Ten, Twenty, Thirty Years Ago

April, 1978: Norm Krentel helped us check out the control system and motors on the 309, so it could be operated for the first time at IRM. Ray Neuhaus and I drove up to Milwaukee to collect some parts from the 318 which were stored in the basement of a TWERHS member. (The 318 had been heavily damaged; in 1977 IRM purchased it and scrapped it for parts.)

To the right is what the ceiling of the 309 looked like at that time.

1988: 309 restoration continued, still in the Cretney barn, which made things difficult. New clerestory windows were installed, and the end floors were patched up with new wood.

Here's what the 309 looked like in 1988. Ugh, the roof isn't finished, it isn't lettered, and it sure is dirty. The Cretney barn was a dark cave from which it could seldom emerge.

1998: Frank and I finished up a cosmetic restoration of the M1, and continued to work on the 321. Among other things, we removed the large metal plate over the door at each end to strip and paint it. A note from that year's journal for the 321 reads:

Archaeology Dept.: On the back of the metal plate there is stencilled lettering which says:

[ CHICAGO AUR]ORA AND ELGIN RR CO.
[ WHEATON] ILL.
[ALBERT A. SPR]AGUE AND BRITTON I. BUDD REC.

We are guessing at the words within the brackets, since this is where the hole for the bus jumper is cut out of the plate! In any case, this indicates that the plate was installed sometime between 1932 and February 20, 1937, when Sprague and Budd were the receivers.