Hicks Car Works: 2000 IRM Journal

2000

Sunday, January 2 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. The 308 has been moved back to Barn 8, track 84, about where it was before.
  2. I stripped the letterboard and upper siding in sectors 10 and 10A..
  3. Bill Wulfert showed me the best of the elevated equipment licenses that he could find. I took two licenses (from cars 44 and 310) and two frames. We plan to color copy a new license and write in the number 308 ourselves. On this car, the license appears to have been mounted on the cabinet bulkhead in the smoker (by window 15).
    1. Notes on equipment licenses:
      1. The licenses appear to be numbered sequentially (number in upper left corner). Car 44 was license #14, 309 was #47, 310 was #48.
      2. Pieces of old car cards were cut up and glued to the backs (every year??). Mostly these are the usual advertising cards, but one of them announces holiday schedules for Christmas of 1926 and New Year’s Day of 1927!
      3. No two frames are identical.
  4. I took home a seat cushion so Maggie and I can examine the color in bright daylight sometime.
2. Misc.:
  1. We looked at various projects in progress.

Monday, January 3
1. 308:
  1. I sanded down the parts to be painted (below):
  2. I then put a first coat of primer (thinned) on the letterboard, the siding below it, and the wide window posts in sectors 11-14. I also painted the metal plate over the #1 end, including both corner pieces.
  3. I did more paint stripping: siding below the belt rail in sector 9 and 10, then the letterboard and upper siding in part of sector 9.
  4. I started working on the bent coupler. I checked the measurements of the replacement coupler; it certainly appears to be the correct type. I was able to remove the cotter pin easily enough, but both nuts were frozen to the coupler shaft. I hopefully applied some penetrating oil.
2. Misc.:
  1. Frank Sirinek showed me the roof of the 141.

Sunday, January 16 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. I did more paint stripping: siding on the letterboard and upper siding in sectors 8 and 9. Too cold to do any painting.
  2. I tried loosening the nut on the bent coupler, including the use of a propane torch, but without success.
  3. I moved a space heater from the 321 to the 308 and put it in the #1 vestibule.
2. Misc.:
  1. Jim Blower autographed our copy of the Northern Ohio book.
  2. Frank did a nice job of grinding down my screwdriver bit.
  3. Frank took some more pictures and talked to various people in preparing to write an article on a typical winter’s day at IRM.

Saturday, February 5 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. I did more paint stripping: siding on the letterboard and upper siding; finished sector 8, did sector 7, started on sector 6. Did the double post between 6 and 7.
  2. I assembled the new light stand and started using it. Stored inside the car.
2. Misc.:
  1. Frank talked to various people; he will be eligible to take the rules test in April. I paid this year’s dues and for the soirée.

Sunday, February 13 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. I continued “stoically” with paint stripping on the letterboard and upper siding; finished sector 6 and did sectors 4 and 5. Also did the double post between 4 and 5.
2. Misc.:
  1. Frank talked to various people, including Frank Sirinek and Norm Krentel.

Saturday, February 26 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. I continued paint stripping on the letterboard and upper siding; finished sectors 2 and 3 and started on 1. Also did the double post between 2 and 3.
  2. Ed Woytula filled the two trolley shoes with weld; now it’s up to me to grind them down. Thanks, Ed. I could not detach one of them from the pole, so I carried the pole to Barn 4. It’s now leaning up in the SE corner of the barn.
  3. I took home a piece from the 321 for matching the blue paint.
2. Misc.:
  1. Frank spray painted the light stand blue; he then did part of the “Hicksco” scaffold in Barn 7.
  2. Frank took some more pictures. We attended the soirée and talked to various people, including Nick. We signed up to operate the 309/321 on May 29^th and July 3^rd.
  3. On Sunday, I got a call from Peter Weller. Next time, I should find the letterboard tracing and get it copied for their use. They are also ready to start finding a source for the glass globes.

