Opening Day Photo Essay

Thanks to fearless photographer Steven Jam, who was visiting the museum on Sunday for Opening Day and sent us a selection of photos from the day's festivities.

The Track Department has been hard at work replacing ties on the west track of 50th Avenue.

Here's a shot of the future location of the gantlet track switch. Since the present 'L' station replaced Yard 1 about 45 years ago, the east track has been "narrow" (i.e. Chicago 'L' width) and the west track has been "wide" (steam road width - or, more applicably, South Shore/Illinois Central MU width). But the plan has always been to eventually put in a gantlet track on the west side so that either wide or narrow cars could use it.

The service car for opening day, North Shore 749, at Car Line Junction.

Here's Larry Lavery from the Strahorn Library speaking at the Mitch Markovitz art exhibition opening ceremony. Mitch is to the right with his hand raised.

The unveiling...

...and voila!

Here's our president, Nick Espevik, speaking in front of a second piece of artwork that was also unveiled, one focused on IRM. The artist is to the right.

Here's Mitch speaking to the assembled attendees.

Air Brake Work Update

Many thanks go to our pneumatics correspondent, Brian LaKemper, who sends along this photo essay of work he was involved in over this past weekend (in between inspecting CA&E cars!).

With S governors waiting on parts, attention is turning to beginning a batch rebuild of M23 motorman's valves. Here is a wagon load of valves hauled in from the air brake car for assessment and rebuilding.

One thing that did happen with S governors is work on converting one to be a spare for the CA&E curve siders which have spitters to actively drain water out of the air tanks when the compressor cycles. I didn't take a photo of the base, but here's what happened when I got a little too carried away with the easy out to remove the plug on it.

This S-16 (above three photos) was rebuilt by someone who chose to use RTV or "form-a-gasket" instead of the proper gasket between the base and body. Its been cleaned as time allows. I believe it can be salvaged, but its not a pleasant cleanup. 

One of the M23s that was opened up displayed this substance on the rotary valve. It has been dubbed barbecue sauce and we don't recommend eating it. Add that one to your IRM vocabulary. 

The end of the weekend shows quite the mess on the air brake bench, S-16s, M-23s, National Straight Air valves and feed valve pipe brackets all in various states of cleaning and repair. It looks like a mess but all of it will be rebuilt in time.

Opening Day

Frank writes...

Sunday was opening day of our 2026 regular operations season, though we were open starting at the end of March for the Bunny Trolley Hop event. But in either case, let's go back to Saturday, when I wasn't at the museum, for a quick prologue.

The car shop guys worked on Saturday to finish up the annual inspection of the 309, and we're happy to say that the car was cleared for revenue service without any major issues. Brian LaKemper submitted the above photo, showing the 309 leaving Barn 4 and the 319 heading toward Barn 4, stopped alongside to swap over the adapter coupler. 

Here's another view that was sent by Ted Kuhn. A huge thank you to everyone who worked on the 309 inspection and on starting the 319's inspection!

And that brings us to Sunday.

When I arrived, I briefly stopped over at the art exhibition opening, then snapped a photo of the season's first regular service car on my way back.

In Barn 4, the guys had started working on the 319 late Saturday. The first job tackled was the trap at the #1R corner, which had started to pull out of the body corner post. That's no good. Here we see the trap support bracket removed; thanks to Joel and Zach for drilling out and dowelling the holes so the bracket could be reattached securely.

Zach also noticed that the floor latch wasn't working right, so he and Richard removed it, as shown here. Thanks to Zach for replacing the spring in the latch! The traps on the CA&E Jewetts and all the steel cars are basically the same as on North Shore cars except that the latch is mounted to the floor next to the trap instead of to the trap itself, and consists of a pedal you step on to release the trap. When they work, it's great - you don't even have to bend over to raise the trap.

I didn't take any photos of the regular inspection work, but a huge thank you goes out to Ashtin and Will for inspecting the #2 truck and both controllers, along with some other things. Ashtin and I spent some time trying to get the feed valve working; since the 319 arrived, it's had the wrong type of feed valve, but it worked fine until last fall. We tried two different feed valves of that type before giving up on that avenue. Many thanks to Brian, who had a nicely rebuilt C6 feed valve (the correct type for the car!) on hand, and Richard, who cut a threaded stud to install it. The 319 now has the correct type of feed valve and, even more importantly, it works. We didn't get the car's inspection work completed, but we got most of it checked off, including truck inspection and brake adjustment on the #1 truck as well as inspection and some repair work in the contactor box.

On Saturday, the Diesel Department guys dropped off a gallon of red paint with a revised color match, and Good Nick wasted no time getting to work on the two doors off the 460. Here he is scuffing up the previous coat of red...

...and here are the doors after a mirror-smooth application of fresh red paint. Next weekend, we hope to take these out in the sunlight along with some older samples to confirm that we have the correct shade. If we do - fingers crossed - then these doors will get their outsides painted before reinstallation, and then the 460 will be ready for service.

For a CA&E fan, it's hard not to like this view! The 451 on the left is seen with its baggage racks, on which wire-wheeling is just about done; then the 319 is on the pit; and the 306 is on track 42. Joel surveys Wheaton West.

As always, there's plenty going on. Tim was hard at work installing floor slats in the (1)268 while Brian and Will were working on rebuilding a handful of M23 motorman's valves they pulled out of storage. Joel was cleaning stuff out of the west end of Barn 4 so it can be opened for public viewing. Speaking of which, Kansas City 755 has seen more attention from Tim, Mike, and Greg. Above, the battery compartment has been cleaned up and painted, and they've reinstalled one of the two smaller outboard markers on the back of the car. These were removed when the car went to Philadelphia. The rooftop markers, which were installed by Philadelphia, were also removed from the rear of the car.

