Visit to Seashore

From Boston, it's only a two-hour trip to Kennebunkport, and well worth the effort in order to see what's new at the Seashore Trolley Museum.  As well as sight-seeing along the shore.

At the entrance stands this control tower.   In 1976 I was living in Cambridge and clearly remember watching them lift this building off the structure with a huge crane and onto a barge in the Charles River below.  But why didn't I take any pictures?

There were at least two streetcars in revenue service on the day we were there.  

 This is 1160, a Connecticut Co. wooden car built by Stephenson in 1906.

The second car is a Type 5 from 1924.   Change at Park St.!

And this is one of the Type 3 cars converted to a snow plow/locomotive.   They have several similar units, this may be the 5106, I'm not sure.  It was being used as a shop switcher.

We had a nice ride on the Stephenson car.  The interior has been beautifully restored.

A view along the main line on the way uphill.

And on the way back, we got off at Town House to view the progress.  A couple of restored cars were sitting outside: 

The Cincinnati curved-side car, which I think we've seen before....

And one of the Connecticut open cars.

But my favorite is certainly the Narcissus, the only surviving car from the Portland-Lewiston interurban.  It's now out from under its tarp and getting a thorough rebuilding job.  Being a narcissussist, (or whatever) I took lots of pictures.

In the above picture, we see the body of a closed single-trucker from the Middlesex and Boston street railway currently being worked on.  It was used as a diner at one time and still needs body work, as well as a rebuilt truck and new wheels.

Wheels for the above car.

And finally, an interesting combination:

Back from Vacation

I've been away for two or three weeks, so Frank has had to handle things all by himself, which he does very well, of course.  You're just going to have to get used to this sort of thing.

On our trip to Boston this year, we stopped in Orbisonia to check on the progress with the 315 and exchange some parts.  The guys at Rockhill are certainly making good progress on this car.  The goal is to restore it to as-built appearance as closely as possible, and here are some pictures taken May 30, so they're probably already obsolete.

 And now, some unpaid advertising.  The twin cities of Orbisonia and Rockhill are very isolated, to be sure, but at least I can recommend a great place to stay: the Iron Rail Bed and Breakfast, which is run by my friend David Brightbill and his wife.  David has been very active with both the Rockhill Trolley Museum and the EBT.   In the evening, we could sit on the porch and have a drink; in one direction you look out over the EBT roundhouse and yards, and in the other at the Orbisonia Station.  Pretty nice!

RPO Days photos from Chuck Amstein

Our official staff photographer, Chuck Amstein, was out at IRM on Saturday for RPO Days and as usual got some great shots of the action. While the weather was rainy in the morning on Saturday, it cleared up in afternoon.

Some Burlington diesels were lined up for photos because of a tour group from the Burlington Northern Historical Society. Wait, the BN has its own historical society?

Anyone who says young people aren't interested in rail preservation isn't paying attention to IRM's Steam Department!

The first one or two trips of the coach train were pulled by BN-3 in honor of the historical society.

But the preferred power for the day was brought out and coupled up just in time for the sun to come out.

Looks like there's a lot of mail headed to Kishwaukee Grove these days...

Dan Buck brings the 749 into Station Track 1. With the 160 cleared for service as of Sunday, we should be back to regular two-car North Shore trains again.

And the interior of the CB&Q RPO that was used for the mail catches.

And last but not least, Chuck even took some video of the festivities!

As always, many thanks to Chuck Amstein for taking and sending in these great photos! And don't forget - no reproduction of these images without prior permission.

Work on the workshop

Frank writes...

Sunday was a muggy, drizzly day. That was unfortunate because the steam guys put on quite a show for RPO days; all the way across the property I could hear the 1630 barking as it accelerated across Olson Road to hit the mail crane at speed for demonstration mail catches. What a show, and even more so with the humidity creating clouds of steam. But at least there were a lot of volunteers about!

Rather than ride golf carts back and forth to Barn 13 in the rain to work on the 18, I decided instead to make some progress on our extra-slow-motion project to complete the repainting of our workshop car, Lake Shore Electric 150. The side of the car visible to the public was painted and lettered back in 2005; finishing the other side has been a slightly slower project. But I managed to finish the last of the "tile red" painting that was required. Above, the belt rail before painting...

...and the belt rail after. The entire left side of the car's belt rail was painted thusly. Sorry for the poor photography!

I also did the belt rail across the back end of the car and the two visible end windows, which had been painted with brown primer previously. There are still a few spots that need white primer, then the last of the yellow can be applied. A second coat of orange is also needed on the left side and ends of the car.

But far more exciting things were happening elsewhere. The headline news for the weekend was the return to service of North Shore 160, shown here going through mechanical inspection on the pit. This car was taken out of service three or four years ago when one of its motors suffered a string banding failure (fortunately nothing more serious happened), but it really hasn't been in regular use since the 749's restoration was completed back in 2011. Last weekend the bad motor was swapped out and hooking everything back up was completed Saturday.

