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Tuesday, September 29. 2009URTX 26640 Update September 26 - 27, 2009 Two Gems I will start out this post with a shot showing progress on two projects of the Freight Department this season. They are back together on Track 40 and this shot shows them with the sides that have been completed so far. All you guys need to pull for some warm weather and a late start to winter!  Trucks Victor Humphreys soldiers on in an uncomfortable position to get finished black paint on the A end truck, left side.  Shiny New And here is that same truck glistening in the new black paint.  A End The crew has moved on to the A end and Kirk Warner is still shaking from hours on the needle chipper.  A End Most of the needlechipping is now done, and the ladder has been removed. Next - sanding, wire brushing, priming, and two coats of black.  Left Side Victor Humphreys continues to be our 'go to' guy when it comes to painting. Here he is applying the second coat of orange to the 'A' half of the left side.  Left Side With just some touch up and details left to paint, this side is sparkling new. Go back a few pages to see what we started with here. Monday, September 28. 2009NYC Dover Strait Update September 26, 2009 Interior Painting The lounge area interior is really taking shape with nice glossy finish after more spraying today.  MORE PAINT Actually MORE PAINT is needed to continue and complete the spraying. Still, a big change and big improvement is noted as the project moves along. Saturday, September 26. 2009URTX 26640 Update September 23, 2009 Details They say the devil is in the details! Here Victor Humphreys is spot priming new nailheads in preparation for the final finish coat of orange.  End Ladder No, not a new end ladder but it certainly looks new. Dick Cubbage seems to be enjoying himself as he tightens the bolts after he and Kirk Warner re-hung the ladder on the left side.  More Paint It must seem like it will never end as Victor Humphreys adds the final coat of paint to the left side plug door and hardware. That is a LOT of orange on the side of that car. Friday, September 25. 2009NYC DOVER STRAIT Update September 19, 2009After the spectacular completion and display of the car's exterior last year, the restoration team has not been sitting idle.  Hallway A lot of work has been focused on the car interior. Here you may view the newly painted hallway, which runs along one side of the car past the bedrooms.  Lounge The car's lounge has a lot of walls, trim, and complexity and Bob Hunter continues to work in there. Here you can see much of the results - new finish painted walls.  Shade Covers Bob Hunter is hand painting the inside of the shade boxes, or metal covers that will be installed prior to the last coat spray painting of the lounge. Friday, September 25. 2009Milwaukee Streetcar 972 Update September 23, 2009 West End Pete Galayda nd John Faulhaber continue to work on the painting project and the progress really shows. Here is the newly painted west end of the car. Monday, September 21. 2009TB Dept – Member’s Day – 09/19/2009We split the department Saturday with Richard Schauer and Wally Unglaub operating trolley coaches, while Jerry Saunders and I ran the New York subway cars.
For the majority of the day, Wally operated the Chicago Marmon 9553. In the afternoon Richard decided to pull out a few additional coaches for the Members. Making a few trip each was Seattle M-A-N 4020, Chicago Brill-American 84, Seattle Twin 633 and Milwaukee Marmon 441. Due to the lack of adequate lighting at the wye and lack of adequate ground personnel, we decided for safety sake not to operate in the evening. Our last scheduled operating day of the season is in two weeks (10/03). As of right now it looks like it will be Seattle M-A-N 4020 handling operations that day. With the OERM deal now in full swing, we have decided not to have any scheduled operation in 2010. Does that mean no TBs at all next year? Of course not. Those of you who visit often or watch the webcams know, you never know when you will see a trolley coach coming down Central Avenue.
At about 2:00pm Saturday, NYCTA 7926-7927 made their first revenue trip at IRM. We subsequently made 2 more daytime and 4 nighttime round trips on the mainline, finally wrapping up a little after midnight. The cars performed flawlessly! We heard MANY positive and supportive comments from the visitors and members alike. Saturday was the culmination of a 12 year dream/ordeal to get the cars here and operational. I’d like to add my personal congratulations to Jerry, whose perseverance and patience (wait a minute, Jerry? Patience???) single-handedly were responsible for getting the cars here. We hope to have all the nagging bugs worked out by sometime next season so the Redbirds can see limited revenue service, then the goal is to have them in the regular service fleet in 2011.
Hats off AGAIN to the Car Department guys. I watched them for months working to get cars ready for Saturday. They had so many cars that no NSL cars came out and the IT101 had to be cancelled! What a great “problem” to have and what a fantastic turn-around from just a couple years ago. You guys (and Krystine & Gwen) rock!!!
Sorry, no pictures as I was in service. I know Pete Pedersen among others took some excellent shots to document one of the most exciting days I have ever experienced at IRM.
Monday, September 21. 2009UTLX 17222 Update September 20, 2009 Like New It was a race against time but an unusual string of clear days allowed us to get this car painted on Labor Day weekend, have one side lettered by Showcase Weekend, and have it inspected and operating in the demonstration Freight Train! WOW! Trust me, it was quite an effort by many people and akin to a starship at Warp Speed. |
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Comments
Sun, 05-20-2012 17:31
I would like to make a note of a couple of things. The sandblasting process involves taking the sand like material, called blackblast, and smashing it [...]
Fri, 05-18-2012 22:48
This is one interesting freight car. I've been browsing images on-line of these B&O wagon-top cars lately, and noticed a variety of lettering and [...]
Fri, 05-18-2012 12:03
Mark, Its hard to say if 760 will be running in early July. It will be for Diesel Days, but I can't answer yet if we'll have it ready sooner than [...]
Thu, 05-17-2012 13:13
Im going to drive from California to the Chicago area in early July and staying for about 3 weeks. Im a big fan of FM units. Any chance the MILW 760 [...]
Sun, 05-13-2012 11:44
Line sidewalks and steets with rail ties and fill with small pea gravel. Similar to construction near Lincoln Home in Springfield, IL.
Fri, 05-11-2012 10:45
Thank you. If you are send pics to Irm in mail,Please make it attention Roger Kramer. Thanks..
Thu, 05-10-2012 17:08
I will be sending some color photos of the CGW 285 shortly after rebuilding by the CGW. And yes, they had chrome grabs and the end gate. I had been [...]
Thu, 05-10-2012 12:58
Yes there are some chrome plated partsespecially on the sissors gate. Unfortunately, they were recently taken off, and left in the gravel. I have [...]
Thu, 05-10-2012 00:46
The book "Chicago Great Western Color Guide" (Morning Sun) has some interesting notes about these CGW combines: [BEGIN QUOTE] "In 1954 the CGW bought [...]
Sun, 05-06-2012 21:42
Nigel, What you just told me is great news. YOU clarified things for me.
Sun, 05-06-2012 20:34
Wally, I must say that I am puzzled by this comment. The whole driver for the current work is the major FRA mandated inspection (15 year 1472 [...]
Sun, 05-06-2012 16:39
I am just afraid that by the time 1630 is up and ready to run, it will have to be dismantled again to do the Federally mandated inspection. I am [...]