The last journal wedge was installed mid November.  It seems that we forgot to trim the wedge to its required thickness before installation.  With boiler finally sitting on its wheels, the steel beam that supported the firebox end of the locomotive was removed.  All cribbing and jacks were removed and stored.

Our focus has now been turned towards relocating to the area designated by the county.  Significant progress had been made during the past several months towards complying with the county's requests.  Earlier all rail material and round house building materials were moved.  The locomotive's tender and caboose were repositioned, but much work remains before we are fully in the new area.

Fairgrounds staff have been most helpful.  Construction of a 36 foot by 28 foot concrete pad has been completed.  This will become our outdoor covered work/machine area.  The immediate area around the pad has been dressed with base rock and leveled.  350 feet of conduit has been laid for electrical power to the shop area.

The past three weekends have been spent repositioning the two 36 foot containers that serve as our indoor machine shop and finished parts storage.  Both units are now sitting adjacent to the new pad.  Moving these objects have consumed all of our time.  The shop container requiring the most, as it contained two very heavy lathes and Bridgeport mill.

A special event occurred on December 10th. NBC channel 11 visited the site and performed a live broadcast on CTRC's restoration of SP2479.  Ken Middlebrook was interviewed by Bob Redell for the 11:00 news.

Not all the news has been good.  On December 6th while moving the first container, our large Clark forklift suffered a major casualty.  A shaft between the drive line and the transmission broke. The repair is not difficult, but the part is not readily available.  Efforts to locate the part are on-going.  If a part can not be located, one of our journeymen machinists will be called upon to make one.

Fortunately A Tool Shed has again come to our aid by providing a forklift.  Thank you again A Tool Shed.