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Sunday, February 21. 2010Chicago Aurora & Elgin 451 update Roof Prep and Repairs  Chipping the last side Some mechanical work has been started as well, the bad order air compressor has been removed for some work. The batteries have been services and charged. Traction motor leads have been reconnected. Additional work will continue as time and space permits between all the body prep work. Additional photos have been added to the CA&E 451 Restoration Gallery. To continue this aggressive restoration project into the Priming and Painting stage, additional monies and donations are still needed. To help with this project, please consider a donation to the Electric Car Department Car Painting Fund, your support will be appreciated. Sunday, February 21. 2010North Shore Line 749 Progress
While it has been a few months since the last update for the 749, most of the exterior restoration work has been completed for a few weeks. The final coats of paint have been applied, along with the majority of the detail work, all the doors, and much more. The heralds were applied by Buzz on Saturday the 20th. The numbers still need to be completed and applied. 749's inspections have been started as well. Over the next week or two, the 749 should be removed from the Diesel/Paint shop to make room for another CA&E car. Additional photos are available in the 749's restoration gallery.
Sunday, February 14. 2010Chicago Aurora & Elgin 451 Restoration
On Saturday, February 6th, the CA&E 451 was moved into the Diesel Shop to begin its restoration. Over the past year or two, the diesel department and electric car department has been working together to trade heated shop space for storage barn space for various projects. In this case, the 451 is among the highest priority projects in the Electric Car Department, with the goal of having most of the restoration aspects completed by early April. The goal is to have the roof re-canvased after some roof repairs are completed, and have the car repainted after some minor repairs are made to the carbody.
 CAE 451 progress To continue this aggressive restoration schedule, additional monies and donations will be needed. The entire restoration project for this car is estimated to cost about $12,000. To help with this project, please consider a donation to the Electric Car Department Car Painting Fund, your support will be appreciated. Friday, February 12. 2010Save South Shore Line 1100 CSSSB 1100 Chicago, South Shore & South Bend steel line car 1100 has been donated to the Illinois Railway Museum by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD). Though most remember it as a South Shore line car, 1100 was built in 1926 by the St. Louis Car Company as 376, a parlor car used with Indiana Service Corporation's Wabash Valley Flyer, the car was sold to the Indiana Railroad in 1932, and IRR 376 was rebuilt as a combination passenger/railway post office car in 1935. In 1941, 376 was sold to the South Shore where it was used as an express car before being converted to line car service in 1947. South Shore 1100 retired in 2003; in service for 77 years, the car served in four distinct types of electric railway service. In 2003, NICTD offered 1100 to a preservation group that proposed to restore the line car and feature it as a display in a new museum. Hard economic times caused their efforts to fall short, and 1100 remained in storage at the selected site in Michigan City, Indiana. Now the line car is ours and has been shipped to IRM. Your donation to the CSSSB 1100 Fund will help pay for the shipping costs, track space, and restoration costs for this historic car. As of January 2010, we have raised about 30% of our goal of $30,000. Monday, February 8. 2010Michigan Electric 28 Update - February 7, 2010 Getting in Shape Jeff Colandine, from the steam shop, was helping Jeff Brady on the shaper. Jeff B. (hiding behind the shaper dust pickup) installed some modifications to the shaper setup and we produced the raised panels for the baggage door project, slick as a whistle. At least the shaping was done very quickly and successfully on the long edges of the panel.  Worth a Closer Look Jeff C. is removing panel number four from the third pass through the shaper. This close up shows the top two edges complete for these double sided panels. It is very confusing to shout "Hey Jeff" and have two guys turn around. Maybe one of them should pick out a shop nickname. Of course Jeff Obarek was working in the Electric Car Shop so that makes it a triple play on "Jeff' for a Sunday afternoon.  Saddles While all the noise was being made in the west end of the shop, Ray Schmid was working on new saddles and by day's end they had all been primed.
Monday, February 1. 2010Michigan Electric 28 Update - January 31, 2010 Shaper Jeff Brady and I spent a fair amount of the afternoon working to manufacture raised panels for the new baggage doors. Jeff designed and purchased custom ground cutter tooling to be able to reproduce the needed profile. Then it was on to the shaper. One problem or 'challenge' after another was solved in an effort to support the work and guide it through the machine. We were working with a setup panel and Jeff is shown removing that from a run through the shaper. We THINK that a few more changes and construction of a jig will make this phase complete. |
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Comments
Mon, 06-17-2013 09:50
Wish I could be there to help.
Fri, 06-14-2013 16:50
Matthew, Any special event is the decision of the museum Board. My personal opinion is that it is likely that there would be a special event to [...]
Thu, 06-13-2013 18:33
Hi, I have a question, if or when she is restored and back up and running this or next year. Will their be a special event set up for the return of [...]
Tue, 06-11-2013 22:36
The whistle 1630 wore for a while that you're thinking of was a Frisco 6 chime donated by a former member of the steam shop. It was on it a few times [...]
Tue, 06-11-2013 18:03
You are talking here about something well before my time !. I have not seen her with anything other than the whistle she now carries. If she [...]
Mon, 06-10-2013 16:17
i'm curious here. Will 1630 ever wear the ATSF 6 chime she had on for a while? Better defines her, I love the deep whistle she has now but the higher [...]
Sat, 06-08-2013 15:15
Many many many many many thanks for getting the Spaulding webcam working!!!!!
Fri, 06-07-2013 16:55
The donation was to the museum as a whole. How it is used and whether any comes to steam department projects will be the decision of the museum [...]
Fri, 06-07-2013 16:53
Basically the plan is "ONLY" reassembly. As far as we know she is is reasonable mechanical shape. The big mechanical problem that stopped her (slack [...]
Fri, 06-07-2013 16:28
Nigel I read you guys got a one million dollar check donation!!! Will this be used to finish 1630 ,428, 5 and get started on the others next in line?
Fri, 06-07-2013 16:16
So does 1630 basically only need reassembly? With the boiler in particular. Does her tender or running gear need any work before she's ready for the [...]
Fri, 06-07-2013 12:00
Hello.. The voltage we are using and presumed the RR also used is 120 vac. The system is a little unique because the lite bulbs are each 60 volts. [...]