The Union News

Extra, extra, read all about it: the latest IRM publicity e-missive is out! Our newest CA&E car is featured prominently, of course.

Pumpkin Train and Happy Holiday Railway This weekend is the end of our regular operating season and it's also our annual Pumpkin Train event. After Sunday, the museum will be closed until Happy Holiday Railway starts running in November. The event has been expanded and improved for this year, with trains departing from our historic 1851 depot and streetcar rides included with your ticket. There's also major progress on several restoration projects and IRM has a new (to us) interurban car in its collection. Featured in this e-newsletter: Pumpkin Train returns on October 26-27 Happy Holiday Railway tickets are now available Chicago Aurora & Elgin interurban car returns home to Illinois Historic Union Pacific sign rededicated North Shore Electroliner is reassembled Milwaukee Road Buffeteria fundraising progress Steam Shop inspection pit installed Rotary snow plow repainting commences We need volunteers and you can help! Planned giving - another way you can support IRM

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Pumpkin Train The Pumpkin Train returns for 2019! Join us this weekend, October 26th & 27th for a day of fun for the whole family. Pick up your pumpkin on our specially-decorated train, explore the pumpkin patch - and kids, don't forget to wear your Halloween costume for a special treat! Click for more event information

Happy Holiday Railway Tickets for our popular Happy Holiday Railway event in November and December are on sale now! Additional dates have been added for 2019, with trains running starting November 23rd. Departures will be made from the East Union Depot, with a heated waiting area and restrooms. Last year ALL of our trains for this event sold out so don't delay! Reserve your ticket for a ride with Santa Claus today. Click here for info and tickets

CA&E interurban returns home Chicago Aurora & Elgin interurban car 453, built in 1945 and stored at museums in Ohio and Pennsylvania since 1962, returned home to Illinois in September. The car was unloaded and moved into Barn 6, where it is currently on display. Its condition is being evaluated with an eye towards beginning restoration work soon. Click for more information

Historic sign rededicated On the Saturday of Showcase Weekend, the museum was pleased to rededicate the historic Union Pacific sign from that railroad's headquarters in Omaha. The sign was restored by the museum's Buildings & Grounds Department using proceeds from the sale of historic signage. Click here to buy a piece of history for yourself

Electroliner reassembled For several years the iconic North Shore Electroliner has been disassembled while its trucks and motors were off-site being rebuilt. The train was put back together in September following completion of that work. Over the winter IRM volunteers will be working on examining and repairing the train's electrical control systems. Click for more information

Milwaukee Road "Buffeteria" The museum is still raising money to save the historic Milwaukee Road "Buffeteria" dining car and bring it to Union. A generous grant recently obtained has put us much closer to achieving our goal, but we still have a ways to go before we can acquire this unique piece of history. You can help - click here to donate

Steam Shop inspection pit The new inspection pit in the Steam Shop has been poured! The concrete work for the pit itself is done and IRM volunteers have been working on installing and re-connecting the rails. Before long this pit will be ready for use, helping to keep our steam engines maintained and serviced. Click to donate to steam engine restoration

Your purchases help IRM If you shop on Amazon, your purchases can help support IRM's restoration activities. IRM participates in the Amazon Smile program, through which a portion of all your purchases is donated to the museum. There's no cost to you; just select IRM from smile.amazon.com or for a direct link click here. And thank you!

Rotary snow plow repainting One of the most distinctive pieces of equipment at IRM is our rotary snow plow from the Union Pacific. In September the snow plow was sand-blasted, with repainting done over the ensuing few weeks. When complete the plow will be fully cosmetically restored but more funds are needed to repaint the tender and complete window work. Click to donate to the rotary

Volunteers Needed! Do you love trains? Do you have some free time, whether it's weekly or just a few times a year? Are you an IRM member? If you answered "yes" then you are an ideal candidate to be an IRM volunteer! We need people to help restore and maintain the trains. It's a fun, interesting, and rewarding way to spend your time. No experience is necessary - we will "train" you! Contact us to ask about volunteering

Planned Giving and IRM IRM has been around for more than 60 years due to the consistent support of people like you. You can help keep IRM a museum in motion for the next generation through planned giving, either by including the museum in a bequest or as a retirement account beneficiary. Click here for more information

Visit us online for schedules, blog updates, and more