Happy Birthday present or getting to the base of things

Joined Randy yesterday.  The goal was to begin the journey of getting 36 from a control trailer to its proper status as a motor car. The plan was to move the 36 over the pit using the 309 for power.  However a quick trip to barn 4 to check the status of the pit relieved a surprise. Track 41 was occupied by a birthday present

Still in its birthday wrapper is Cleveland 1218. for more on the story of the 1218 visit here and here. As this car is said to be in operating condition its too bad it didn't arrive a week earlier to be included in the parade.

So lacking access to the pit we decided to attack some other outstanding issues.  The trolley bases needed to be cleaned up and mounted on the car.  Lacking a motorized vehicle that wouldn't be damaged carrying the heavy and awkward bases we requisitioned the trusty dept. Radio Flyer (remember what that is? ).  We hiked out to the container and loaded up the two bases.  Somehow I missed getting a photo of us tugging these back to barn 4.

Randy proceeded to take off some of the easily removable parts. I took them and some parts from the grid box for the 36 to clean up with the wire wheel and the grit blaster. Randy also wire brushed the base and started applying a coat of primer to be followed with some gloss black.

Barn 4 was also abuzz with the news that the first of the CTA 2200s would be arriving late in the day. I had to leave before the Silk Road truck delivered the new, to IRM, car.  But Ray Piesciuk did capture this image.

(photo by Ray Piesciuk)