Three Steps Forward

Today was another great day out at the Museum.  I don't know if we're actually competing with the Air and Water Show, as somebody said, but at least you aren't going to strain your neck and damage your vision by constantly looking up at the sky at IRM.  That's good enough for me.

It took some effort, but I managed to get the final stepwell on the 451 into position, by jacking it up in the same manner I used for reinstalling the contactors in the 36.  Not all of the bolts are in place, but enough so that it can't possibly fall out.  The easiest way to complete this job will be to put the car over the pit at some point, but that can wait.  In any case, that was a satisfying accomplishment. 

You will notice that the bracket for the trap door is also installed.  I brought the door over, but it doesn't quite fit.  Another of life's many conundrums.  We're sure to get this fixed, as soon as better minds than mine have had a chance to ponder the problem.

But meanwhile, there was lots of interesting activity going on at the Museum.  The steam train was running, and that's always a magnet for photographers of all sorts.

And then, today we had an actual interurban freight train.  This shows off the best work of our Freight Car Department.  Now it seems to me that the Burlington Route was not actually an interurban, but you can't have everything.  In any case, this waycar looks great.

The B&O wagontop boxcar is just perfect.  It doesn't get any better than this, even in HO.

The Indian Refining Company tank car:

The Great Northern Hopper:

I love molasses.  Don't you?

And the train was powered by the Com Ed 4.

You can't fit many people into a single waycar, so we also had the wood L cars running.

There are property improvements going on, as always.  Here are a couple of views of the newly poured foundation for the inspection pit in the Steam Shop.

And work continues on installing utilities in the Multi-Purpose Building.  Either that, or we have some awfully industrious moles.

Reggie was working on the 213.  

And the Michigan Electric 28 got some more hot rivets installed, thanks to the team of Jane, Stu, and Dan helping out Norm on this long-term project.

And of course Tim was working on the 1754.  He never seems to take a break.  It must be an optical illusion.

Now for the bottom line.  The people at Scranton want to move the 453 out soon.  If we don't take it, it will probably wind up in front of some shopping center getting wrecked by vandalism and weather.  Nigel won't be back until Monday, so I don't know where we are on funding, but I'm sure it isn't yet enough.  We need your contributions now!   Thanks!!!!