Pacific Journal Pad LLC

Here is the followup video showing the latest progress and adventure with PJP #3

7.5" gauge steam locomotive gets new injector: might not be ready in time for the big meet! In this video I test the new injector on the "Poke" 7.5" gauge live steamer in preparation for the Operations Meet at Train Mountain Railroad. I had some iss...

One of the key benefits of this business is traveling to events and meeting railroad enthusiasts of all scales. Our recent trip to Train Mountain in Chiloquin, OR was a highlight. We enjoyed putting Pacific Journal Pad #3 "Poke'" (7.5" gauge 0-4-2T+T+T) to work hauling freight at the Operations Meet. For a small locomotive, it sure delivers! Stay tuned for video of our adventures. It's a lot of work maintaining a steamer of any size but very gratifying when it runs well.

It's fun to see my journal pads travel all the way to out to Silverton, CO to go into something special like this City of Salida caboose project. Lots of people pitched in to make this happen and it was fun to be a small part of that effort. Thanks for the shout out at the end!

Caboose returns to Salida today After about 19 months of restoration work in Silverton, Salida’s caboose will return home this weekend, SGM senior project manager and railroad enthusiast Matt Hutson said April 30. Klinke &

These finger puppet-sized journal pads are by far the smallest we've made, and perhaps the smallest ever made with this traditional design. Maybe we should apply with the Guinness Book of World Records!
A 15" gauge railroad requested a set of miniature journal pads because the old loose cotton waste packing kept migrating out toward the end of the axle, just like larger gauges. Even though these bearings are small, proper oiling is just as important so we accepted the challenge! The small journal pad sheep on the stock shelf looked at me sideways but I made these to order, so no sheep were called to duty. The pads even have twill end loops to facilitate easy removal with a small hook.
We routinely make pads for major amusement parks so special jobs and unusual sizes are welcomed.

We wish you all a happy Easter!

When customers send orders, I'm always reminded of the unique niche in which this business sits. I get to hear about all the cool projects including steam locomotives, freight and passenger cars, "cabeese," and even turntables. There is a sense of pride in knowing that something I made helps keep this old equipment rolling. But I don't pretend to know it all, so I continue to learn about materials, optimize fit, reduce waste, and work with people to solve unique problems. For example, I've made several batches of "T" shaped pads for steam locomotive cellars that accommodate the raised areas of the securing pin passages through the cellar casting. This maximizes pad volume and contact area by flling the cellar. https://www.pacificjournalpadllc.com/

After chatting with a customer who doesn't have FB access, I realized that it was time to create a separate webpage so everyone has access. It's a simple website that explains our history, products, services, and some recommendations for pad fitting. Since prices are all based on custom individual sizes and equipment needs, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work for even "standard" equipment. To ensure proper fit, we ask that you contact us for a quote our your project!

Pacific Journal Pad LLC

"The eagle has landed". . . after searching several sources across the US, we found a supplier for natural undyed cotton waste fiber. This waste is ideal for lubricating cups, small journal boxes, and other locations that require oil holding capacity. We currently price it at $10/lb + shipping for orders under 10 lbs, and $9 /lb + shipping for order 10 lbs or greater. Send me an email if you are interested.

In addition, we sourced a softer foam formula for our journal pad cores that better matches my favorite vintage pads. This allows better compliance with axle height variation, lower surface pressue, less tendency to roll, and easier installation without having to arm wrestle it quite as much. It's still going to be and oily mess but that makes for great photos!

I remain committed to keeping prices as low as possible by improving efficiencies while providing the best quality pads. I want to help keep organizations of all sizes and budgets rolling.

https://youtu.be/Sbcm8vIetS8?si=RL4NjsH44ZHEp7xX
I enjoy listening to this O Winston Link recording of the Pelican running through Rural Retreat, VA on Christmas Eve in 1957. Railroaders can easily imagine the scene with the photo and sounds.

