Express Shaker Boulevard

I wasn't at IRM this weekend but many thanks to our friend Bill Wulfert, who has begun working on the 18's head-end roll sign. He sends in this update (along with photos). Hey, does anyone happen to have the type of gear that Bill mentions we need? -Frank

The sign has been cleaned. I brought it home to dry out - on my living room floor no less - that's been my standard operation on signs for 'L' cars. While the sign has some pretty stained destinations, there are others that will be OK.  The other advantage is that you don't see the back side of the sign while inside of the car. Some of the 'L' signs don't look too bad from the front, but the stains really show up on the backside.

The sign still has the Morland routes, with the Van Aken routes cut in. The name change occurred in 1951!  So, the sign has been around for quite some time.

I had to cut off the bottom leader which you can see in my picture [below].  I was able to tape up the last destination, so it is readable. Most likely that one won't be used.  It could be reproduced by someone, but that's not on my agenda. I will ask Tim for a short piece of sign cloth, so that I can tape on a bottom leader.

That spare gear that I spent so much time locating, is not what I need. I need a gear that goes on a short shaft, that has a flat spot where a set screw will keep it from spinning. The bottom roller has a spring in it, like a window shade roller which keeps the sign taut as it is cranked up or down, as the size of the top and bottom rollers change as the curtain is rolled.  That is actually what was used in later signs, and is much better than the dog used on the Plushie signs.

The inside of the sign box still needs some cleaning. I'll have to look for rust. Then the glass needs a good cleaning before the sign goes back in. There were four 23W bulbs lying in the bottom of the sign box. The box has three sockets, so one must be a spare. They are unfrosted, and look to be OK.

Stay tuned for updates!