Away On a Waycar

 This weekend is IRM's annual Diesel Days, with the never-equaled Diesel Parade, and we were in need of trainmen for the Waycar Train (aka Caboose Train) seen above.   So I decided it was my patriotic duty to help out, especially since it was going to be too hot and steamy to do what I really wanted, finish outlining the letterboard on the 36.  

Before service started, though, I was able to do several letters, which you should be able to make out.

Having grown up in Burlington territory, I naturally chose the Q waycar for my service today.  It's quite nice inside, as such things go.  The big red emergency brake lever (R) has been plugged, since we can't trust the passengers.  That always got a laugh.

Here we are on our way out to the station track, pulled by the first FM Diesel built.

 And we were busy all day, except during the parade itself.  Granted, it doesn't take many people to fill up one of these cars.  The Museum had a great crowd of people today, I think, and there were photographers everywhere.  So I didn't try to compete with the pros.  Anybody who took pictures of the parade should send them in.

The weather was less than the best, to put it mildly.  Most of the day it was extremely hot and humid, then just after the parade started, a tremendous thunderstorm blew through and drenched everybody.  But most people seem to have taken it in good humor.  

 

While the parade was in progress, I had a break from service, so I went to the car shop.  I finished disassembling the bad grid box from the 36.  We have ordered new mica tubes and mica washers from a supplier.  The tubes often don't survive the disassembly process, as seen here, so we will make good use of the new parts.

 I wasn't just imagining things: this grid box really did have a problem.

Don't look now, but some of the Car Dept. guys seem to have little interest in the Diesel Parade.  Tim is working on the intricate marker light assemblies for the roof of the 24, a good project for such a muggy day.

Bill helps by cutting out and painting the shields for the marker lights.  Because the entire system has to be scratch built, among other things two cast-iron frying pans and several cans of baked beans were used to put it all together.

And John McKelvey continues to work on seats for the Rock Island cars, every day.  Here he using the canvas removed from the roof of the 319 for one of the stationary seats.  It made a dreadful excuse for a roof, but it's just what he needs for these seats, evidently.

Anyway, the parade was quite impressive, as always, and if you can make it out there tomorrow it will be repeated just for your benefit.  Say, did I mention that the Zephyr was running and serving lunch?   What more could you want?