No Hissing, Please

The filming for The Letter seems to have gone very well, but a few minor operational problems appeared, which we might as well fix sooner rather than later.  One of the retrievers on the 319 is not taking up the slack rope, so it was removed and taken to the shop.  There's a special table just for retrievers to be repaired.

A more serious issue was an audible air leak under the 309 at the #1 end.  It didn't take long to find: as I had expected, a hose had burst under the platform.  Here it is on the bench; the leak should be obvious.  This is not the hose at the end of the car with a glad hand; extra hoses are needed with radial couplers to flex whenever the coupler swings from side to side.

Tim helped by unlocking the brake car for me and helping find a nice new rubber hose of the right size.  The label is the wrong color but I guess you can't have everything.

After some work, the fittings were removed and put onto the new hose, with the same radial clamps.

The clamps are then tightened down onto the hose as much as possible.  However, it still doesn't seem to be quite air-tight.  In the picture below, the hose has been equipped with various piping parts for leak checking.  

At one time we had a new machine for clamping hoses in a more reliable way; I'm hoping that perhaps this will work better if we can fire it up again.  In the meantime, the car could be operated as long as it's not coupled to another car at the #1 end.   Under the platform there are cocks for cutting out the hoses in just this situation.

In this case, however, you will notice that the cutout cock for the brake pipe hose has some stiff wire attached to it, to make cutting out difficult.  I believe this wire dates back to when the cars were being moved from Wheaton to North Chicago, and then to Union.  On the North Western, the brakes would have been operated in single-hose mode, and this wire keeps somebody from cutting out the wrong pipe.  So for now I'll just leave it as is.

And then, I managed to retrieve two space heaters, a Kevin sign, a can of paint, and several tools that had been left in the depot during filming.  All this was carried back to the 319, where some straightening and sorting was done.

And in the lost and found department, we have this bag of lead shot or something left behind by the film crew, I think.  Whatever it is, it's extremely heavy for its size.  Nick is in charge of the arrangements for this film, so I put it in his office.

And then, we have various other projects to ponder.   Tim is hard at work, as always, on the 1754.   The current west end is being completely rebuilt.

The next MD car door looks good.

I see that Gerry has rigged up a frame for holding the controller shaft from the 36 so he can braze up the worn-out segment.   That's a hopeful sign!

 If I weren't reading this blog, I'd never guess what this is:

 And then, outside, the B&G guys are hard at work, as always.   Andy was stripping paint from the 50th Avenue station, again, and then started painting the eaves.

 Dave, Max, and Jerry were installing nice railings on the handicap entrance ramp for the Schroeder Store.  Very professional looking.

And that reminds me: rumor has it that the Happy Holidays trains are selling out fast.  If you want to ride at a particular time, you'll want to order tickets online because they may not be available for walkups.  That's good news for IRM!   It also means we can always use more members to sign up for train duty.  Your Museum needs you!

Mizerocki Photo Collection

Photographs by Ed Mizerocki taken at North Chicago and at Union.  Some of the photos are dated on the back, but the writing is not always legible.
Identifications by Norm Krentel are in red (left to right unless noted)

First, we have a collection of over a hundred 3x5 prints, mostly B&W but some color.  The only notations on the back are occasional dates.  These are roughly in chronological order; the early ones are at North Chicago, and then there are views of the development of the Union site, up until the construction of the Boot Creek trestle.

#1. 6-28-58

Second from right: Gordon Geddes

#2. 6-28-58

Second from right: Gordon Geddes

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9.  9-5-59

#10.  5-10-58

On right: Howard Odinius

#11.  6-28-58

(Photo #12 is a duplicate of #11)

On left: Bob Konsbruck, working on contactor box for the 65

#13.  6-28-58

Bob Konsbruck

#14.  10-26-57

#15. 10-26-57

#16

#17.  9-16-59

On left: Dick Lukin

#18.  8-9-58

#19

#20

#21: 1959

#22

On platform: Jeff Brady

#23: Carl Gustafson

#24

#25

#26

#27:  5-28-61

#28:  5-28-61

#29: 7-1-61

Professional painter, unknown, Dave Shore

#30

#31

#32

#33

#34

#35

#36

#37

On ladder: Warren Cobb; with Les Ascher?

