Guys who were there told me “Don’t kid yourself, there were a hell of a lot of jury rigs on that ship!” But I see your point!
Anyway, I’m not surprised at the speed of 475’s repairs, the Strasburg crew can fix anything but a rainy day!
And now 475 has the distinction of being the only operational steam locomotive in the US with duelling scars! [;)]
Among the many jokes was a picture of the excavator with a small cartoon steam locomotive sticker, in the same vein as bomber crews adding another mark for each completed mission.
Perhaps 475 should get a little excavator painted under the cab window…
A cartoon for either would not be appropriate - neither was a ‘kill’. The ‘marks’ for war birds were awarded for verified ‘kills’.
In Vietnam a guy in our in our service battery hit a Lambretta 3-wheel truck with his 5-ton. After the inquiry he painted six cone-hatted stick figures on his driver side door. Some of us “heroes” were very ugly people. War begets sick humor.
Rick
Kills are Kills.
Strasburg has installed footboards ‘to make 475 look more representative of the era when it might have run alongside Js’, and the ex-SP 6-chime whistle has been replaced with a N&W freight whistle for the occasion…
In some cases cast iron can be welded, TIG welded.