Paint and Lettering

 

 Here's a quick report on the last two days.  Most of Tuesday was spent putting a second coat of blue on the side of the 36 that hasn't been lettered yet.  It looks much better, although it's hard to get a good picture in the barn.

I was able to install one of the new third-rail beams.  On the other side, there's too little room to maneuver the cart, and I don't want to move the car unnecessarily, so the other one will have to wait until the car is turned around.  At some point I want to start installing air hoses, purely for show, of course.

In the evening, I took a walk around the property.  The four Highliners are now sitting in Yard 14.

Work is continuing in the Steam Shop on the Shay, which is getting new tubes... 

... and the world's largest 0-4-0, UP 428.   But I was told they're thinking of adding some more drivers to reduce the axle loading.

Set in concrete: this has been an interesting project of the past few weeks.  Four steel line poles were installed by Glenn Andersen back about 1972 at the intersection of Railroad and Central for the new trolley bus service.   But Main Street is wider, and so one of the poles was in the way.  First, a temporary wooden pole was installed right where the gas station will be, so the span could be removed from the steel pole, and it was moved several feet and set in concrete again in its new location, the pole farthest to the right. 

I started lettering the 36 today, and finished everything except the word "Elgin".  After that's done next time, I'll start outlining it all in black.  Wait till you see it outside.

And I removed the defective grid box and took it to the shop.

Ed Oslowski brought his grandson out to show him the work being done on the 277.   Windows are being restored one by one.







On Tuesday, I met Mark Wolodarsky, a Branford (and IRM) member from New York who was visiting.  Frank knows him, as does Nick, it appears, so here we are enjoying some IRM pizza.  We're all such a friendly bunch!