Sunday Synopsis and Saturday Switching Supplement

Frank writes...

I'm afraid I didn't get too many pictures on Sunday, but fortunately there was more photogenic action on Saturday and others stepped in to fill the gap. But we'll start with Sunday.

I spent a good part of the afternoon, helped by Steven, Greg, and Joel, trying to take apart the 36's truck.

Randy adds:  The 78" wheelbase trucks under the 308, 309, and the other earlier wood cars were built by Pullman to a CA&E design based on Dorner MCB.  They ordered 50 pairs, which was not quite enough to re-equip all of the cars, including the work equipment.  And there were always a few trucks in the shop being overhauled.  So the 36 wound up with a pair of older trucks.  Cars numbered 311 and above had 84" wheelbase trucks, and that's a different subject.

I didn't get any photos, but I also spent some time getting the newly rebuilt train door in the 460 to fit better.

The bigger news was that on Friday, two 'L' cars and two buses arrived from the CTA. Above, 2871-2872 are spotted in Yard 8 while work gets underway to reconnect them. These two were built by Budd in 1984.

The earlier photo was taken during a lull in the action, but for most of the day, volunteers were swarming over the cars reattaching various things. Above are Nick, Greg, Will, Richard, and JD, and I think maybe Lou is under the cars.

And finally, I happened to stop in the new build-out of the museum office.

And now, let's go back in time to Saturday, when the latest in the many rounds of switching related to the opening of Barn 15 took place. First, a bunch of photos from Bill Wulfert. We'll start with a photo not of the switch move, but of something more exciting and unique!

Our indefatigable Track Department volunteers have been replacing ties on the east track of 50th Avenue 'L' station. And you may notice something about those ties - every few ties, one is sticking out a bit further than the others. Sure enough, the longtime scheme to install a section of (dummy) third rail along the east track of the 'L' station is coming to fruition. This will really be neat! Stay tuned...

And now, on with the switch moves!

The aim of Saturday's moves was to shuffle track 114 and refill it with more railroad cars and fewer streetcars. And what car was closest to the door on 114? Why, our old friend, the 321. Here, it's been brought back up north and temporarily spotted in Yard 6.

Bill caught a photo of the day's service train leaving the barn. The 321 and 431 were two of the three CA&E cars that IRM acquired directly from the railroad back in 1962.

And here we have the last wood car built for the CA&E, the 321, next to the last steel car built for the CA&E, the 460.

One of the 321's fellow denizens of track 114 in recent years has been North Shore combine 253.

All below photos were taken by Steven, except where noted, though I cannot promise that these are in the right order.

Chicago Surface Lines (well, currently lettered CTA) 460 is our "other" Big Pullman streetcar.

With careful attentiveness, the switch crew was able to avoid any derailments.

Another CSL car recently on track 114 was 2846, the "Interstate." Both of these CSL cars were moved over to Barn 13.

This photo is from Joel and shows the 2846 heading to its new home. Unlike the 2843, this car did not come to IRM (or ERHS, for that matter) with its trucks. It's currently on a pair of Hedleys from a wooden 'L' car, I believe.

Another car moved from 114 to Barn 13 was Knoxville 419, our single-truck curve-side car.

The portable substation, Milwaukee Electric 12, made the trek from Barn 13 to Barn 11.

And what switch move wouldn't be complete without spam cans somewhere in the mix. Here we have CTA 6462 with 6461 behind it.

And now that we've emptied track 114, it's time to reload it!

Joel snapped the above photo of the car that was deposited deep at the west end of the track. This is Chicago & Western Indiana 1185, a wooden ballast car.

Here's another exceedingly historic car. Union Pacific 100000 is the only extant McKeen boxcar, and dating to 1910, it's also the oldest all-steel boxcar in existence.

So there you go. Miss a weekend at IRM and you miss a lot.