O. Winston Link Norfolk & Western Sound Recording - Rural Retreat, Virginia 12/24/57 Here’s a video I’ve put together of a classic N&W sound recording appropriate for this time of year. It’s one of my personal favorites from O.W. Link!Train 4...

Pacific Journal Pad LLC wants to wish you all a merry Christmas and happy new year!

This is a fun video that captures the feel of steam railroading at Mt Rainier Scenic. Lots of work and chores to do prepping the locomotive, then a lot of waiting while we fire it up slowly. Be sure to check out the timelapse of the trip at the end because those kind of evening runs are my favorite!

Rinse and Repeat - Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad Make more videos, y'all say! Welp, here it is folks. The day-to-day side of operations. Prepare to be bored. All necessary stuff in making the Choo Choo go c...

I just made this set of journal pads for a customer's locomotive tender with arch bar trucks. The journal box castings had indentations to allow clearance for the vertical bolts, so I cut the foam core to accommodate that shape and maximize pad size and stability.

Also, I made this prototype albino woolly mammoth. You can have any color you like as long as it's natural undyed cotton. It takes hours and costs hundreds of dollars to rethread the looper machine with different yarn so animals use the same yarn as the pads.

If you have a railroad rolling stock project or just need a pad mammoth for your desk, send an email to [email protected] and I'll be happy to help.

We ordered a test batch of Navy Blue polyester hats with our new "spot plate" logo. They use hook and loop adjustable backs. $15 each or 2 for $20 while supplies last!

Timken the turkey, Katie, and I wish you all a happy thanksgiving from Pacific Journal Pad LLC.

Congratulations to CP 2816 crew, support people, and CPKC management for another fine perfomance. I felt honored and appreciative to ride the 2-day trip to Medicine Hat. Over the last few months we collaborated to develop an insert frame for the cellars to imobilize the pads against the drag forces caused by these large axles. This system provides worry-free perfomance so the crew can focus on running the engine. It's most rewarding to see so many people along the route enjoying the steam locomotive in action. CPKC Railroad should be proud of this achievement and cherish this national treasure.

Canadian Pacific 2816 and her crew are home after four days of fast running across the Alberta prairies in the locomotive’s last main line test before next year’s “Final Spike Steam Tour.” Stay tuned to Railfan & Railroad for more coverage and mark April 14, 2024 on your calendar. It’s going to be a show you don’t want to miss.

The 2023 spreadsheet shows we made over 700 journal lubricating pads for steam locomotives, railcars, a snowplow, crane, and even a set for turntable bearings just since January. Thanks all for your support and spreading the word. I enjoy the challenges and take pride in offering the best products I can make along with support to help customers keep vintage equipment rolling. This little business provides the most interesting adventures including a mainline steam run on the CP! We also had a great road trip this summer visiting customers, family, abd friends across the US, and hope to do it again next year.

While driving on highway 285 I noticed the door open at the Denver, South Park and Pacific RR roundhouse at Como, CO. It's currently under the stewardship of South Park Rail Society, and on certain days they open it to the public.

You can see so much history there! Naturally I had to ask to see some old journal boxes and offered to help when they get their rolling stock ready. Some of the old truck sets had some pretty old packing!

Check out all the hard work and cool projects they are doing to bring this historic site back to life, and if you like it, be sure to send them a donation to help their efforts.
here: https://www.facebook.com/southparkline
or here: https://www.southparkrailsociety.org/

This business never fails to surprise me. I received a call from the CPKC steam shop requesting custom journal pads for the CP 2816 Empress (Hudson type steam locomotive). They converted the locomotive from grease to oil lubrication in the axle cellars using an SP protocol. This required custom sized journal pads on short notice. Due to time limitations, they flew me up to the shop in Calgary to ensure the pads fit correctly. We had some great discussions and worked out a good setup for the boxes. Then they scheduled a test run so I could be on board the locomotive to check things during the trip. What a privelage to be in the cab for such an event, as there is generally only room for essential crew up there.

