Family tradition

Frank writes...

My wife and I went out to IRM for a quick visit today - but first, a public service announcement:

Help help help! We still need 1-2 additional crew for the CA&E wood train tomorrow. We are in need of a car host or two to help with the passengers on the three-car train. Even if you can only spare enough time to help us for one or two trips, it will be much appreciated. Just meet us at the depot!

And now back to your regularly scheduled blog post.

I may not have mentioned this on the blog before, but my wife Bevin is expecting our first child in October. And I insisted that she visit IRM because, why else, superstition and family lore. Legend has it that my grandparents visited some follow-up to the Chicago Railroad Fair shortly before my father was born, and we know that my parents visited the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania just before I was born, so obviously the railfanning trait must be absorbed from the air prior to birth. Hence, Bevin and I stopped out on an unusually hot day to ride the 3142 and the steam coach train. A good time was had by all three of us!

Dave and the B&G crew have been busy getting ready for the big car show tomorrow and the property was dotted with placards and other signs of preparation. Up at the depot, a group from Ohio had brought a portable G gauge track and some live-steam locomotive models. One of them, shown above, was a model of our very own 1630, meaning two different Frisco 1630s of two very different sizes were steaming away just a few feet from each other. This setup will be operating tomorrow for the car show as well.

It was in the 90s, hot enough that I didn't want to subject my wife to too much wandering around, so I didn't get a look at everything happening. I did run into Thomas, who was doing some final inspection work on CTA 4410 (seen above) prior to it running tomorrow. I also saw Tim Peters and Ed Waytula who I presume were working on the 1754 and 4223 respectively.

And finally, while I'm discussing family expansion, my father sends his regards from Arizona. He won't be at the Vintage Transport Extravaganza for a very good reason: he's visiting his first grandchild! My nephew Noah was born about four weeks ago now and is very glad to get a chance to spend some time with Grandpa Hicks in from Chicago.