finished welding a straightening brace. I thought of my dad's photo of #20 that was on the cover of Trains magazine in 1941. I felt very privileged to be surrounded by the same steel that steamed past him when he snapped that picture. Despite the fact that some of us maybe get a bit too sentimental after being around these beasts for so long, I will say that there was no question in my mind that this is #20 and we were going to bring her back to life. It is a good feeling and goes a long way to mitigating the burns, cuts, and bruises accumulated during a rebuild such as this. For what it's worth.

Anyway here are a few more pictures.