Two for One

Here we have another two-for-one special.  Two days' worth of news and pictures for the low, low price of one.  Enjoy!

The Museum's main priority right now is getting ready for Day Out With Thomas.  But we'll mainly focus on other things, just to be ornery.

Among other things, all of the bolts holding up the compressor on the 36 have now been replaced.  And I worked on the roof of the 319, but there's little more that can be done without switching the car to a new spot.  And there's always cleaning and straightening.

And then, for something new, I worked on the 150 a little.  It had these goofy rain gutters installed when it was a flower shop, and they always bugged me.  And sometimes it just seems more fun to take things apart than put them together.

 Underneath the gutter is the car's original letterboard (or what would be the letterboard on any other interurban) and it's in about the same condition as the rest of the body.

 

 Sooner or later we'll get around to painting it.

Our contractors, Volkmann Railroad Builders, were hard at work building the cutoff for access to the south yards.  But first..

 I should have mentioned that our own Track Department leveled out and tamped the curve into 84, which is greatly appreciated.

Now if it looks to you like there's no room to get around the PCC on this curve, it looks like that to me too.  But there's actually just about one measly inch.   And switching is often a game of inches.

Here's the new switch for the Schmidt cutoff.

 And as I left they were making rapid progress on the cutoff track itself.

Henrietta

 Our friend Roger has been too busy to post any pictures of the similarly rapid progress the Rock Island guys are making on the Henrietta, so here are some updates. 


 He could probably give you a much better idea of what has been accomplished.

Here the concrete floor is being patched.

And look, repainting of the Great Western Russell plow is nearly complete!

As the sun sinks slowly in the west, let's visit the steam shop.  The 1630 is outside, waiting to be fired up for Thomas.  The Rock Island Pacific is just inside for some cosmetic work.

The Shay is next in line for complete restoration.  The front truck has been pulled out for overhaul, and staybolts are being replaced.  It's a daunting project.

We must have acres of land under tents for Thomas.  

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