In the Bleak Midwinter

Our midwinter weather so far has been bleak, to put it mildly, but that doesn't stop the Car Shop regulars from coming out and filling up the available space with active projects.  Let's have a look.

John the pharmacist has been working on rebuilding doors for the MD cars, and here's one with a fresh coat of paint.  He gave it a second coat later in the day.

Gerry is needle-chipping the second pilot for the 451.  This will probably be our next car to be put into service.

The remaining two stepwells for the 451 were in primer when I arrived.

A window for the Mt. Harvard is being rebuilt by Roger and one of his friends.  Sorry, I didn't get his name.

Pete Galayda continues work on windows for the IT Class B locomotive.

Tim shows some of the new seat frames he has built for the 1754.

As well as roof saddles:

And while looking around the shop, I noticed the retriever from the 319.   I conjecture that OKFS means "OK For Service" and take it back to be put on the car, so it isn't in the way.  As Frank already mentioned, the shop is being rearranged for greater efficiency.

Gerry shows off how Joel has sorted out our vast collection of hammers, so you can more easily find the type you need.

Henry Vincent and I went to work painting the 451 stepwells with a first coat of finish black.

Jon Fenlaciki is stripping old paint from roof parts for the IRR 65.

Museum President Norm Krentel was working on the Michigan Electric car, as usual, but also was walking around taking pictures of the various activities.  I told him he should start his own blog, but that advice doesn't seem to have registered.

Vincent and Bill were also doing woodwork for the Pennsy bobber during the day, but I somehow failed to get a picture of them.   And there were others who also were missed.  Sorry!

Anyway, I was able to warm up both vestibules of the 319.  The conduits that were painted with primer last time got a first coat of finish red.  

Tim was also stripping paint from doors for the 1754.

While the paint was drying, I went over to the 321 to straighten up some more and look around.  I got a new space heater for Christmas, so this surplus one was taken to the 321.  It can't really heat up the car much, with all the gaps in the roof and so on, but at least it looks a little more like home.

One of the main problems is that during the years the car was outside, roof leaks pretty much destroyed the ceiling in the smoker.  It's bulging downward badly, and needs to be removed.  I'll have to bring out a ladder and a helper or two at some point.  I removed the old carpet from the smoker and swept up the floor.

Finally, I might point out that at IRM the brass hats are accustomed to working alongside the rest of us.  Here Gerry, the Car Dept. curator, is needle-chipping more of the pilot seen earlier.

And Paul Cronin is the General Manager of the whole place, but here he is stripping paint from one of the windows from the GB&W coach 110.

Getting bored sitting at home watching TV?  As long as the roads are passable, we can always find things for volunteers to do, without risk of frostbite.   Give it a try!