The Folsom Eastern (FE Line) recently acquired a used, early model 0-4-0 Porter -- it has plastic side rods and no backhead detail.  The axle and motor gears are nylon(?) and are stripped and missing teeth, but the motor works and the wheels are in good shape.  Are replacement gears for this older loco available?  If so, is the changeout procedure fairly straightforward?

Ever ridden?
- Oh, yeah.
Location of last ride?
- Keystone Branch, between East Ely and Ruth, Nevada (see next question)
Date of last ride?
- July 3, 2007, as a fireman on Nevada Northern 4-6-0 #40.
Chase for photos?
- Not so much anymore -- too busy riding/working.
Favorite all-time steam engine?
-Dang!  This ain't easy!  Could be anything from Westside & Cherry Valley Shay #7 (now at Roaring Camp) which I fired one sumer long ago; maybe it's SP 0-6-0 #1233 in Woodland, CA, which I helped restore to running condition and ran for a couple of years; and, gee -- the cab rides in the CP #2860 and SP #4449 were pretty nice; of course, there's Nevada Northern #40 and #93; aw, heck -- I'll go for broke and say the SP Cab Forward!

The mechanical department at the Folsom Eastern Railroad (the FE Line) has taken in an old Climax from the Red Cat Timber Company to perform some work on it.  Apparently the folks at Red Cat decided to convert their Bachmann side-dump cars to link and pin couplers and planned to use their Climax to haul them around.  One problem: after years of service as a logging locomotive using the OEM truck-mounted couplers, no one know how to remove the coupler drawbars.  The loco was pitted last night and the truck inspection covers were removed, but we were unable to find any way to remove the drawbars from the inside.  Do those darned things just "pop off" with the right amount of pressure, or are they attached with hidden screws?  Help!