Progress on IT 277

Steve Smunt and Paul Hough send pictures of recent progress on the Illinois Terminal 277 combine.

First application of wood epoxy section 7-8

Sanded 2nd application of wood epoxy

Replacing refurbished ceiling fixtures

Ceiling is painted cream, primer on wall

Section 7-8, storm window sashes installed

Section 7-8, transom and interior sashes installed, paint completed.

IT 277 Progress

Steve Smunt and Paul Hough send us another impressive report of their work on Illinois Terminal 277.

 Steve Smunt installs interior and storm window sashes #9,10 in the coach section. The baggage-smoker section is visible behind the bulkhead.

Paul Hough adjusts the roller shades of the completed double window and transom.

The coach rehab team has shifted to the adjacent double window unit #7,8.

The lower wall has been painted brown beneath windows 7,8,9,10, and below the bulkhead windows. Since about 60% of the original mahogany veneer is intact, the team decided to use Abatron wood epoxy to fill defects.  The first application has been placed.

From Another Angle

We welcome Steve Smunt and Paul Hough as contributors, who have started sending photos of their work on the 277.  

Start of rehab.  Window sashes, interior transom, jambs, and mullions have been removed from windows #9,10. The exterior transom with 1913 art glass is exposed.

The alligatored paint has been heat stripped off the wall veneer.

A close-up view of the failed paint during removal.

Paul Hough is positioning the compression brace for regluing wall linoleum to the bulkhead

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The compression brace for regluing wall linoleum is in its ready position.  The first top coat of tan wall enamel has been applied.

The editor adds: This compression brace is the one I made back in the late 70's for gluing the veneer back onto the walls of the 309.  And I never throw anything out.  Incidentally, pictures such as the third one down bear an uncanny resemblance to what the 309 used to look like. 

IT 277 Progress

 Gregg reports on recent work on the IT combine 277.

Some more progress on the 277. An old belt was reused to make a strap. A grommet was also recycled.

Steve and Paul are making good progress on the interior. Stripped and sanded. Then white primer.

In the baggage compartment are a slack adjuster and a brake shoe. Recently the 277 was over the pit for its yearly inspection. Some problems were discovered and are being worked on. Meanwhile, some of the parts are being stored on the floor.

277 Progress Report

More updates from Gregg on the 277.  He has recruited another couple of members to work on finishing the restoration of the main compartment.  That's good news!

A few weeks ago, the center door was reinstalled. The seat bases were also cleaned up and painted silver like all the other hardware in the car.

Today the left side of the passenger compartment was disassembled. Paul H. and Steve will be restoring this area a little bit at a time. The seats were removed to make it easier to work around. As you can see the original stained glass is still in the car.

The area where the two seats were. The four window sash are being restored also.

More 277 Progress

 Gregg Wolfersheim sends us some more pictures of his impressive work on the interior of the 277:

The combine's baggage compartment looking to the rear. About 95% done.

Looking towards the front.

The divider door getting painted.

277 Progress Report

 Another dramatic submission from Gregg Wolfersheim:

The right side of the combine is coming together. Most of the painting is done. Baggage rack is back up.

The left side is another story. Previous water damage has turned some of the veneer into a peeling mess. Some of it had been treated with epoxy to fill in what was gone. Here I have sanded what painted surfaces I can get to.

Later, I primed most of it. The bare spots are where delamination has occurred. Next will be filling it in with epoxy. Hopefully most of the baggage section will be done by this weekend, as the train is scheduled to operate for Museum Showcase.

The lower wall area is getting transformed too.

IT 277 Update

 Another progress report from Gregg Wolfersheim:

Slowly but surely the baggage room is getting transformed. This is the left side that hasn't had windows in it for over 10 years.

The right side is also getting attention! 

The gate for the baggage door is in the process of getting stripped. Soon, primer and then black paint will make it look like new.

I've pointed this out before: Gregg doesn't have to do anything special to get his project featured here.  He just sends us a few clear photos with brief, informative captions, and we do the rest.  For free!

IT 277 Progress

Today we bring you some more impressive pictures from Gregg Wolfersheim of his progress on the baggage compartment of the 277.

 

I started painting the ceiling last week after clearing out the emergency tool box. 

Progress as of last weekend.

As the ceiling was finished, the left side wall and back side of the motorman's cab were painted.

Both the inner and outer sash for #14 were restored and put back in today. #13 and 15 are in the process of being painted and will go in soon.

The tool boxes and fire extinguisher box also reappeared!

More IT 277 Progress

Gregg sends us another exciting set of progress photos on our Illinois Terminal combine!

After a little trim work and sanding the baggage door got primed.

Soon after it was painted.

This is on the left side of the baggage compartment. Previously stripped of paint and varnish. Some more sanding is needed on the trim above the window opening.

The finished motorman's cab door was rehung. Hardware was painted before reinstalling. The window that is open surrounds the pocket for the baggage door when it is open. We'll leave it varnished to show what the car looked like in its early days.

 

This grab iron was found by Zach in a storage car. It's now back on the car for the first time since 1958?

IT 277 Restoration

Gregg Wolfersheim sends us pictures of  the start of another exciting project: IT 277! 

 Some before and after shots of the interior of IT 277. Ed Oslowski started restoration in the baggage area about 14 years ago.

The baggage door a few weeks ago.

The front windows and motorman's cab.

The door in primer for the motorman's cab.

The baggage door in primer.

Right after painting the baggage door. The scissor gate is lying on the floor awaiting sandblasting, then paint.

Just About Ready

Ed Oslowski has been working like mad to get the 277 ready for service, and here are the results of his efforts. The ceiling of the front compartment (R) looks much better. The compartment itself is in the middle of the restoration process, but we'll leave it that way to show what progress is being made.

Meanwhile, the main compartment has been cleaned up, and I attached all of the new antimacassars, which were made by my daughter Esther. It looks great, I think, just like it was in service. They have not been lettered yet, but I'm working on it.

Ed already has a reserved seat. Do you?

When not helping on the 277, I made some wooden frames to hold the new "Kevin signs" for the 36 and 319.

And I worked more on stripping paint in the 319's vestibule, and then painted most of the piping and other control parts.

And I also painted the flag box and tray, which Frank had stripped a couple of weeks ago. And cleaned and straightened, etc.

Here Henry is working on the new door to the attic over the wood shop, where long pieces of lumber and other spare items can be stored. And there were several other members at work today: Tim, Max, Fred Ash, Frank and Mike.