Trolley Bases

I had to take a break from IRM while we had children and grandchildren visiting, but now it's back to work again.

Today I was able to get both trolley bases assembled and mounted on the roof of the 453.  The usual procedure is to assemble the complete base on a bench in the shop, and then lift it onto the roof somehow.  But lifting it can be a real challenge, as these bases are very heavy and of course the lower half of the base rotates easily relative to the upper half.  And you run the risk of dropping the whole thing and damaging the roof, or yourself.

So I decided to assemble the bases in place, mounted on the trolley boards, since I have this nice scaffolding available.  The heaviest parts are the lower base, the pole clamp assembly, and the four springs.  But each of them is light enough to be easily carried up the steps and put in place.  The bases have been firmly clamped to the boards.  I lubricated the roller bearings and put them in place, followed by the springs.

There are still some smaller parts to be attached, but the heavy lifting has been done.

Bolting the bases in place takes some work, but it's much easier when only one piece is involved.  And both bases are now connected to the roof cable.  So that's a step forward.

Meanwhile, John and Fred were working on the 306, mostly the roof.   The tack molding is being repaired or replaced as necessary, and here we see Fred cleaning up the roof so it can be painted soon.  Then the canvas can be stretched.  I let him borrow my little vacuum cleaner for this project.

By the end of the day it looks like this:

I went over to Barn 8 to check on the wood cars; everything appears to be fine.  And then, let's stop in and see what's happening in the Multi-Purpose Building.  A couple of contractors were working on the A/C, so I stayed out of their way.  Things are really coming together.  Here's the south half of the building:

And some of the facilities:

When I opened the door to the washroom, the lights and fan came on automatically.   Nice!

And the model railroad section:

So progress continues on civic improvement.

And I shouldn't have to tell you who's the star of the show this next weekend:

So if there are any small children you can find, or can't get away from, be sure to bring them out next weekend, before all trips are sold out.  You have been warned!