Many Projects

Today we have a lot of different projects to report on.  Things at IRM never stay still for long, unless the snow is impossibly deep.  

First, I installed the hinged clerestory window in Lake Shore Electric 150, which I had made a while back.  As viewed from the inside, it's hinged at the left, and opens and closes using the nice brass handle seen here.  All the others were nailed shut long ago, and that's the way they'll stay.   But having one you can adjust is mildly entertaining.

When the weather warms up, I'll paint the outside.

Half of the windows are hinged, and the rest are held in place with two metal plates as seen here. 

The other frame needs to be trimmed slightly, and then I'll install the glass.

And this subject came up at breakfast this morning, so here is the 150's retriever.   "Eclipse" was a railway equipment manufacturer based in Cleveland, so they provided much of the LSE's hardware.  You don't see these much on Illinois-area cars.

Now that CA&E 451 is in Barn 6, we're planning to resume work to make it operational.   The car got a new canvas roof several years ago, but it needs saddles and trolley boards next.   Joel made a pattern for the saddles, which will be white oak.   I counted the saddles on the 460 so I can get the right amount of wood.   Gerry helped me by holding the ladder.

Eventually I'll have to determine the curvature of the bottom edge.

A few months ago, I made a new window frame for the 1218, aka 18.  For some reason, several windows were removed at North Olmsted and lost, and we have replacements in place.  I wanted to check that the measurements were OK.   These are drop sash.

We'll need to make some more brass castings for the lifts.  But the dimensions are correct.   Note that these windows have no mortises or tenons; they are held together by brass channels at each side, screwed into the rails.

They don't drop very far, it appears.

The young guys have been cleaning up the interior, so it looks pretty nice.

Buzz is making good progress on new doors for the Marengo Depot.

Later, the door seen above was glued up and placed in the big clamping frame:

But I'll have to ask you to not even look at this next project, whatever it is:

Work on Michigan Electric 28 continues:  Jeff was knocking out old rivets, and pointed out newly installed steel.

And our Museum president, Norm Krentel, is making sparks fly in more ways than one:

New carlines for the doodlebug have been made and are being painted.   They are placed in several places around the shop, so it looks like they probably have enough for the whole car finished.

And Tim's doors for the 1754 are nearing completion:

Finally, I went back to work on painting the vestibule in the 319.  Fresh red paint on several places: 

And some of the hardware was stripped in the shop.

 And some of these parts were then taken home for work in the basement.