Trip Report - Museum of Transportation

Over the weekend I drove down to St. Louis for a visit to David's home turf, the Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood, MO. Formerly the National Museum of Transport, MOT has an unrivaled collection of steam locomotives including several from the mid-1800's as well as the only surviving 0-4-4T "Forney" off the Lake Street Elevated in Chicago. At right is a line-up of steam on display in the Robertson building: Lake Street 8, DL&W "Camelback" 952, and Boston & Providence 17 "Daniel Nason," a 4-4-0 dating to 1863.

MOT isn't just steam engines, though - they also have a sizable collection of diesels and historic passenger and freight cars, plus a variety of other transportation modes. There is a hall with antique autos on display, a Mississippi River towboat plinthed in the parking lot and a couple of airplanes, as well as steam rollers and other assorted oddities. I was particularly interested, though, in the traction collection. The museum has a large collection of St. Louis street railway equipment as well as some very historic items from around the country, including the very first GE steeplecab ever built and the only surviving P5 boxcab off the PRR. One of their shop projects at the moment is a St. Louis Public Service PCC car, 1743, shown at left. This car has been stripped down to the frame and is having a significant amount of welding done to repair corrosion; other work including wiring replacement and backdating to SLPS condition (it ran in San Francisco for decades after its days in St. Louis were through) is also being performed.

Much of the electric collection is in storage and is not accessible to the public; some of the equipment was stored outside for years during the 1960's and 1970's and deteriorated. Much of the electric collection is in decent shape and at least a few pieces are likely to be put on public display within the next few years. Already accessible to the public is one of the museum's restored and operational electric cars, St. Louis Waterworks 10. This car was built for a line that ran out to the Waterworks Department's facility north of St. Louis and was eventually acquired by MOT, which restored it to operation during the 1990's.

If you're ever in St. Louis, MOT is a must-see for any railfans - a tremendous collection of historic equipment in good repair, and even an operating streetcar line! What more could you want?

Dave's Depots - Barrett's Station, Missouri

Today's installment of "Dave's Depots" takes us close to my home. When the Pacific Railroad of Missouri constructed its line west from St. Louis in the 1850s, just west of present day Kirkwood, the construction engineers encountered two hills too large to go around and too steep to go over. The solution was to construct a pair of tunnels. The tunnels were carved out of the hills using hand tools and black powder-based explosives. (This was before Mr. Nobel invented Dynamite). The tunnels became the first railroad tunnels west of the Mississippi River.

In the 1940s, the Missouri Pacific moved the mainline several hundred feet to the south, in order to lay double track through the area. The railroad simply picked up and moved the depot to its present site as well. Later, after World War II, the Museum of Transportation located at the site, and the depot was the museum’s first office, gift shop, and shop area.

The depot remained an active stop until the 1950s, as the area was a stop on the MOPAC's commuter service from Pacific, MO to St. Louis.

The original mainline grade was later used by MOT for the present day demonstration streetcar line. The tunnels remain off-limits, largely due to some past stability issues.
The present pattern of development at MOT has made the depot inaccessible to the public. It sits in the middle of the shop materials yard. The depot is in good shape, and is presently used as the museum's wood shop. (Photo Credit: Frank Hicks)

Trolley Base Installed

Stan Wdowikowski, Charlie Strong, and Frank Sirinek helped me raise the 277's trolley base onto the roof of the car. After a couple of false starts, we used block and tackle to lift the (about 100 lb.) base to the rafter, then pull it over onto the car. It might have been easier if any of us were sailors. After all of our fumbling around with ropes, Charlie complained of being seasick. Hoo ray, and up she rises!

After that, I could do the rest on my own. The base is now bolted down and wired in, as seen here. That took most of the day, but I had some time to do some straightening inside the car and mount another baggage rack. Once the trolley pole has been repaired, we'll have to pull the 277 outside to insert it into the base, and then we'll be ready for operation!

Roof Work Nearly Complete

We had planned to do some more brake adjustments on the 308 today, but it rained without letup all day, so that didn't get done. We sure know how to pick 'em. The brakes are sometimes dragging, and I know that at least we need to install a replacement return spring in the brake cylinder. So I'm afraid I have to red-tag the cars for this weekend.

