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Monday, March 21. 2011Michigan Electric 28 - Update March 20, 2011Work on the Michigan Electric Co. car 28 continues. The usual Sunday team is continuing to work on the rear platform of the car. The team consists of Norm Krentel, Jeff Brady, and Ray Schmid. This Sunday we were joined by Dan Fenlaciki. This winter the ME 28 team has been actively working on the interior of the car’s rear platform to finish it in preparation for a new floor. This week's tasks were focused on installing the two traps that cover the left-hand and right-hand steps leading up into the rear platform. The picture below shows the newly painted and installed right-hand trap latched in the up position. The trap was installed by Jeff and Ray.
In service, these traps were operated by the conductor to allow passengers access to the car. Since this is a single-ended car, the front has a baggage compartment and thus has no traps and passenger steps. The traps are normally latched in the down position along with closed side doors when the car is in motion. When closed, the traps provide additional interior floor space over the steps and seal out the weather. When in a station, the traps are latched in the up position for passengers to enter or leave the car. On Friday, March 18th, Ray Schmid painted the two traps green so that they would have time to dry before Sunday's installation. In the picture below the left-hand trap is closed to cover the steps leading into the car. In the future, the top of the trap will be covered with a ribbed rubber mat.
In the pictures below the right-hand trap has been installed and Jeff Brady is aligning the trap seats so that the trap is level when closed. Not shown, Norm Krentel was enlarging a bolt hole for the left-hand trap seat. The trap will latch to the seat when in the down position so it does not open while the car is in motion. Note that when “up” the traps do not latch to the side doors like in the #1 Standing on the steps
#2 - Looking down on the trap opening
Not shown, Dan Fenlaciki was busy in the wood shop polishing the numerous window lifts that will be mounted to the restored side sashes in the future. Thanks Dan! Next week’s activity will be focused on installing the rear train door threshold. Also, preparations for resuming work on the roof. All pictures taken by Ray Schmid.
Monday, March 21. 2011TMS Project News - March 20, 2011It is not too late to have your donation matched. We have previously noted that $4000 has been pledged to match your donations, but now for the GOOD NEWS! Another generous donor has come forward with matching money, so now the total is $8000 in matching funds for you to take advantage of.  Wheel and Axle Here is a view of a complete wheel and axle set, still in the St. Louis Car Co. EIB design truck.  Wheel Face  Wheel Back I do not believe these images have been published before and they illustrate the existing wheels in more detail. The plan is to have the worn compromise wheel profiles renewed so that the two cars can reliably and safely operate on our railroad. Please send in a donation, large or small, and it will be matched, effectively doubling the total as we gather funds for the outside contracted work.  972 Wouldn't it be nice to be sitting inside the TM 972, riding these newly upholstered and restored seats, with the window open and the fresh air blowing in? Yes, it will be possible with your help. Please send a donation to fund RTMS at Illinois Railway Museum Box 427 Union, IL 60180
Sunday, March 20. 2011Weekend Track Report
Long Days and tons of work done... well how about one long day and a day to watch thunderstorms and do some flat car planning...
This weekend we continued where Adam and Jeron had left off the week before, we set up the crane train and set off the last of the tie bundles. It was a long day of hard work - and we were joined by more new folks - and Patrick who it appears that we did not scare off (yet). We were also joined by Mike Potter - it was good to see him out for a day, and good to have him along to make the cuts and couple back up every time we have to set off a bundle close to the crane - as you cannot raise the boom under the wire - For the gang we had Adam for his last day of spring break, Frank, New guy Bill and Patrick - we also had Greg from the electric car join us and of course Mike Potter. At the end of the day Steve joined us as a ground man fresh from the new CP UTU rank. While the gang unloaded the ties between Johnson and the Farm Crossing - Adam spent the day spotting the ties where marked - about 400 of them. We have about 300 more to spot. Frank started marking the rest of the bad wood - and Jeron will dig into the tie crane to spot the rest this week. We hope to get the tie gang out in a month or less to get this done - then we have all the mess of the old ties to pick back up. As soon as we had the last ties off the car, we took a bit of time to set some signal heads with the crane while we were out at Johnson - have to use all the equipment as much as we can for each other. We worked so hard that we did not take any lunch time until after 3P - as we wanted to get all the ties out and give the railroad to the electric car department to train on the CA&E trains. After lunch we set the TTX car back on the interchange and a few of us finished the day off with some scrap loading into the gon with the mag to pick up some more of the scrap around the place. Sunday tuned out to be really rainy with thunderstorms - as we had so much under our belts by then, Frank - Jeron and I just spent some time talking the rest of the summer plans watching the show from Barn 2 - Next weekend the inbound CN OTM car unloading will be the show (if it is here). Be Safe out there Tom Sunday, March 20. 