Anticlimber Interlude

Due to supply issues (i.e. I need to buy more Bondo and Rustoleum primer) I didn't get as much done on the 205 today as I had hoped, but I did get about a third of the anticlimber at the west end of the car wire-wheeled clean and ready for primer. The car will need to be moved from its current location about 1" from the coupler knuckle of South Shore 504 before I can do the center part of the anticlimber, but that will happen in good time. In the meantime, before and after views:



Later I had a lengthy conversation with regular blog reader Dan Fenlaciki and a friend of his who wishes to remain anonymous regarding the mechanical condition of the 205. Arguably the most interesting part of this conversation was opening up the switch group boxes on the car for the first time, which confirmed that the unit switches appear to be intact.

During a break from wire-wheeling I spent about an hour working as ground man for US Army 8537, the museum's 44-tonner which only recently was restored to working two-engine configuration. Joe Stupar (left) was engineer on the 8537 for the Parade of Power during the annual Diesel Days celebration. The highlight of this year's parade was undoubtedly Burlington SD24 504, shown below, which was just repainted and is 99% done following a seven-year restoration. This is truly top-notch restoration work and the project included backdating details such as steps, markers and headlight arrangements. Kudos to the Diesel Department on a fantastic job!

Finally, a quick photo of progress around the grounds. While negotiations continue to obtain ballast for finishing the fourth track in Barn 11, work on the structure continues. The east end of the barn is pictured; the aircraft hangar-style door for tracks 112 and 113 has been added within the past few weeks.