That Was The Weekend That Was

Many thanks to Bill Wulfert for sending a series of photos he took on Saturday. And we can now announce the official next restoration project in Barn 4!

I worked with Dave Diamond to complete the display case in 50th Avenue. We have included many of the previous pieces, removed less important items, and added some more interesting things. New in this update is an "A DOUGLAS PK." roll sign box that was used in Met cars like our 2872. It came from a New Pullman CSL streetcar. A RED and a WHITE Rapid Transit CRT marker paddle. These colors were used on Douglas Park trains for many years. An actual Westinghouse #11 controller from a Met car. An ELEVATED NEWS TAKE ONE holder. There are also some write ups that explain marker lights and train destination signs. Tim refurbished and mounted the display case. Tommy Opolony assisted with the display today.

Chicago Rapid Transit car 1808 is now in the center spot in barn 4. Tim and I removed the first of the sliding doors, to kick off the restoration project

An interior shot of the car with some extra seat cushions which were being stored in the car.

The rest are self explanatory. That's Bob Opal playing his electric piano inside of the East Union depot. The group has just boarded the next HHR train.

Frank adds...

I was out on Sunday, but didn't arrive until 4pm so I didn't get too much done. I was able to get the roll sign for the 18 seated properly, but once it was in place, the mechanism bound up and wouldn't turn. So I'm not sure what's going on with it. I'll need to do some additional disassembly, I think.

In other news, the upper "before" photo was taken a week ago (I just forgot to include it in my post) and the below "after" photo was taken this weekend. A number of years ago we had done a trade with another museum for a pair of Taylor trucks to eventually go under CSL 2846. This variety of Taylor isn't precisely correct for the car, but they're closer than anything else we're likely to find. Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding, we'd received a pair that had been used as shop trucks and had been welded solid - no springing or journal box movement. So last week we traded those for the good pair of Taylors pictured in the second "after" photo. As part of the same deal, we traded the two Brill 27A trucks in the upper photo for a collection of rapid transit car MG sets that will come in handy. We have nothing that needs Brill 27A's (these two came off of a North Shore sweeper that was scrapped before we even moved to Union) and in their new home they'll be used on a car body that needs them. It's a win for everyone.

As Bill mentioned, the new wooden 'L' car restoration project is Chicago Rapid Transit 1808. This car was built in 1907 as part of the same order as 1268 and 1797, and was originally a trailer numbered 299. In 1913 it was motorized and renumbered 1808. The 1808 was one of the first cars at IRM to run - maybe the third, after the 415 and 972? - and for many years it was the go-to wood 'L' car, usually running in a two-car train with the 1024 which it towed as a control trailer.

It was the first weekend of Happy Holiday Railway and it seemed like things were running smoothly and the crowds were good. The train departed from Station Track 2, which means the streetcars can be making their circuit without impacting the Santa train at all. The newly-repainted rotary snow plow was spotted in the east berth of Station Track 1.

And our mystery question for this week is: what is this thing? Joel found it in one of the storage cars he was going through. He knew what it was - do you?