Saturday, March 11 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. I finished paint stripping on the letterboard and upper siding on side ‘R”.
  2. Sanded down all of the unpainted letterboard and upper siding from sector 10½ to 3; then the sander broke down. Taken home for repair if possible.
  3. First coat of primer (thinned) on letterboard and siding, sectors 10½ to 3.
  4. Jim Johnson visited. He suggested contacting Brookins (Cliff Perry) about light sockets for the side lights. He also said he would ask Bay Area about bus jumpers.
  5. Frank put black spray paint on the two contactor boxes; one of them had been painted yellow by IMOTAC for some reason and was quite an eyesore.
2. Misc.:
  1. Frank took a couple more pictures and talked to various people.
  2. We need to make a complete set of drawings of the folding signs to give to Frank Sirinek.

Saturday, April 1 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. I stripped the paint from the siding below the belt rail in sectors 6 and 7. I noticed that the molding strip below the window sill is badly rotted right at the double window post, and will probably not survive paint stripping. It will have to be replaced.
  2. Don Weege visited.
2. 321:
  1. I brought out an end table for the “parlor car” and my old shop vacuum.
3. Misc.:
  1. Frank attended the Rules Review; we both attended the Safety Meeting and took the rules test. I got 100% finally; Frank got 98% on his first try and received his own rule book.
  2. We spoke to Pete Schmidt, Greg Heier, and others.

Saturday, April 22 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. I sanded down the rest of the double window posts on the 15-28 side by hand, since I did not have a working power sander. The last window post, between window 15 and the side door, will require some more stripping, I noticed.
  2. Frank painted the letterboard, upper siding, and window posts in sectors 22-25 with primer; I later did sectors 15-21, thus more or less finishing the 15-28 side, except for the belt rail and window trim.
  3. I stripped the paint below the belt rail in sectors 4-5, thus finishing this side (the chamfers and belt rail still need work).
  4. Frank stripped some of the chamfers on the 1-14 side.
  5. He masked off the Masonite panel on the end and repainted the “window” with gloss black.
  6. He also painted the #2 end circle iron and the steps with gloss black.
  7. Nick Kallas visited.
2. Misc.:
  1. Frank took pictures of various projects and visited.

Thursday, May 4
1. 308:
  1. I sanded down all of the siding below the belt rail, sectors 1 to 10. I used a “palm sander” for the first time, and this actually seems to work better than the old orbital sander. Some of the chamfers still need a little work, but then this side can be painted. Also, the siding above the belt rail still needs to be sanded in sectors 1-3.
  2. I started working on stripping the belt rail at sectors 11-12.
  3. I put window 18½ back in place.

Saturday, May 6 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. I bolted the trolley base at the #1 end to the running boards. I need new bolts in order to attach the roof cable to the base.
  2. I worked some more on cleaning out the chamfers in sectors 1-10.
  3. Frank and I painted the siding below the belt rail in sectors 10 to 5 with first primer. Frank also put primer on the bottom door post at the #2 end.
  4. Started removing the brake pipe from the #2 end.

Sunday, May 21 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. Bruneau let me into the air brake car; I picked out two angle cocks for use on the #2 end.
2. 309:
  1. Frank and I lubricated all armature bearings. Typically these bearings were about 1” low.
  2. I also lubricated all axle caps and the compressor. I then did a standing brake test.
3. 321:
  1. Frank and I lubricated all armature bearings. I also lubricated all axle caps and the compressor. I then did a standing brake test.
  2. Bruneau gave me some information on armature bearing oil levels. Because the bearings are larger on the pinion side than the commutator side, the levels are different. For the GE-254, the oil depth should be 3½” on the pinion side and 2¼” on the commutator side. He could not find specifications for the GE-66B, so we used the same depths as a guide. Of course, it’s rather unrealistic to expect to adjust the levels to ¼” tolerance.
4. 84:
  1. We rode the CSL trolley bus, which had been operated for the first time yesterday. Frank later did some striping on the front.
5. Misc.:
  1. I brought a 308 seat cushion and various parts from home. Talked to Bruneau about power in Barn 8.
  2. Frank attached new displays to the 308 and the Knoxville streetcar.

