Wednesday Update

The main priority today was to start inspection on the 319, which hasn't operated yet this year.  So if you've forgotten what it looks like, from the outside:

and inside:

The inspection process really doesn't lend itself to photography.  I inspected everything I could on my own without having the car over the pit.  The only unexpected problem that was found was that the interrupter for the buzzer has stopped working and needs to be adjusted.  The 309 has the same problem.  I'll try to address this next time, but we may have to resort to hand signals or shouting to communicate.  Stay tuned.

I also looked at the 308.  We would like to have it on display at 50th for Vintage Transport in order to drum up support for getting the motor rewound.  It needs a new feed valve, but the compressor works fine and the car pumps itself up without problems.  And the interior is as nice as ever.

Meanwhile, the rest of the weekday crew were hard at work in Barn 4.   Here Pete is scraping away at the bottom of the roof in one end of the 160, in preparation for repainting.  Fritz was doing similar tasks elsewhere.

Tim is patching up the 1808 piece by piece.

But wait, that reminds me....   On my recent vacation to the St. Louis area, we stopped in St. Charles, Mo. and got some pictures of the old ACF plant.  This is where the 1808 and several other cars in our collection were constructed.

A private car is stored in front, presumably an ACF product.

"Steel Shop No2" seems to stretch for about a quarter mile.

And in building news closer to home, the North Western building facade is much more complete.  The building itself looks much bigger and more impressive than it did before!

And Jeron sends us a picture taken on Wednesday evening, after the scaffolding was removed.  Nice!