On Saturday the Museum was a beehive of activity of all sorts. I didn't take any pictures of the so-called "Boot Camp" but from a distance it appeared to have a good number of people attending this introduction to IRM operations.
I started by installing the repainted grab iron in the #2 end of the 308. It's now securely fastened and has been load tested. Paint will have to wait until it warms up.
This end was still lacking a motorman's window shade. I didn't have any in storage that would fit this window, so the one installed in the 321 was removed, reduced in size by about 1/2", and installed. These window shades sometimes do come in handy when the setting sun is low in the sky.
Wooden window sash will sometimes stick. They had this same problem when the cars were new, and the Pullman company had special levers made to help open difficult windows. Roger loaned me an original. It's a fairly complicated design, with a hinged part on the bottom. I traced it as well as I could and took several pictures. When I have some time, I'd like to try making a replica.
In the meantime, I'm sure I've seen one-piece models, which are much easier to make. I ran one off on the big bandsaw, tried it out, and took it home for finishing.
After sorting out parts for a while, I ran out of things to do, so I had some time to wander around and take pictures!
The 1374 is over the pit for annual inspection. It will be used more often this year.
Tim continues work on the 1754:
Hot rivets were being inserted in the 28 by the usual rivet team of Norm, Dan, Jane, and Stu.
The furnace in operation is quite loud as well as bright and hot.
In this picture I think Norm is underneath the platform with the bucking bar while Stu is on the deck with the riveter.
Ed Woytula was welding new parts in the Cleveland PCC:
Jeff Brady ponders the "builder's blueprints" for the 28.
Finger points to the current focus of work. Actually this diagram was produced by Rich Witt and is indistinguishable from an actual blueprint, at least to my eyes. Rich does amazing work.
Keith Letsche was working on parts for the clerestory window mechanism in the 1754.
Bob Olsen continues on windows for the 109.
Richard tests some more air gauges with our calibration equipment.
Buzz shows off the progress on the interior of North Shore caboose 1003.
New window sills:
And the steel bracing in the cupola. They must have had problems with the framing on these wooden cars working loose.
What else did I miss? Jon was working on the 65, Victor and Bill on the Pennsy cabin car, and John on the 68 windows. Maybe others.
Meanwhile, the real spring cleaning was taking place outside, with major civic improvements under way. The B&G guys were in the process of getting ready to remove the baggage cars stored at the station. So first, the old wheelchair ramp was removed.
And Max was working on the electrical system, due to the removal of the baggage cars.
The signal guys were repairing bonds, such as the one in the foreground:
The 3142 and 415 were in operation for training new motormen.
The ramp was removed in sections and had to be transported south on Depot St. past all the obstacles, such as street signs, light poles, buildings, and so forth. Running the Bobcat is Tom Opolony Jr., who did an amazing job of threading his way down the street and avoiding all the hazards. You just had to be there.
And by the end of the day it looks like this:
And I'm told these cars, and the track they're sitting on, won't be in this location much longer. Watch this space for news!
Finally, in a smaller scale, Henry handed me a box full of old American Flyer trains donated to the Museum by a long-time member. I'm the designated S gauge expert, so it's my job to fix these things up and clean them. What fun! Eventually we will have sets like this on display and operating.
11 comments:
What's to become of the baggage cars and what will replace them (grass and picnic tables maybe)? How do they plan to move them out of there?
C Kronenwetter
Great report on progress at the museum. For those of us that no longer live in the area, the blog helps us understand where the museum is headed.
Well, here is my understanding. With luck I might be batting at least .500.
The rails on the car line will be unspiked, disconnected, and swung over on temporary ties to connect with the storage tracks. Then the bags will be pulled out one by one using an idler or two. Slowly. Very slowly. Then the car line will be put back together for service. And the badly deteriorated storage tracks will be removed. The track guys are all taking a week's vacation to get this done.
For now the area will be cleared. No decision has yet been taken on any permanent arrangement. Corrections from smarter people than myself are welcome.
The 1004 has cupola? I've never seen it in pics, and I always thought either it might have been chopped off at some point or it never had one in the first place. The couple models I've seen if it seem to show it without one.
Sorry, wrong number! It is the 1003 I was referring to.
It might be a nice place for a park and a popcorn wagon or at least some benches for old fogey's like myself could sit and watch the trains roll by :) How long has it been since the baggage cars actually rolled on their own wheels? I'm guessing that the brakes haven't worked since the administration of Roosevelt (either one)?
C Kronenwetter
Will the Schroeder store have enough space to hold the inventory that both baggage cars and the troop sleeper held? Thank You.
Ken MacLeod
As for how long it’s been since these cars rolled, it was recently suggested that the answer - at least for the cars on the north track - was summer 1991. That’s when “A League of Their Own” was filmed and the north track - whose switch off the car line had supposedly been removed not many years before - was emptied for the filming. The platform remained and the pop machines on it were covered with sand bags. Afterward the CNW cars on the north track were put back. There’s a clip of this scene online at at https://youtube.com/watch?v=x491U5iu3jA - you can’t see the sand bags but for a brief moment you can see the platform and the CNW baggage car on the south track, visible behind the not-yet-painted Borden milk car.
I just happened to be looking at Rail & Wire Issue 107 (Sep 1982) and reading the article "Electroliner unloaded at Union". On page 8 there's a picture of the heavyweight baggage car that is pictured above. The caption reads: "A former baggage car was converted into a bookstore car giving visitors two places to shop for souvenirs at the Museum."
Ok yeah, I didn't realize 1004 no longer existed until I checked the museum roster. At least we have 1002 and 1003 so that gives us good representation of CNS&M caboose variety.
I thought the 1004 was at the Silver Creek and Stevenson now a days. 1002 had needed maintenance for some 30 years. All three of them and a couple other cabeese used to sit out on the spur that became the lead to the barns in the middle of the carline.
FYI, the wooden baggage car was the original IRM bookstore, when operations were based out of Olsen Road with the 415 and the 144. I hoped it would be preserved, as we have already scrapped one of the other three that came from North Chicago. The troop sleeper has been there probably since the early 1980s. The switches were removed maybe 1983-4. Between the cars are a couple of TTX flats that made the platform. A steel posted canopy was going to be installed on them, and there were thick steel bases installed on the deck for that. It never happened.
O. Anderson
Former summer employee and vintage volunteer
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