Membership Meeting and Rules Test

"The Boss" recently contacted me and reminded me that I haven't been doing my "fair share" of posting on the blog recently. He is right, so I felt this was a good time to review the previous weekend. The annual membership meeting, rules review, safety meeting and rules class was held a bit earlier than normal this year.

I took Amtrak's Lincoln Service up, leaving St. Louis early Friday morning and arriving in Chicago at noon. At Union Station, I rented a car from one of those "discount" rental car places. On Saturday, Frank and I drove the rental car out to Union and attended the rules review. Jim Nauer conducted the review. After the review, Frank and I drove over to the museum to review work on the Brookins collection and other ongoing projects. Here is a picture of me getting ready to start the car:

After arriving out at the museum on Saturday, I ventured over to Barn 2. There, Charlie Strong had just put the first coat of red on the 319. This coat is a "sacrificial" coat that will be sanded before the application of subsequent coats. Charlie also showed Frank and myself some different samples he has made of the Aurora Gray paint.

Longtime IRM member Dick Lukin has donated an antique saw for use in the 319's wreck tools compartment.

Here is a photo of me guarding the saw in the 319. In actuality, I had mistakenly grabbed by St. Louis Cardinals jacket when heading out the door early Saturday morning. I had already heard enough verbal reprisals against me on the train, at Union Station in Chicago and at the museum on Saturday morning. I was prepared now to defend myself.

About that time, Car Department members pulled the open car, number 19 out of Barn 4, so the membership could examine it. Here it is, below the restored CA&E sign and the new South Shore sign. Dave Diamond and his whole crew deserve lot of thanks for the work they have been putting in to coordinate sign restoration and placement throughout the property.

After lunch, Frank and I took the rules exam. We both passed with a grade of 99%. Following the rules exam, the open car circled the property in a seemingly endless loop, as members all clamored onto the new "breezer." The weather was perfect to ride in the new car.

The membership meeting that night was very well attended. Car Department volunteer Joe Stupar was elected to the board of directors on the first ballot. The various pieces of the Brookins Collection, by a vote of the membership, were moved to the museum's permanent collection list as well.