American Steam Railroad treasurer Forrest Nace fills you in on what has been accomplished in the past month on Reading 2100. Highlights include:

• The work to complete material blasting the 560 staybolts has continued on from last month. We’re using a fine glass substance that auto body shops use, this allows us to remove the mill scale so the welders have a pure surface to work on without having the material etch into the steel. 
• The casting for the stoker jet distribution table was found to have damage. The piece has been sent out to be repaired by Gemini Industrial Machine Group of New Philadelphia, Ohio.  
• Volunteers have started to perform an ultrasound survey of the boiler. The reason why we’re doing this is the locomotive’s 1,472 inspection is expiring next summer, and a new survey of the boiler is required for the next inspection. In the past month, volunteers have started on the first course of the boiler barrel by gridding it in eight squares then taking and recording readings.