But the weather was just fine for working on the roof of the 277. I finished installing screws in the saddles and running boards, then installed and connected the fuse box (yellow arrow) and brace for the leads from the trolley base (red arrow). Now all that needs to be done is to install the trolley base. Joel has finished overhauling and repainting it as seen here. (R) Thanks, Joel, it looks great. Now I just need a couple of other guys to help me get it from the floor of the barn onto the roof. Then the pole can be installed when it's finished.

I also started removing all of the tools and parts I probably won't need from the roof. One of the harder parts of this job is getting the tools up and down.

So I ran out of things to do on the roof. Whew! I put a first coat of finish paint on the bulkhead, as seen here.

In the smoker, there are two bell cord hangers as seen here, which use a leather strap. One of them had broken, so I removed it. After taking this picture, I removed this one also and took them home. Bruneau had already acquired replacement leather, so this seems like a good project to do in the basement.

I also took some pictures of the cab, which I have added to the IT album here.

And John Almond, a CA&E fan and IRM member from Tucson, was visiting, so I let him into the 309 to take pictures.

RPO Days at IRM

As promised, here are views of our RPO Days from Charles Amstein. This material is copyrighted by Mr. Amstein and may not be reproduced without permission.The CD contains 275 stills and 12 videos, so it will take me a while to go through it all.

Here are some links to Chuck Amstein's videos:
From inside the car
From trackside
I then noticed there are some other YouTube videos on the same subject.
308/309 runby
There are also some nice cab ride videos taken in the 309 that day here. Enjoy!

Now for the stills:

Chuck may have to help me with identifying some of these pictures, but I believe this must be the group of retired mail clerks who participated that day. They're posed in front of Burlington RPO #1923, which has complete interior arrangements.

Look out below!
A clerk prepares to throw out one mail bag
while picking up another one.

Another clerk prepares to make a catch.

Now we just have to sort it all out:

Inside the car, talking over the good old days.

Update: Jon Habegger writes:
The former RPO clerks in your blog are as follows from left to right:
Bill Killen
Don Bliss
Darrell Mack
Al Horne
Cortie Rolison
Don Lauder
Bob Burkman

I know that five of the gentlemen worked the Chicago & Council Bluffs RPO on the CB&Q (Bliss, Mack, Rolison, Lauder, and Burkman). Al Horne worked the Chicago & KC route on the CB&Q and on the Chicago, Fort Madison, and Kansas City Route on the AT&SF. I am not sure which route Bill Killen worked.

This was a great weekend with these men. While I was pleased to have been able to arrange for them to visit IRM and make another catch, they were thrilled with the fine treatment that they received by all at the Museum. They were very happy to be able to ride in the RPO and remember their days in the RPO, but the five gentlemen from Iowa (the Chicago & Council Bluffs men) were extremely excited to be able to enter the Nebraska Zephyr again since many times they returned home from being on the road via the NZ. When we entered the NZ and were walking to the back, one saw them looking everywhere and remarking that the train looks the same as when they rode it. IRM brought many great memories back to these men. I am most thankful and excited about that.

Hopefully, we will be able to have another RPO weekend in 2010 and have many of these men back along with a few more former RPO Clerks. To these Iowa men (and the other clerks), this was their "Field of Dreams."

277 Update

It was hot again today up on the roof, but it's supposed to be worse by Wednesday. One just has to take frequent breaks and drink plenty of fluids. Today I nearly managed to finish installing all screws in the saddles and running boards. I just need a few more.

I then drilled the holes and installed the trolley hook. This whole project started because, among other things, the hook was pulling the rotten running board into the air, and the last saddle had completely disappeared. Here are the before and after views.

I also started bolting the base pieces for the trolley base in place.

I received a CD from our friend, the photographer Charles Amstein, of pictures he took a couple of weeks ago for RPO days. I'll post some of them as soon as I get some time. Thanks, Chuck!

Trolley Pageant

The trolley pageant went well, except for the weather: it was drizzling most of the day. Just about everything that was scheduled to operate did so anyway. I'll update this post with pictures as they arrive. Here's our first submission, a picture from Kirk Warner. Thanks, and keep 'em coming!








Frank adds: On the left is another photo of our trusty motorman, this time in the 308 (note C-21 controller) westbound at Johnson Siding. And below is some brief video I took with my point-and-shoot Kodak of a meet at Johnson immediately following the parade. Only at IRM!

