Steaming Into Fall

Frank writes...

This past weekend was our Steam Into Fall event marking the end of steam operation for the year, and fall finally seemed to have arrived, with clear skies and cool temperatures with highs around 60s. Time to paint!

I spent the entire afternoon rolling vermilion paint onto the 63 and managed to get the entire left side, top to bottom, and the top half of the right side (I'd already done the bottom half of the right side) painted with a second coat. The front and back ends still need a second coat, and as you can see the rear anticlimber still needs some primer and then paint, but it's looking better and better.

That said, second coats of paint aren't that fascinating or novel to look at. What else is going on?

When I drove in, I was presented with this gratifying sight: Swift mechanical reefer 25004, one of three of this design in the collection, was sand-blasted (I think?) and given a fresh coat of silver paint during the past week. This reefer is located close to Olson Road right behind the Buildings & Grounds building in a spot it has occupied, more or less continually, for at least 20 years. Back in the last millennium, almost nobody saw the equipment back here because road signs direct visitors up South Union Road to Jefferson Street, so they approach the museum from the north. But GPS often directs people in from the south via Coral Road, so their first impression of IRM is the buildings and equipment in the south yards. Fresh paint on this now-highly-visible reefer is a nice improvement.

As part of the Steam Into Fall festivities, Jeff had the cab of the UP rotary snow plow open for visitors.

Jeff is on the left, with a couple of visitors at top and right. Jeff said the cab tour was very popular all weekend and he hopes to bring it back for at least one or two events next year. Stay tuned!

Back in the Car Department, work was progressing on the end of North Shore 250, which is in the process of being restored as a display piece. Our friend Steve was visiting from Oklahoma; he and Mike were working on the Kansas City PCC, piecing in new steel at the bottom of the center post for the rear doors, where there was a lot of rust. Zach, Richard and Steven were working on bus-related things. Most of the crew - Nick, Greg, Joel, Jimmy, Ashton, Dan, and maybe others - were working on clearing spare parts from the area behind the shop. The hope is that the piles of rock will be appropriately distributed, and the volunteer lot paved, before the snow flies.

Finally, after dark, we got to see the 1630 returning from its final trips of the year. Here, it's stopped alongside the diner while the crew chats with Greg and Joel before pulling into the steam servicing area.