Cold Hard Facts

It was still really cold today, but as long as driving is safe we won't let that stop us.  Thanks to our nice heated facilities, there are always projects to work on in the shop.

First up was stripping and painting the final set of window shade tracks for the 36.   One of them had a large crack which needed to be glued, but it got first primer also by the end of the day.

By afternoon the car itself was warm enough for painting the ceiling, although I decided to put this off after doing only a part of the remaining section.  I then sanded down and primed the last two arm rests.

Gerry was working on bolting on of the bolsters on the 810.  This project is nearly complete.   And Tim is hard at work on repairing the control system on the 24.  The car has been moved over the pit, and it should soon be possible to use the new gas space heater to warm up the underside for continued work underneath the car.

I didn't take a picture of the front of the DB-15 contactors; they look much like the ones on the 36 and 309.   But in back, there's a different arrangement of interlocks.  Because this car has automatic acceleration, most of the contactors have four interlocks each, two NO and two NC.  The picture shows what this looks like.  

And here's the DB-20 reverser, the same model used on the CA&E wood cars.

And he is also making the roll signs for the roof-mounted destination signs.

The Museum is storing more than 300 hoppers over the winter, and is being paid well for this service.  Monticello has been doing this for years.  Most of the cars are out on the main line, but I didn't go out just to look at them.   Some are here in the middle of the campus.  I heard various rumors about how much is being paid and so on, but the main thing is that the money will be used to advance worthwhile Museum projects -- soon.

And finally, I was sorry to hear that Connie Morrell had died.  She was a long-time member of the Museum, and the first active female member.  Although she moved out of the area many years ago, I remember her well.  She will be missed.