Greatest Hits of 2015

As we did last year, let's celebrate our accomplishments at IRM this year.  Be sure to chime in with comments on anything we've missed!

• Barns 13 and 14 were built, putting almost 4000' more track under roof!   Not occupied yet, but soon!   Woohoo!
• The ATTRM Convention was held at IRM
• Steam operated reliably all year, and other engines are being readied for service in addition to the 1630
• The Wagner Trolley Bus Loop was completed and dedicated
• Acquisitions, of course:

1. Mt Harvard - Pullman sleeper
2. IC Highliners
3. Several historic buses

• The Galt House and Dover Strait were returned to operation
• In the car shop, the Electroliner has been disassembled and the trucks and motors sent out for rebuilding.
• Great progress being made on car 24 and others; the 810 is essentially complete.
• Roof work completed on 319, and it's back in service.  

And our regularly scheduled activities proceeded smoothly and safely, including various social items:

• Zephyr Dinner Train
• Trolley Pageant
• Labor Day Weekend
• Showcase Weekend
• Thomas, Happy Holidays, etc.
• Soiree
• Steam Department Benefit at Sanfilippo

Christmas Present Preservation

Christmas would be woefully lacking without some toy train action.   I have managed to preserve the first electric train set I got for Christmas in 1955:

And the second, in 1957.  They are both still operational.  It's a heck of a lot easier than preserving the real thing, of course.  Merry Christmas!

Yuletide Cheer

If this doesn't cheer you up, I don't know what will: 

Due to popular demand, this bulkhead panel got a nice coat of varnish today so the new paint won't affect the original pattern.  And then there was more surface prep on various parts of the end of the car, and the walls in the last section.   The pocket door got a first coat of primer.

Among other things, more of the wainscot was painted the final color, as were four more arm rests.

 

And I took one of the defective rollers for the pocket doors to the shop and talked it over with Tim a little.  On the left is one from the 24; it had springs to push the roller out of the housing and hold it against the door, but all of these springs have rusted out.  On the right is the smaller one from the 36.  These have rubber rollers, I believe, but several of the them have broken up and disappeared.  I'm going to try to find the right material to make new rollers; a stiff rubber tube with the right ID and OD should work, if it's available.

 On the 28, Norm shows some of the new parts being made to rebuild the front end of the car, alongside the rusted-out originals.

Mike and Bob have been working on the other gate, and it's almost ready.  The hanging lights are now installed and connected, and the final coats of paint were being applied.  Mike says they might be able to install it this weekend.

We now have an actual truck in the truck repair bay.  This is one that was in IRM's collection; behind it are two motors recently retrieve from storage.  They're in relatively good condition, actually.

Tim is removing the axle caps from an MOT truck over on 41.

 And the siding has been installed on the east platform.

Need some more Yuletide cheer?   Here we come a-wassailing....