Friday, January 5, 2024
Let Me Show You the Door
Our fearless freelance photographer, Zach Ehlers, has sent along some photos taken this past weekend out at IRM. You may notice something is missing.
If you said "well, the title of the post is about doors, so it's probably a door"... you're right! The barn doors have been taken off the former east end of Barn 4, so the old portion of the barn is now open to the new portion. The above view is looking east.
And this view was taken standing in the new section of the barn looking west. The new section is pretty unmistakable because it has a metal ceiling.
Here's something pretty striking: Zach found the photo on the left, taken at the end of December 2022 while we were getting ready for North Shore Day. The photo on the right, taken at the end of December 2023, is the exact same location and perspective. What a difference a year makes!
And while we're at it, Zach sent along two nice shots of IT 1702, which has been shoved east a little ways to make it easier to access the car without all the "roof booth" scaffolding in the way.
It certainly is looking sharp!
Speaking of doors, I am curious about David Johnston's question from Dec 27. Seems like some interesting ceiling electrical insulation and under door structure are needed, with a flip gate connection for the wire. This is more or less what was used at the Watertown Carhouse doors when I visited in the 1980s. - Or just a permanent stinger arrangement like Yakima. O. Anderson
ReplyDeleteHi Olin, Richard posted in reply to David's question that we'll use a door bridge for the wire at the roll-up door. And for insulation, we already use wooden wire troughs for the overhead wire in Barn 4, so I suppose we will use something similar in the extension.
ReplyDeleteOut of curiosity, if you were spending the money to build the extension, why didn't they also build a second inspection pit? Would that have been that much more expensive?
ReplyDeleteC Kronenwetter
Charlie- Yes, pits are expensive. They are also simultaneously a positive and negative, in terms of working in their area. We have to go to some lengths sometimes to work around our existing pit; access to the cars sitting over a pit is difficult, and frankly not particularly safe sometimes. You only want exactly the number of pits you need in your shop, and no more. That said, another pit was thought about.
ReplyDeleteR. W. Schauer
There are a variety if pit types.
ReplyDeleteHere's some we recently bought for our new shop.
https://oldcastleinfrastructure.com/product/5x20-rail-car-inspection-pit/
They are water tight and can be combined into nearly any length. When they fill with fluids they can be pumped out or a drain can be installed.
Randy Stahl