2011Wood Shop Update - March 19, 2011Let's start off with window work, what else?  Careful - Rich Witt has his hands full trimming one of the Villa Falls windows using our table mounted router.  Final Inspection And next, he doing the final finish work and sanding to complete the 'order' for two new frames for this Pullman passenger car.  Glue Chemist Lorne Tweed continues the task of custom fitting sets of rails and stiles together for each new frame destined for the IC 3996. In this photo he is donning the role of chemist, mixing two part waterproof glue for the next frame. Two more frames were finished, glued up, and placed in the press.  Artwork Buzz Morisette is also the talented guy doing a lot of the artwork for lettering cars that are being restored. Here is one of the new Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee vinyl 'decals' that were produced. He brought along some other finished decals for the North Shore cars, and for CRT 1268.  New Cabinets Henry Vincent was assembling some new steel cabinets in the relatively open space of the new shop space annex. I do not understand - I thought I was taking a good photo but Henry claims this is NOT his best side. Victor Humphreys continued with repair and restoration of step wells for the ATSF 1400 caboose, and also did the first maintenance and inspection work of 2011 for the Freight Car Department. He managed to drag out the air lines and test set, and exercised the brakes on caboose IT 988Sunday, March 20. 2011Patternmaking - March 17, 2011I was not sure how to post the images from yesterday and decided to put these separate under the Steam Department category.  Planing Buzz Morisette has volunteered to make some new patterns for the Steam Department. Here he planing some thick hardwood stock, which will serve in those patterns.  The Fussy Part Then Buzz works to design and assemble the pieces into useful items that can be sent to a foundry for casting. In this case there are two items, SHOES and WEDGES, which are parts that hold the driver bearing boxes in alignment, and allow some adjustment as wear happens. In a previous BLOG entry you saw that two driver sets have been removed from our 2-8-0, UP 428. These patterns are for new shoes and wedges for that locomotive, and will be cast in bronze alloy. Buzz is working from a copy of an original Union Pacific drawing dated 1901! Doing this work, Buzz uses a special item called a shrink ruler. It looks like a regular steel scale with inch markings. But beware you do not pick this up to make your new project in the wood shop, since all markings have been adjusted larger by a percentage, because the metal castings shrink upon cooling and come out smaller than the pattern. There are separate sets of such rulers depending on the metallurgy of the part - brass, bronze, cast iron, steel, aluminum, etc. While this work is being done in our wood shop, rest assured there are crews working in the steam shop every weekend to move forward on the other rebuilding tasks. For other wood shop activity this weekend, see the following BLOG Entry. Thursday, March 17. 2011Wood Shop Update - March 16, 2011 Fitting 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.  Two More 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.  Tricky Cuts 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.  Final QC 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.  Armrests 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.  Let There Be Light 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! Thursday, March 17. 2011Passenger Car Views - March16, 2011Here 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.  Trucking Two passenger car trucks have seen work to ready them for the upcoming arrival of the OLYMPUS in coming months.  PHOTO 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.  Interiors 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.  The Other End 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. |
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Comments
Sun, 05-19-2013 22:13
Hello again. I had an idea that was (somewhat rudely, mid-sentence) dismissed in talking to a museum volunteer a few years back, but here it goes [...]
Thu, 05-16-2013 21:52
Looking good Bob! I hope to come out soon once I'm done with school.
Wed, 05-15-2013 21:28
I was not around at the time. General discussion suggests that it was "pretty marginal" in a number of areas. Nigel
Mon, 05-13-2013 11:08
"THUMBS UP!"
Fri, 05-10-2013 02:15
No, it will not be necessary to hold any of the work waiting for the plow to be turned, end for end. Weather will be the major factor, but there will [...]
Thu, 05-09-2013 19:54
The CGW X-38 plow is really coming to life. Bob Kutella and Vic and crew need to be very proud of your collective efforts. I am very appreciative of [...]
Thu, 05-09-2013 15:20
The snowplow looks great! Are you going to apply the door and upper windows befor it is turned to continue work?
Thu, 05-09-2013 09:09
Max, Is there any progress to report yet, in regards to the installation of the poles and overhead wires? Have a good day, sir.
Wed, 05-08-2013 18:40
Thanks for the update! I still don't understand why Commonwealth #5 was removed from service. Do you know why?
Tue, 05-07-2013 09:28
Mr. Kolanowski.....I was just wondering if the Spaulding webcam will be up and running soon for us stay-at-homes. Thanks!2FP
Mon, 05-06-2013 23:04
Max, Has work begun yet on the construction phase of erecting the poles and putting up the wire? Wish I could be there to watch it happen.
Mon, 05-06-2013 23:02
Keep up the good work, Bob. Wish I could be there to help!!!!!!!