Things Are Heating Up

CA&E Day, the Trolley Pageant, and North Shore Day are only a week away, so things are heating up!  Lots of activity to get ready for next weekend was in progress.  You could almost feel the warmth and humidity.  But we won't let that stop us....

In the morning I started by tacking down more of the canvas on the 319, until it got too hot to continue.  But it's going well.

Then it was time for a second coat of primer on the side sill and #1 end bumper on the 36, as seen here.  Next time these parts will be painted blue.  

On the subject of painting, I spent most of yesterday repainting our deck.  My wife happened to pick out a color which is remarkably close to the blue-gray of the final CA&E paint scheme.  But when I pointed this out, she quickly warned me not to even think about painting any part of the house bright red!   Maybe some day when she's not looking....

Joel was busy getting the IT train ready for service, among other things.  I helped him a little with changing a brake shoe on the 234.  Here he is putting the slack adjuster back in place.  Unlike the CA&E or North Shore cars, this truck has only one slack adjuster, right down the middle.

I also helped him with switching.  I was too busy to get a picture of the IT cars, but the 229 was also switched out in preparation for the Pageant.  This, they say, was the 1920's version of FedEx.

Just for Ted, we have the two-car CA&E steel train resplendent in its scarlet and grey. 

 And the 1630 was running again, and of course attracting visitors, many with cameras. 

Tomorrow is the incomparable Steam Department Benefit, and we'll be there.  It's probably not too late to order tickets on-line if you haven't done so already.