#38

#39

#40

#41

Newly installed interchange switch on the North Western

#42

Larry Repp, unk, Carl Gustafson, unk, Warren Cobb

#43

First train to Union made up at North Chicago

#44

First train approaching CA&E bridge at Wheaton

#45

First train on arrival at Union; interchange track in foreground

#46

Second train in West Chicago yard

#47

Second train in West Chicago yard

#48

#49

#50

Track construction heading eastward

#51

#52

Looking west from about Olson Rd. towards end of track

#53: 8-10-65

#54

#55

Car 65 on trailer; looking north on Olson, trailer is on Hemminsen Road and will have to back across the North Western onto the IRM right-of-way.  Photo by Norman Krentel

#56

CSL 144 on trailer, at CHF gate house on its way to Union.   Photo by Norman Krentel

#57:  10-15-64

#58

Looking west towards Olson Road

#59

Looking east from Olson

#60

Norman Krentel painting trolley pole for 415

#61

#62

#63

Bob Rayunec in foreground

#64

#65

Norm Krentel, Randy Anderson, Warren Cobb

#66

Junk pile on IRM right of way just east of Olson

#67

#68

Herb Hansen, unk, Carl Gustafson

#69

#70

#71

#72

#73:  2-5-65

#74:  2-5-65

#75

#76

#77:  6-14-65

#78:  6-14-65

#79

Bob Rayunec unloading rail components

#80: 6-12-65?

#81

#82

#83

From left: John Whitfield, Leo Bullard, and Bob Rayunec dumping rock with a wheelbarrow.

#84:  6-18-65

#85

#86:  6-19-65

#87:  6-19-65

#88

#89

#90:  8-7-65

#91:  8-7-65

#92

#93

#94

#95

#96

#97

#98

#99

#100

#101

(Photo #102 appears to be missing.)

#103

#104

#105:  1-8-66

Dave Shore

#106

Dave Shore

#107

#108

#109

Then, there are 17 8x10 B&W prints, all taken at North Chicago.  Most of these do not have useful information on the back either, but there are exceptions.  These were not numbered or in any order, so I have assigned arbitrary numbers to this group.  I have added some comments in italics.

#201: The 1960 Annual Meeting

Walter Murphy? with bow tie, unknown, Larry Goerges, Ray Neuhaus, Connie Morrell

#202: The highlight of the railfan year of 1961 -- the IERM MD trip on the North Shore.

MD car 229 pushing/pulling trailer 193.  Howard Odinius was the motorman.  The 229 is in the Museum collection and still operable.

#203: The highlight of the railfan year of 1961 -- the IERM MD trip on the North Shore. April 23, 1961.

#204

Bob Bruneau, Bob Barth, Charlie King

#205

Jim Fox, 2 unknown, Dave Shore, Warren Cobb

#206

Bill McGregor in doorway, George Clark in raincoat

#207: George Clark

#208: Cleaning out the 1129, another seat going into the boxcar.  

Warren Cobb, Larry Goerges

#209: L to R: Bob Bruneau, Dave Shore, Bill McGregor

#210: Sandblasting the 972 in preparation for painting

#211: Warren Cobb effecting repairs on some of the support equipment.

#212

Ken Stendler on right

#213

George Clark

#214: Jeff Brady in action.   Covering the windows of the 277 prior to sandblasting.

#215: Illinois Terminal 277 is ready for sandblasting.

#216: Painting North Shore 354 with a professional painter.

Dave Shore on right

#217

Howard Odinius in center, Bob Barth, Dave Shore on right