Monday, May 29 (with Frank)
1. 309:
  1. I lubricated all main bearings.
  2. Since the 65 could not be moved otherwise, we had to figure out how to use the Van Dorn to Tomlinson adapter which we located under a seat in the 431. The 309 and 321 then pushed the 65 out onto the tail track. Later, of course, it had to be pulled back.
  3. Operated for three round trips on the main line, trained with the 321. It turned out that the 309’s feed valve is stuck open again, and will need to be fixed or replaced. I cut it out and ran using the 321’s feed valve only, with no problems. Car was full on all trips.
2. 321:
  1. I lubricated all main bearings.
  2. Operated for three round trips on the main line, trained with the 309. No problems. Some passengers used the “parlor car” seating on each trip, mostly acquaintances of Brian Stacey.
3. Misc.:
  1. Since Frank turned 18 yesterday, he was the official conductor for the first time. Brian Stacey was the trainman on the 321.
  2. Several of Frank’s coworkers from GATS visited. Spoke to Jerry Saunders, Roger Kramer, and others.

Saturday, June 10 (with Frank)
1. 321:
  1. I sanded down the metal plate over the #2 end, then Frank and I gave it a second coat of cream. Later, we also painted a first coat of cream around the end windows and trim (everything except the window sills). Much moving of the scaffolding and the metal steps.
  2. Frank wire-brushed a bus jumper cover, which was taken home to be painted black.
  3. I put a first coat of Bondo on both window sills. Still needs to be sanded down, which I didn't do today because of all the wet paint.
  4. First coat of cream on the letterboard, from the #2 end to the middle of sector 24.
  5. We also put a first coat of maroon on the siding and trim above the belt rail in sectors 19 to 24, plus the oval window. Only windows 23 and 24 had a complete job on the window tracks and trim, since the other two pairs are still in grey, and they need a lot of work.
  6. I brought out the repainted headlight; stored in the toilet.
2. Misc.:
  1. Frank visited with the trolley bus guys and others.
  2. Since Jerry Saunders was working on the roof of the 6000s, no 600 in the barn, and I didn't have a chance to work on the 309's feed valve.
  3. We will need more maroon soon.

Sunday, June 25 (with Frank)
1. 321:
  1. Frank sanded down the Bondo on the window sills at the #2 end.
  2. Frank wire-brushed the door handle and bracket from the #2 end train door, which was taken home to be painted.
  3. I resumed working on the patch piece for the belt rail at window #14. I rechecked the available siding pieces, all of which were taken home for final adjustments.
  4. Took home two interior windows (one 321 and one 318) for rebuilding, to be installed at 23-24.
2. Misc.:
  1. Bob Kutella showed me how to set up the mortising machine.
  2. Frank and I had another summit meeting with Bruneau, Nick, and Norm to discuss the 321 restoration. We showed our collection of pictures and argued the case. Nick deferred to Bruneau; Norm still thinks we should be restoring it in the 1950’s red paint scheme. Bruneau allowed us to continue with the maroon, but asked us to continue to research the issues.
  3. Norm has some documentation on CA&E electrical equipment which he will bring out.

Sunday, July 2 (with Frank and Andy Chmurra)
1. 308:
  1. Installed rebuilt windows at sectors 5 and 6. Window shade tracks not yet attached because we will probably need to remove the windows for painting the car.
2. 309:
  1. We reinstalled the interior window at sector 10.
  2. Because we could not arrange to move the 65, we decided to cancel revenue operation on the 3^rd.
3. 321:
  1. We applied some more Bondo to the window sills at the #2 end, and in sectors 21-24. In some cases we needed two or three layers, sanding between applications.
  2. I filled in the nail holes in the trim below the belt rail in sectors 21-28.
  3. Andy and Frank also applied Bondo to various places in the siding below the belt rail in sectors 3-6.
  4. Andy helped me move the wall lockers from in front of the oval window to the wall of the toilet (near sector 10).
4. Misc.:
  1. Too hot to do very much.