On the right we see the lineup at Schmidt Siding prior to the start of the pageant. From left to right we see the back end of the L4's tank car train; ComEd SW1 15 towing the dead New York subway cars (does this mean we can use a steeplecab to pull a non-operable diesel in the Parade of Power later this month?); wood Chicago "L" cars followed by 4000's; and North Shore 714-160 directly behind us on Schmidt Siding itself.

Bleg: Pictures of the Pageant

All three of us will be busy during the new improved Trolley Pageant tomorrow, so we're blegging for pictures! If you're going to be an observer, please send either stills (jpeg) or video clips to randallhicks at wideopenwest dot com. You too can be famous!

Announcement -- CA&E Abandonment

On July 3rd, 1957, the CA&E abandoned passenger service without warning shortly after noon, stranding thousands of commuters in Chicago. As we have for more than twenty years, IRM will be holding an authentic re-enactment of this event on Friday, July 3rd, 2009. CA&E cars 308 and 309 will be operating until noon, when passenger service will be suspended, stranding passengers at Seeman Road. They will then have to take the next Diesel coach train to get home. Don't be taken in by imitations. Visit IRM this Friday! (Photo by Dave Mewhinney from 2007)

Update: I dug out a couple of slides of the re-enactment on July 3, 1987. I believe this was the first. The arrow (R) points to Frank, who's standing there with my aunt and uncle and cousin and so on.

Another Update: From the Chicago Trib, "Whatever Happened to the CA&E?"

277 Update

Today it was cloudy and unseasonably cool -- perfect weather for working on the roof of the car. All of the saddles are now in place and caulked down. Many more screws need to be installed, but assembly is progressing nicely.

After my knees and back had reached their daily quota of bending, it was time to relax inside the car. I put another coat of primer on the bulkhead, as seen here.

Joel Ahrendt has been refinishing the baggage racks for me, and two of them are done. I carried two more unfinished ones to the shop, and brought back the finished two. One of them I installed as a test on the right side of the main compartment, as seen here. Thanks, Joel, they look great!

I also decided to make a temporary test installation of one of the seats along the right side wall. Here is a picture of it after installing the seat cushion and side-wall arm rest.

Because the 277 is a combine, total seating is rather limited. There are seats for 30 passengers plus a conductor in the main compartment, and seats for 8 more passengers in the front compartment. There are also some benches which can be folded up for extra seating, maybe five or six persons. But for those 38 people, it's real luxury!

IRM Campus Scenery

"This would really be a nice place if there weren't all these railroad tracks!"
(anonymous visitor)

The IRM campus actually has many picturesque locations if you know where to look. Here's a selection of views around the property which don't focus on railroad equipment, tracks, or buildings.

Let's start with the War Memorial, which was originally located in the Illinois Central's Twelfth Street station.

Also at the Depot is this memorial bench which we provided in memory of my father.

Between the Depot and the War Memorial is this arrangement of tablature from the Monon Railroad, with a flower bed.

Flower bed in front of the office.

Our new billboard, south of the trolley bus barn.

The Goddess of IRM.

This windmill tower is the last remaining vestige of the old Knut Olson farm.

The material yard.

Schneider's Grove, which fell victim to urban development.

Our corn looks pretty much like everybody else's.

Eeeek!

Wooded areas along the west end of the line, and a nearby farmhouse.

Along the Creek

Spring wildflowers.

Wetlands on the south 40.

This berm serves to shield the neighbors from having to look at the south storage yards, and also serves as an historic reproduction of an abandoned right-of-way.

Part of the tree farm along the eastern part of the line.

Two views of the North Western bridge over the Kishwaukee, as seen from near the east end of our main line.

Scènes d'automne

Winter

The Siegel Farm

The farm house, front and back.

The farmstead includes several outbuildings...

The most interesting of which is this: what's left of an old Milwaukee Road wooden reefer.

Looking out across the fields.

The Christ Farm

Pictures taken soon after we bought the property in September 2020.  As I understand it, the general consensus is that none of these structures are salvageable, so some photographs would be in order while they're still standing.

The house is more or less by itself out in front, with all of the outbuildings much farther back.

The path to the storage buildings:

This one is about to collapse:

The boxcar shed:

The remains of an orchard: