Not a fitting end but fitting progress. Lorne Tweed continues to custom fit stiles and rails for new IC 3996 windows. There is a lot of fussy work involved for eleven new frames.
Lorne makes the final checks and adjustments on two more frames assembled and glued, now clamped in the press. Four new frames glued, seven to go, for those of you at home keeping score.
Roger Kramer is making a close check on some tricky cuts at the bottom of the new windows for the Villa Falls, to accommodate the weatherstipping and rub strips. Behind him, Rich Witt sets up the router for another cut on these frames.
One new frame was ready to go home for finish work but the second one requires another step or two to make it nearly perfect. Roger and Rich discuss the work. Roger is holding one of the badly rotted and deteriorated original bottom rails to demonstrate where and how the brass finger lifts will be installed.
We have been asked to produce a number of new wood armrests for a passenger car. Roger is examining a provided sample as we puzzle out the best way to make these, and the materials needed. Looks simple - right? Maybe not so simple as you might think.
Saving the best till last? Max Tyms is making good progress with the electrical work needed to complete the new shop space. Here you see one of the rows of new flourescent lights energized!
Here are some images we obtained yesterday afternoon, for a peek at some of the work in the Passenger Car Department - ongoing throughout the winter months.
Two passenger car trucks have seen work to ready them for the upcoming arrival of the OLYMPUS in coming months.
These will be placed under the OLYMPUS and the OLYMPUS trucks placed under the SILVER PONY, with the assistance of large cranes and (cheering crowds?). As I understand it, this is a 'temporary' arrangement to allow both cars to be placed on wheels and to be able to return the flat car used to ship the SILVER PONY.
One of the Rock Island coaches used during the Thomas Event and occasionally on our other passenger trains is getting ceiling work and other interior finish improvements.
I probably should have tried to make some digital image corrections on these last two, but you get the idea - a lot of effort expended and a huge improvement!
Other Passenger Department work continued in the Wood Shop. See that BLOG ENTRY for more images and details.
Comments
Wed, 04-11-2018 11:28
You mention in the header that you would like to have the Electroliner operational by its birthday. Was it?
Sun, 04-08-2018 20:03
As a child, IRM was always my favorite place to visit. Well, other than grandma's house next to the Geneva Sub. It's been many years since I now [...]
Wed, 04-04-2018 16:01
Those temporary walls could be constructed in a way that allows their reuse after the phase is done to close off the new phases.
Tue, 03-27-2018 03:08
Why did the smoke box cover on the shay need to be replace Do?
Mon, 03-26-2018 16:29
It never ceases to amaze me of the diligence and passion of the current mix of volunteers associated with IRM in 2018. Back when I was a active [...]
Mon, 03-26-2018 11:10
Awesome paint job Jamie!!! I never would of thought with the Rock Island history this locomotive in this scheme would of been preserved. Thanks for [...]
Sun, 03-25-2018 23:56
The Hick's blog lists it as Fruit Grower's Express FGEX #55407. Arrived in Union June 2016.
Sun, 03-25-2018 20:51
Good job on the diesel update 2018. Sincere, Ethan A.
Sun, 03-25-2018 20:45
Good job on the steam update 2018. Sincere, Ethan A.
Sun, 03-25-2018 00:12
Bill, The 1990 Roster has the PFE #68428; this may be the reefer that we saw moved. It is a rare car and deserves a paint job. Ted Miles, [...]
Fri, 03-16-2018 11:10
It would be rather difficult to operate an 11,000 Volt AC locomotive on our 600 Volt DC wire.
Thu, 03-15-2018 05:57
Good job steam update. Sincerely, Ethan A.