The 755 has its share of rust, which was made more plain when the floor-level rub rail was removed. But this was anticipated; new steel will be welded in as necessary. Tim and Greg also removed the vertical rub rails, which were installed at Philadelphia, one of which was formerly located on the right side of this photo.

Finally, at the end of the evening, Greg and Nick helped me schlep the 460's fourth third rail beam - the one we didn't get installed two weeks ago - from Barn 8 over to Barn 6. We'd left the beam conveniently located next to the car, but then the car went and moved itself two barns over. The nerve. Anyway, it turns out the hole spacing is ever so slightly off, just barely enough that we couldn't get it bolted onto the truck. It won't be a difficult fix, but we ran out of time so this will have to wait.

Fine Art at IRM

On Sunday afternoon, the Museum held a grand opening of  the current exhibition of Mitch Markovitz's art works.  A good time was had by all, although the gallery is really too small for all the work that is on display.  Our planned Visitor Center will provide a much larger space for such things, so donate today!

Mitch gave a very interesting and informative talk.  He has been doing this his whole life, and has produced art work in several different styles and techniques. I should have been taking notes.

Barb gave an introductory talk.

The exhibition will continue during this year's operating season, so don't miss it!

Mysterious Relic

While looking through the Museum's collection of relics from the 309, I found this brass plate that was badly warped, presumably by the 1971 fire.  It's been in the collection for so long, I don't remember exactly how I came across it in the first place.

It's a cast brass builder's plate for the Stanwood steps that the 309 has always been equipped with.  There are fragments of the light green paint for the interior walls.

THE Q&C STANWOOD
STEP
PAT.NOV.13,1890  JUNE 1,1892
RAILWAY APPLIANCES CO.
CHICAGO  ---  NEW YORK

(Size: 2" x 4")

Some of the steps have a couple of holes in the top back plate that would be just right for mounting one of these castings.  But that doesn't explain how it came to be painted light green, or why it was in the fire.  

 

Weekend Report

Although some of us were tied up over Easter weekend, the Electric Car Department never sleeps! Many thanks to our redoubtable roving reporter, Brian LaKemper, who sends us this update of activities in the shop this past weekend.

Saturday in the car shop was focused on inspection on the 309 and the latest edition of recreational switching. I neglected to get a photo of 309 on the pit, but I'm sure those curious can find photos of its previous inspections in the Hicks Archives.

The objective of this weekend's edition of recreational switching was twofold. One, the 319 was behind the line train on track 82 and needed to rejoin the other wood cars on track 84 so it can be inspected next weekend. The second objective was to move 431 and 460 back to their usual home on track 62 so the two-car CA&E steel train is available once 460's doors are reinstalled. I only managed one photo, looking down the two-car steel train at the line train while 319 was moved. Not seen is 1374 waiting patiently for us to clear up so they could come back to the barn.

Once the day's revenue operations were done, NSL 714 was split from 749, and towed over to the pit lead. The objective was to make permanent repairs to the #1 end motorman side trap's support bracket. The wood spacer and bolts holding it in place had deteriorated to the point the trap could not be opened and temporary bracing had been installed to keep the trap in place. Joel, Roland H, and I removed the trap and brace, and with a few taps of a hammer the bracket was free. 

Here is the spot the spacer sits against, fortunately the steel is still solid, the majority of the wastage was in the wood and the bolts.

Here is the bracket sitting on 714s step, you can see just how little of the bolts remained intact.

The bolts and wood screws had to be pounded out of the bracket.

The remains of the wood spacer.

After the removal of the bracket, 714 was pushed into the shop for the night. Joel made a new wood spacer in the wood shop which I unfortunately forgot to take a photo of.

On Sunday, Roland drilled out the remains of two of the bolts, then cleaned and primed the steel the spacer sits on.

With careful use of pliers washers and nuts were added to the back of the fresh bolts. Working in this area behind the steps is not easy and the hole in the frame to reach these nuts is only about the size of my hand. If I didn't use these sprung pliers, I would be working by feel alone. 

Finally, after a long day, the bracket is back in place with fresh bolts and screws. At some point we'll touch up the paint, but for now 714 is back in service with all 4 traps functioning. 

Finally, I spent about 9 hours in the air brake room sorting, organizing, and cleaning our stock of gaskets, new and used. I only took one photo of this rather filthy and generally unphotogenic task, here is one gasket that was buried in a drawer. Any guesses from readers where on the M-15 this gasket goes?

Tuesday Snapshots

Today, we have another brief sample of the many things that were going on the shop.  I don't have time to get pictures of all of them.

The partition door from the 451 needed some repair, so Gerry helped me set it up on sawhorses where I could work on it:

And I did more painting on the next third rail beam:

Steve Smunt brought a couple of window shade boxes over from the 277 so they could be repainted in the nice warm shop:

They look great!

And here Tim is installing new wood for the platform floor:

And as for the other projects, I guess you just have to take your own pictures and send them in, as the 109 crew are doing.

109 Express

Today's update on Green Bay & Western 109 is a bit of an "express" update, coming as always courtesy of our intrepid investigative reporter, Gregg Wolfersheim:

In our last episode, we had Jack attempting to install window hardware. He is slowly accomplishing that.

Another view of the sash with some of the hardware installed.

Both of the stoves now have their sheet metal wall panels installed. Also, the pipe guardrails are in place. We're awaiting the cabinets with a countertop to be installed where the bay windows were. Electrical work is next for a few outlets and additional lighting.

Easter Greetings

 

The Resurrection

 c. 1511-1515

Mathias Grünewald, c. 1480-1528

Note: Mathias (or Mathis) Grünewald is the subject of Hindemith's symphonic masterpiece Mathis der Maler  (Mathis the Painter).