By the middle of the afternoon Zach, Good Nick, Thomas, Joel, and Richard had completed inspection work on the 160 and it got moved off the pit. The 68 was switched out of the way and the Electroliner A1 car brought to the pit from the west end of track 41 to have its articulated end jacked up. Between this and the motors in the foreground (the motor closest to the camera is the one removed from the 160; the other three are recently rebuilt) it's really Highwood Shops redux!

Here's what the articulation join on the 'Liner looks like, sorta. The 'L' car shop truck and tow bar are not normally part of the scenery at this point in the train.

The goal of the operation was to remove this brass bowl, which I believe sits in between the bolster "tongues" between the adjoining cars. It's cracked and will need to be repaired or replaced. After that project was done, the 'Liner car was put back in its normal spot and Sand Springs 68 was put over the pit so that Joel could get the door linkage working correctly. The 68 is scheduled to operate on Traction Weekend at the end of the month, since it qualifies for this year's theme of cars 100+ years of age. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of the car; you'll just have to come out for that event and see it for yourself.

And then, as if the 160 and Electroliner weren't enough North Shore projects for the weekend, Zach, Thomas, and Nick did some more work on fiddling with the balky main journal bearing that's keeping the 251 out of the operating fleet. Here Nick tests out the laser thermometer while Zach puts some dye on the bearing after the most recent round of scraping so that high spots can be identified. Some progress was made but more remains to be done. On the right, Scott is working on rebuilding a Knutsen retriever.

Progress on other projects is being made too. Here the 65 is seen with its roof canvas recently removed. Some spot replacement of wood on the car's roof will be done and then it's time for new canvas and "lobster traps."

And despite his newfound affiliation with the political office, Tim Peters continues to barrel along with the 1754. It acquired an impressive amount of fresh paint over the past week, notably including "tile red" paint on the roof boards. It's really starting to look great! It appears that roof canvas may not be too terribly far in the future. This Chicago Elevated Railways livery that was in use between the early 1920s and late 1930s is really quite attractive.

And finally, many thanks to Dave Diamond and the Buildings & Grounds Department for putting up this memorial plaque in the wood shop to commemorate Bob Bruneau's contributions to the museum. It reprints the memorials that were published in Rail & Wire at the time of Bob's death in 2017. I'm grateful to Dave and his crew for creating this plaque and putting in place. Bob certainly is missed by a lot of us at the museum.

All the News That's Fit to E-mail

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Santa Fe 92 runs at IRM! Our FP45 type locomotive is running! Details are below - and there's a lot more happening at the museum too. Our biggest event of the year, Day Out With Thomas™, is coming up on July 14-15 and 21-22. Trips are selling out fast so get your tickets today at irm.org. Featured in this e-newsletter: Day Out With Thomas tickets for July 14-15 and 21-22 are going fast Santa Fe FP45 92 runs under its own power for the first time at IRM! Steam Department Benefit Concert is almost here Railway Post Office Days are this weekend Looking for a unique display for your back yard? How about a railroad car? Chicago Day is coming up on June 16th Traction Weekend equipment plans for 2018 announced See IRM from the air via a drone video Happy Holiday Railway tickets to go on sale in July Museum Entrance Building planning and fundraising Visit us online for schedules, blog updates, and more Day Out With Thomas™ in 2018 Thomas the Tank Engine and all of his friends are returning to IRM this July 14-15 and 21-22! Ride with Thomas and Percy, meet Sir Topham Hatt, see magic shows and story readings, and create unforgettable memories. Tickets are available online or by calling the IRM office at 815-923-4391 ext 452. Get your tickets now - many trips are already sold out! Click here for tickets and more information Santa Fe 92 is Back! Last fall IRM's "Warbonnet" FP45 diesel locomotive, Santa Fe 92, departed for Silvis, Illinois, to undergo a major overhaul. It arrived back home on June 2nd with a new prime mover and new trucks. The next day it made its first test runs at IRM under power! Look for the 92 to run for some of our upcoming events including Diesel Days in August. In the meantime, fundraising is now underway to repaint the engine and we need your help! Click here for details. Steam Dept Benefit is June 24 Our annual benefit concert to raise funds for the Steam Department will be held at the Sanfilippo Estate in Barrington later this month on June 24th. This is a great opportunity to hear the mighty Wurlitzer organ in concert and tour this unique collection of historic artifacts that is not normally open to the public. Click here for tickets and information Railway Post Office Days Saturday and Sunday, June 9th & 10th are Railway Post Office (RPO) Days at IRM. See how mail was picked up and dropped off in the old days as the steam train makes "catches" and "drops" at speed right in front of the depot. It's a great opportunity for photos and to experience a side of railroading not often seen. Click here for details. 1908 railroad car for sale IRM is offering one of the baggage cars that until recently was located next to the depot for sale to a good home. The car is C&NW 1236, a wooden baggage car built in 1908 by Pullman. It won't fit in your basement and may not even fit in your driveway. Now is your chance to own a real - and really big - piece of Chicago's railroad history! Click here for more information Chicago Day is June 16th If you're not old enough to remember the old red CSL cars and "Green Hornets" that once ran all over Chicago then your parents probably are! Chicago Day commemorates the 60th anniversary of the end of streetcar service in Chicago back in 1958. See and ride Chicago streetcars, 'L' cars, interurban trains, and more during this special event. Click here for event details Traction Weekend Lineup The plans for Traction Weekend on June 30-July 1, which replaces the old Trolley Parade, have been announced. This year the focus is on cars 100+ years old. Rarely-seen cars like Northwestern Elevated 24, Illinois Terminal 277 and 234, and Sand Springs 68 will be in service. There will also be caboose trains and trolley freight demonstrations. Don't miss it! Click for equipment lists and more info IRM from the Air Drone photographer Paul Sweigert sent us a terrific video of the museum as seen from the air on Sunday, May 27th. Take a look - and see how many trains you can identify! Click for the video on YouTube Mark Your Calendar Now Christmas is a long way off, but tickets to Happy Holiday Railway are going on sale in early July! Mark your calendar now - and watch your inbox for information on how you can save nearly 20%  by purchasing ahead of time on our website! Museum Entrance Building Fundraising has kicked off to build the new Museum Entrance Building. This exciting project will provide not only a permanent public entrance, but indoor exhibit areas, a theater, event space, and an entire block of historic building fronts on our Main Street Scene. Sponsorship opportunities are now available. Click here for more information. Visit us online for schedules, blog updates, and more

