Tomorrow morning, the City of Kingston will be doing a small amount of work on Engine 1095 as a first step toward preparing ‘The Spirit of Sir John A.’ for its relocation and restoration, scheduled to get underway this spring.
In 2011, the iconic locomotive is to be restored to how it appeared in the 1960s when it was taken out of service and donated to the City of Kingston by the Kingston JayCees as a Centennial gift to the City.
This initial phase of work will include the removal of designated substances, including asbestos and lead paint, from the historic locomotive in order to ensure it can be safely moved and restored.
“Engine 1095 is a piece of Kingston’s heritage and, like many heritage properties, it does contain designated substances that must be carefully removed before any further work can take place,” says Colin Wiginton, Manager, Cultural Services.
After the removal of the designated substances is complete, work can begin on the construction of a new foundation a few meters southwest of where the locomotive now sits followed by the restoration itself, scheduled to get underway in July.
The City of Kingston will be working with Local 221, the Pipefitters Union, and a number of other local trade unions and industry partners to restore ‘The Spirit of Sir John A.’ so that it can continue to be one of Kingston’s most popular and photographed landmarks.
The $642,500 project is expected to be completed by the end of 2011.
Keep up-to-date on the progress of restoring this key artifact in the City’s Civic Collection at www.cityofkingston.ca/1095.
Engine 1095, or ‘The Spirit of Sir John A.’, is one of Kingston’s favourite and most photographed icons. The locomotive was built in Kingston in 1913 by the Canadian Locomotive Company Ltd. and was in active service until 1960. In 1966 it was saved by the Kingston JayCees and subsequently gifted to the City of Kingston in recognition and celebration of Canada’s Centennial in 1967.
Media contact information: Cindie Ashton, Communications Officer, 613-546-4291, extension 3116 (cell 329-3462). Or call the City of Kingston’s media hotline at 613-546-4291, ext 2300.
It would be nice to see some commitment from, ideally, CN or from the city or province or whoever, with regard to the old train station that would coincide with this restoration.
I noted the recent newspiece about the upcoming move and restoration of locomotive 1095 in your city. I think I have advised this before, but there are three critical things that are essential before this move takes place:
First, all axle journals must be polished free of rust and greased with a heavy waterproof grease. This is a dirty and difficult task that takes considerable time, but costs very little. If not done before the move, the rust on the underside of the journals (the part of the axle that turns in the bearing) will be ground into the soft bearings above, scoring them badly. Even if cranes are used, there is usually some rolling of the engine for final positioning, which will cause the damage. Feel free to contact me for further information on how to prevent this unnecessary damage, which I consider vandalism.
Second, I don't know how much asbestos remains on this engine, but any remaining boiler jacketing should be retained after the removal process. These sections will be needed for replacement, or if badly rusted, for patterns to cut new jacket sections from paintable galvanized sheet steel. The compound-curved backhead sections in the cab are very difficult to replicate if lost. The contractor should not be allowed to torch cut anything off the engine to get at the asbestos (a common occurrance), and all parts that are removed must be retained.
Third, the locomotive must never be lifted with a sling around the smokebox (front of the boiler). Doing so risks tearing the engine in half, as the bottoms of smokeboxes on long-displayed locomotives are usually rusted very thin. Lifting should be done from the frame only.
I note the city plans to spend over $600,000 relocating and restoring this locomotive. Note that such a high figure should allow employment of a professional locomotive restorer to complete the project, including a proper shelter. Contact me for references to such professional restorers. It would be best if such a person were involved from the start, to prevent unnecessary damage from occurring. Many locomotives have been damaged in recent years by well-meaning but clueless contractors and volunteers, especially when they were moved. I hope the 1095 is not one of them.
Bob Yarger
Retired CPR conductor