Simms Collection -- Rockford and Interurban

The Rockford and Interurban collection is mostly roster shots, in a variety of locations.  All captions are taken verbatim from the prints.

#131

#300

#300 of R.&I. on Lincoln Park Line, Rockford

Downtown Rockford, #300 former R&I car

#302
Car sold to Oklahoma Ry.

#303 (former Rockford & Interurban car) in Rockford

#304

7-2-36  Rockford   Kishwaukee St.  #305

#717

#811 Rockford Public Service car in Rockford

#825

#827

Farewell car in Rockford, #869

Interurban car of Rockford & Interurban
in Rockford   "THE SINNISSIPPI"

Car in street of Beloit, Wisc.

Rockford Public Service car on right
of way of Elgin Belvidere & Interurban
line, Rockford, Ill.

Rockford & Interurban on Lincoln Park Line

Old RPS car on Lincoln Park Line, Rockford

The Pneumatic News

Thanks again to our ABBC, or Air Brake Bureau Chief, Brian LaKemper, who sends along a report of this past weekend's activities in the land of pneumatics.

This weekend was more of the same in several ways.

A fourth S-16 Governor finished assembly, and I started assembling a fifth. This is the line of governors ready to set pressures and test. The one most recently completed is destined for CA&E 451.

This is where I got assembling the fifth S-16. I can't install the piston yet, as it's ring is currently stuck. This one, and the piston from the sixth S-16 will both need their piston rings freed before they can be completed. 

I didn't take photos but I finished converting the base for the fifth S-16 to an S-16C by threading the previously blanked hole for a spitter fitting. This governor is ultimately intended to be installed in our other running curve-sider, CA&E 460.

I started taking apart the seventh S-16 (this batch will total nine). I neglected to get photos, but it looked more or less like the others that have been taken apart so far.

Will finished rebuilding a Christensen straight air valve for CSL 144 and that was installed. We took the old valve from 144 and opened it, shown here. We'll get this one cleaned up and on the shelf ready for use again. I forgot to get a photo of the new valve installed in 144.

I also swapped tips on some of the finger bases for the S-16s that are still in the queue for assembly, here is a worn one next to a new one.

Wednesday Brief

And this will be brief.  But we'll start with some interesting news.  On Wednesday morning we received a very useful gift from a generous donor: a complete, like new, welding set.  I don't know enough about welding to tell you very much, but the pictures speak for themselves.  I helped him unload his truck and put the cart back together.

It includes a large supply of welding rods.

We greatly appreciate donations like this, and I'm sure we'll be able to put it to good use.  (I took a BOCES class in welding back in 1980 or so, but I've forgotten just about everything I ever learned, and I suppose the art of welding has progressed a lot since then.)  I'm sure we'll be able to profit from this donation, since we have a lot of experts in this field.  Our Museum can find use for almost any sort of mechanical tools or equipment, and your donations will always be appreciated!

The rest of the day I spent mostly on the third rail beams again.  

And several of the others were at work on their projects, as usual.  But I didn't get any pictures.  Sorry!

Doodlebug Dispatch

Our faithful freelance reporter, Gregg Wolfersheim, is hard at work on Union Pacific doodlebug M-35 once again, and he's sent along this report of recent progress.

Following up with our last report, the big red tank on the doodlebug has been identified!

With the removal of the rear train door, paint stripping commenced. Here, Jack is needle chipping the doorway.

A closeup of the area. The yellow steps in the back are part of the new mezzanine addition in the Diesel shop.

The doorway now has primer on it.

Meanwhile, the door has been partially sanded and the loose joints have had epoxy applied to strengthen them up.

The floor plate was removed and the area below it was cleaned up. One of the buffer spring assemblies has been removed for repairs.

The pocket has been reattached and is ready for the springs standing upright behind it. Damp proof red primer has also been applied to everything.

The left side door is now being stripped and getting its epoxy treatment. Jack also has made measurements of this door. We will have to create an opposite version for the right side. Many years ago it was falling apart. Sometime in the 1980s, it was removed. Probably someone had intentions to rebuild it. However, we don't know where it went, hence a new one needs to be made.

Simms Collection -- Illinois Terminal

The IT collection consists of a variety of pictures of various sorts.  Captions on the back are in quotes.

MAIN LINE

RH: Fan trip with the 277, at Monticello, I believe

RH: Probably the same

RH: Same fan trip at Champaign

Parlor car 535

"Illinois Terminal
Granite City, Illinois
Red, blue trimming used as an
experiment with this one car      
Color scheme not considered satis-
factory"                                          

"Alton, Illinois
3-car passenger train used
at evening rush hour"

At Springfield     1947

Peoria

"A VIEW SHOWING THE BARNS AT PEORIA, ILLINOIS."
RH: Car 273, unsure of number of Class B, probably 1569.


IVDIV -  CO&P

"Ch. Ottawa & Peoria
Lunch car
Orange & Black"

CO&P #56

RH:  CO&P #81

CO&P #82

"Rockdale, Ill. Sept. 23, 1933 C&IV R.R.
CHICAGO & ILLINOIS VALLEY R.R. #69"
Photo by Ed Frank, Jr.

"Aug. 4, 1934  C&IV R.R. at Ottawa, Ill.
OLDEST EQUIPMENT of Chi. & Ill. Valley"
(RH: #56, lettered "Westclox Special")