Their committment to world class safety, the locomotive project, and to one another, showed throughout my visit. This crew is not afraid of hard work and everyone brought a valuable skill set to the project. Thanks for making my first mainline steam experience such a memorable one!

*Note: I keep customer information confidential, as some don't wish to have suppliers or information made public. I posted this information only after receiving their permission.

Today I repacked the journal boxes on Polson 70's tender while Rowdy Pierce fired up the boiler. Soon I'll also repack the remaining drivers and pilot/trailing truck cellars. It was great to see the locomotive under steam because the last time was Christmas Eve 2019 before everything shut down. That evening we ran a hot box on the tender bearing so we pulled it out of service. Then the pandemic hit so the locomotive never ran again until now. Because pads were no longer available, Katie and I made two, and I found the first two prototypes still soaking in the oil bucket! Well, those might go into the the world's most boring museum because we brought in all new pads using our current best practices. Journal oil is mostly Texaco Journaltex with some PBJ100 residue in the box (blue green color).

When I'm not making journal lubricating pads, I go help out at Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad. There is a lot of work to do in preparation for running these newly-designed railcycles and steam train excursions!

Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad - Season 1, Episode 4 "Behind the Scenes of Rail Cycle Mt. Rainier" We love RailCycles! Go behind the scenes of RailCycle Mt. Rainier as our staff works on making the "perfect" rail bike - check out our testing and modificati...

Most of the time Pacific Journal Pad LLC is just me running the machines to make journal lubricating pads one or two days a week. My wife Katie is busy with her own business, Rolling Marble Studios. However, for special projects like the locomotive seats and arm rests, we team up. Katie sourced some high quality UV, chemical, and tear resistant Naugahyde fabric, and sewed up the covers. I cut the foam, made the plywood bases, and stapled covers in place.

Before you have grand ideas about us reupholstering your Avions Voisin roadster or Bugatti Type 57 Atalante for the Quail Motorsports Gathering, keep in mind steam locomotive seats are made to a different standard. Also, Katie is currently working on a large passenger car upholstery and restoration project for a customer, so her time is limited. However, as time allows, we can occasionally work in extra projects.

Sometimes the best time to get ahead is a quiet Sunday afternoon. Oscar the cat supervised while I completed a set of driver, pilot, trailing truck, and tender journal lubricating pads for a Baldwin Mikado (Polson #70) for Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad (Western Forest Industries Museum) today. Oscar mostly sits on my lap our shoulder, or occupies the boxes I intended to use.

Some journal boxes have rounded U-shaped cellars. In the past railroads used a pad with a wire retainer to prevent the pad from shifting with axle rotation. Unfortunately these retainers are no longer available so we have to get creative to keep old equipment running.

Today I tested out new shapes. I designed a pad with a rounded foam core on the bottom to accommodate the curved box design. This allows the pad to sit at the correct height and stay in contact with the bottom of the box. The goal is to provide enough contact to wick oil but not so much pressure that the pad shifts with axle movement.

I also found a production-friendly way to make "T" shaped pads for Baldwin steam locomotive cellars for another customer. And look who stopped by the shop today! Actually we don't think he's even famous but he endorses our products in the railroad world and plays drums in a band.

We stand by our products and work to help customers solve problems to ensure cool running bearings. If you want assistance with pad sizing or have trouble with pads not staying put, send an E mail with photos to [email protected] and I'll help you troubleshoot it.

Journal lubricating pads provide a durable lubrication method for vintage locomotive and railcar axle bearings. However, they are consumable items that must be checked periodically for contamination and wear. The tremendous pad surface area not only wicks oil onto the axle surface, but it also wipes away contaminants.

As evidence of durability, the old pad shown here still ran cool in a Baldwin Mikado, but clearly requires replacement. I'm currently making a new set of pads for this locomotive so it will run cool for several more years.