Down at the Bahnhof

Frank writes...

It was a gorgeous weekend and a beautiful Sunday, with temperatures in the low 70s and a stiff breeze blowing all day. I signed up to run the CA&E cars, which were the scheduled service train. I made sure to arrive early because we had a tour group of about two dozen German transit fans were were stopping at IRM on a circuit through much of the U.S. (they'd flown in from Arizona and were going from here to Minneapolis).

When I arrived, the first job was to switch the order of the trains. The "Brookins Special," the 36 and 319, had run on Monday and were at the door. I stuck them on the connector track as shown and took the 308 and 309 out into service. The Germans arrived early (of course) and so we took the train around the car line and picked them up at Central Avenue for a main line trip. Harold Krewer acted as translator and was helpful in marshaling the visitors while Nick acted as tour guide.

We'd prepared by printing up some double-sided brochures shown above with brief histories of the 308, 309, CA&E itself, and the museum. Many thanks to my sister Esther and her good friend Alison, who is fluent in German and did the translating work! These were appreciated by our guests even though it seemed that most of them spoke English. I didn't get any photos of the tour group because I was operating, but I suppose they looked pretty much like any tour group of American railfans would look. We hadn't realized they were more streetcar fans than anything; they liked the CA&E cars and the trolley buses that were brought out specially for the occasion but had only a passing interest in the 1630. They were most enthused with the four streetcars that the car shop guys brought out. Joel said they were fascinated by the 4391; cars using PCC technology are fairly common in Europe but none use hand controls! The open car, 1374, and the 3142 (which stayed running all day as the regular service car) were also out. A good time was had by all and the Germans departed about 1pm. Nick reported that they admitted they should have scheduled more time at IRM - "well we could have told them that!"

Other than that, it was a pretty typical day on the railroad. Larry Stone was my conductor and did a great job as always. The only trains on the main line were us and the 1630, so dispatcher David Streeter scheduled us out on a 45-minute schedule, with each train making a departure every 90 minutes. That allowed people to go for a ride and get back in time to ride the other train. It seemed a popular arrangement and meant that most of the day we actually had a pretty full train.

It was windy. One of our flags even started unraveling so I brought it home for repair. The crowds seemed moderate, probably not terrible for a non-special-event weekend but not as heavy as I would have hoped given the beautiful conditions. During one of our layovers I walked back over to Yard 8, uncoupled the 36 and 319, and moved the 36 into the barn in the fourth spot from the door next to the 150. We've been asked to keep the mileage on this car down for the time being, so it will still be running for some special events but we're going to try and keep it in somewhat limited service.

Here's a neat view that didn't used to be possible. This was taken while the steam train was out on a trip, of course. At the end of the day we wyed the 308 and 309 and then brought them back over to the ladder track, where I uncoupled them and moved the 309 into the barn on top of the 36. The 308 and 319, which will be the regular service train for the moment, were then coupled up on the ladder track and put on 84 at the door. The cars are scheduled to run on the 16th, which is Chicago Day, and on the following day which is the 17th.

After hours we were treated to the sight of the first-ever operation at IRM of an FP45. Our Santa Fe diesel is finally back from rebuilding work at NRE in Silvis and the Diesel Department guys were putting it through its paces to check everything out. This will be neat to see in public operation!

In other big news, on Saturday evening the car shop guys pulled one of the trucks from under the 160, changed out the motors in that truck (the string banding on one motor had failed), and put the truck back under the car. They didn't finish up until 2:30am but got that part of the job done. Sunday afternoon they were working on hooking everything back up, and when that's done - and the car inspected - it should be back in revenue service for the first time in several years. And finally, the CGW wrecker is being reassembled at last and we are hopeful that within the next week or two we may be able to move Shaker Heights 18 back over to the "land of the living" in Barn 7 and begin doing some electrical testing. Stay tuned!