My daughter forwarded me the story of moving the Lion locomotive and renovating the Maine State Museum (“Renovations to Maine State Museum chug along with removal of historic steam engine,” Sept. 22).

I found this story of particular interest in that I spent many hours after closing with the Lion before the space between the rails was filled in with “soil.” I was measuring every nut and bolt up from the bare floor to do detailed scale drawings of the sides, ends and top views of the locomotive and tender. My side views were rushed to use in the exhibit, on the cover of the dedication event program, and in the book the museum published about the history of the Lion. Also later, in a version much simplified by some staff member, printed on shopping bags sold in the museum gift shop. 

One interesting thing about the project was that the Lion’s frame is slightly wracked with two diagonally opposite corners slightly higher than the other corners. I had to average the side to side measurements to do the drawings.

Incidentally I also earlier made a different scale 3-D model of the Lion, using a toilet paper spool for the boiler, and models of three different types of saw mills which were used in a same scale model of the new museum space to plan their “permanent” exhibits in the main floor areas behind the Lion.

 

Harvey Versteeg

Augusta

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