Nearly every Baldwin I've measured uses slightly different cellar dimensions based on crown brass sizes and axle loads. These pads are a little tricky to design because they require a relief on the bottom corners to allow space for the cellar securing pin raised areas in the castings. With the correct fit, I can maximize contact area along the entire bearing length.

Regarding that old worn-out pad, if wicking occurs, journal packing will continue to lubricate, even if the entire length is not in full contact with the packing. On a properly shaped bearing, the oil hits the chamfer on the leading edge and sheets out across the surface, so it compensates for gaps in coverage. A "hot box" arises from situations including but not limited to loss of contact with the packing, pads jammed in the corner, improper oil choice, contamination or excessive wear, or loss of babbitt adhesion to the brass bearing. These problems can be very frustrating but if they occur, I can help troubleshoot and make a well-fitted pad to reduce the occurrence. Send me an email and I'll be happy to help.

This time of year gets busy for my customers and me as everyone gears up for operating season. I just completed this order of 20 pads measuring 3x8x8 for an amusement park customer with narrow gauge equipment. Generally narrow gauge equipment uses slightly narrower journal boxes because the axles are smaller in diameter, but that is not always the case. This customer required a special shallow-but-wide pad to accomodate the wider journal boxes for their passenger cars.

If you need pads for a vintage steam or diesel locomotive or railcar I'm happy to find a good fit with a few dimensions. We also sell shredded cotton waste for drip cups and journal pad animals like sheep $15 small/$20 large, rams $20, centipedes $20, buffalo $20, llamas $25, and anything else that comes to mind. Please send questions/orders to [email protected]

A nice shout out from WFIM!

Another staff spotlight! This time, on our parttime Restoration Specialist, Craig Cootsona.

Craig’s fascination with trains managed to weave throughout his life story. At an early age, he rode Mt. Rainier Scenic RR and always looked forward to trips to the mountain because he could see the train in Elbe along the way. Craig began to build HO scale trains until about 11 years old when he purchased his first drum set. The trains went in a box and the drum set took their place in his room. Craig eventually leveraged a music scholarship to pay for his Bachelor of Science degree in biology at University of Puget Sound. After graduating, he began working as an analytical chemist at a laboratory, and that left time to get involved with full sized trains! He began spending Saturdays at Mt. Rainier Scenic RR learning how to maintain and operate the equipment. Craig also began restoring British sports cars at home so the skills he learned at the railroad informed his car restoration and vice versa.

Craig began to take interest in forestry after observing differences in forest stands along the railroad line. He decided to attend UW forestry graduate school where he earned a Master of Science degree in forest pathology. Craig continued to play every music gig he could find to help pay the bills. Throughout his career at Weyerhaeuser, Craig worked with plant biologists, mechanical engineers, and statisticians to solve problems. He also continued to volunteer for the railroad, restore another derelict car, and play music. After the research project closed at Weyerhaeuser, Craig began to work for the railroad part-time as an employee, while also continuing to play music semi-professionally and restore yet another old car. If you haven’t noticed, he keeps busy!

Shortly before the pandemic shut everything down, the Polson #70 steam locomotive ran a hot axle bearing on the tender, and a replacement journal lubrication pad was not available. The function of these pads is to wick and wipe oil onto the axle bearing surface to keep it lubricated and running cool. Throughout the pandemic lockdown, Craig and his wife Katie researched methods and materials to develop a reliable process to make replacements. In 2021 Craig established Pacific Journal Pad LLC and began manufacturing them for sale. To date, they have supplied over 1000 pads for over 60 railroads including theme parks.

The projects seem to never end but Craig enjoys the journey. As a restoration specialist, he looks forward to helping the railroad keep history alive for future generations. We're lucky to have him as part of our team!

Katie and I wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy new year from Pacific Journal Pad LLC.

"Timken" the turkey along with my wife Katie, and I, want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and wonderful holiday season!