Monday, July 3 (with Frank)
1. 321:
  1. We sanded down the Bondo on the window sills at the #2 end, and in sectors 21-24. Sills were also sanded down in sectors 15-18 and oval.
  2. We then painted all of these window sills with white primer.
  3. Sanded down the Bondo in sectors 3-6.
  4. Frank wire-wheeled the truss rod from the queen post to the end (roughly sectors 10-12) plus some parts of the truck.
  5. He then painted these parts, plus the siding in sectors 3-6, with brown primer.
2. Misc.:
  1. Frank talked to Jerry Saunders about lettering the Des Moines trolley bus.
  2. Allan Hicks visited.

Tuesday, July 4 (with Frank and Maggie)
1. 309:
  1. Operated for the Trolley Pageant as a single car, running on two motors. The feed valve is still defective, but this was not a problem for this type of operation.
  2. While returning the car to the barn, evidently one or more grids opened. The car would not start until the third point. Nonetheless, I was able to put it away safely, coupled to the 321. I then checked the contactor sequence, and all contactors operate correctly. I will need to visually inspect the grids.
2. 321:
  1. Before operation started, I was able to put a first coat of finish cream on the window sills at the #2 end, and started on the trim below the belt rail and the window sill at sectors 24-28.
3. Misc.:
  1. Jim Nauer has located a possible donor who may be willing to contribute substantial sums towards the 309’s motors, he says.
  2. Maggie and I rode the obs car on the Zephyr.

Saturday, July 22 (with Frank and Mary Ellen)
1. 308:
  1. Mary Ellen and I sanded down the remaining unpainted parts of the siding on the sidewalk side: below the belt rail sectors 1-4, and above the belt rail 1-3, including the letterboard. We also scraped out the chamfers. Now ready for first primer.
2. 309:
  1. Mary Ellen and I looked at the 318 motors out in the field. We meggered the armatures of all three; all three now read zero. All are very dirty, and the truck with only one motor has another truck on top of it and is sinking into the mud.
  2. The first two grid boxes (nearest the #1 truck) on the #2 control group will need to be fixed or replaced. In both cases there’s only one or two bad grids.
3. Misc.:
  1. Mary Ellen gave two guided tours of Barn 7, with some assistance. Well received.
  2. We watched the Civil War re-enactment out at Electric Park..

Sunday, August 27 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. I put a first coat of blue paint on the #1 end, both the metal plate above the door and the siding. The metal plate needs to be sanded down more.
  2. A first coat of red around the end window at the #1R corner.
  3. Finally, I put a first coat of primer on the siding below the belt rail, sectors 1-4.
2. 309:
  1. I looked at grid boxes in the grid car, courtesy of Bob Bruneau. We have spares for the two that are burned out, but all of the spares have at least one broken grid and will have to be repaired.
  2. We also looked at motors. I showed Bruce Lampson where the 318 truck is, and he said he would move the truck that’s on top of it to one side, and also move the 318 truck to a more accessible location if possible.

Sunday, September 10 (with Frank)
1. 309:
  1. I used nuts and bolts to fix up the #2 side grids as much as possible.
  2. We pumped up the car to check the feed valve. We were intending to replace the 309’s feed valve with the one from the 321, but the 309’s now appears to working correctly. No action.
  3. I signed us up to operate on Members’ Day (next Saturday, Sept. 16^th). We also moved the adapter coupler to the office in the depot.
  4. No progress on the 318 truck.
2. 308:
  1. I finished painting the siding above the belt rail in sectors 1-3 with primer, thus more or less completing this side.

Saturday, September 16 (with Frank)
1. 309:
  1. Unfortunately the patch to the grid boxes did not work; there was no current on the first point. Frank helped me trace the dead section using the light box; I finally had to rewire the connections slightly to bridge part of the resistance in the second box.
  2. We operated the car for Members’ Day. No problems developed; the feed valve operated correctly. Three main line trips during the day, and two at night. Later put back with the D-13 between the 309 and 321.

Sunday, October 1 (with Frank)
1. 309/321:
  1. In preparation for having the 309 and 321 switched over into Barn 8, track 84, we switched the 229, D-13, and 309 so the 309 and 321 are coupled up again.
  2. I picked up most of the parts we need to take with us around the two cars. Frank helped me start moving the scaffold east, on its way to Barn 8. We also pulled the 321 off the bumper so it could be removed. I also picked up around the 308.

Saturday, October 28 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. I dropped the spare coupler off the #2 end of the 308; it needs to be moved to the other end of the car, but so far it’s still sitting on the ground.
  2. I cut out the remaining two pieces of Masonite to close up the end of the 308. I also got a piece of plywood to act as a patch between the two, and cut it to shape; not yet installed. No painting yet.
  3. There were two pieces of siding at about sector 3 that were badly rotted at the bottoms, so I chiselled them out to a clean edge, and cut out two patch pieces of tongue and groove to fit. The two patch pieces were taken home for painting.

Sunday, November 12
1. 308:
  1. I did a little more work on the Masonite panels at the #2 end.
2. 321:
  1. I brought out the marker light I had cleaned up. Bruneau helped me find a new lamp mechanism for it, and it was then put into storage. I took the other one home for cleaning also.
  2. I finished sanding the next two arched trim pieces and installed them in sectors 17-18. Also, the two vertical trim pieces were installed. I would have also installed the horizontal piece, but ran out of the right type of finishing nails (case-hardened 4p). The new pieces were painted with primer.

Sunday, November 19 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. Frank helped me install a patch piece between the two new pieces of Masonite. We then painted them with primer.
2. 309:
  1. Frank helped Bruce Lampson move the truck which was on top of the 318’s; however, the 318’s truck is still wedged between two others and could not be moved out of the mud very far.
  2. I started loosening bolts. The four upper axle cap bolts could be loosened without too much difficulty. However, the two bolts that hold the frame end of the motor are covered by part of the brake rigging and are hard to get at. They both had cotter pins, only one of which I could removed. I wasn’t able to loosen either of these bolts, or the bolts that hold the grease pan together. I applied Kroil to all of them.

Saturday, November 25 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. I stripped the belt rail and the molding below it in sectors 1-4. I then painted these parts with primer. I also removed what was left of the vertical molding strip between sector 1 and the side door. I cut a new piece of molding to length and marked it for cutting; not yet installed. This strip and the subsiding behind the two new patch pieces in sector three were also painted with primer.
  2. I picked up around the 321, in hopeful preparation for switching.

Saturday, December 2 (with Frank)
1. Misc:
  1. We visited a farm on Eola Road to look at a building there which we had suspected might be a CA&E waiting shelter. The property belongs to a Dave Mejdrich.

Sunday, December 3 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. During the week, the 309 and 321 were switched onto track 84. Therefore we were able to pull the 308 outside in order to install the pole at the #1 end. This took longer than expected but was finally accomplished. I also installed some more screws in the trolley board. Bruneau gave me some trolley rope and a monkey link. However, the retriever does not seem to operate properly. Needs to be worked on.
  2. I discussed with Bruneau where to put the D3F from the 308 if we ever manage to remove it.
  3. We really need to replace the bent coupler.
2. 321:
  1. During switching with the 309 and 308, Frank noticed that the reverser was smoking. I found that several of the reverser fingers were partially melted. The rocker moves very sluggishly, and I oiled it up, without much effect so far. Also, we noticed that the string banding on both plunger coils is bad and needs to be replaced. Pretty discouraging.

Tuesday, December 26 (with Frank)
1. 308:
  1. I did complete paint stripping on the belt rail and the molding strip beneath it in sectors 9 through 14.
  2. I removed the retriever and took it to the shop, where with Bruneau’s help we got it wound up properly. I then took it back and installed it. The pole can now be raised and lowered, but the lights still don’t light. Probably this is due to a problem with the way the roof cable is attached to the base.
2. 321:
  1. Frank and I removed the dash light casting from the #2 end and took it to the shop, so that he could install the circular wood blank and paint it with primer; he also touched up the first one he had done earlier.

Hicks Car Works

Saturday, January 1, 2022

2000 IRM Journal

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