Illinois Railway Museum Blog

Perfect Fit

A lot of the wood shop work is specific to the volunteer's favorite or currently active project.  We do just as much or more work from a pool of interested and willing volunteers, who get to experience a variety of tools and techniques and learn in the process.  The first section of this report deals with constructing a new door for our East Union Depot.  John Faulhaber explains to Simon Harrison the geometry of a mortise and tenon joint and the steps to try to achieve a perfect fit as the door top rail is matched to the right hand side stile.

Next Piece

Next John Faulhaber is using the table saw to nibble away and size the tenon for the middle rail of this door.

Testing

At each step in the process the parts get to be assembled to check that everything is in order.  I suppose that would not be necessary of we were making twenty or so identical doors.  But for a one of a kind item it is quite an important step.  By end of day, parts are dry fitted for the frame and top rail, and Victor Humphreys and John are working on the middle rail

More PCC Work

Steve Iverson has combined some vacation time with his latest trip to IRM for the Annual meeting.  He has been working to help Frank Sirinek continue the progress on Kansas City Public Service 755, one of our PCC cars.  He is making new wood parts while behind him to his left is a restored and painted ventilator housing waiting to go back on the car.

Rapid Transit

Certainly RAPID progress as Tim peters continues on the epic restoration of a wood L car, Chicago Rapid Transit 1797.  Timbers shown in last week's shop entry have been completed and painted, and here he is consolidating and repairing more wood parts for the car.

Suck It Up

With the addition of the new shop annex, some of our sawdust collecting system had to be dismantled.  Henry Vincent takes on the role of 'tin knocker' as he hangs a new run of ductwork, to suck up sawdust and debris as fast as our volunteers and machines can produce it.

What Is Your Favorite Vise

Simon Harrison and Rich Witt have had enough of a bench vise that really offered as many problems as benefits.  So they removed it, and are installing a different one from our 'stock'.  We really never had ONE good bench vise and now seemingly we need THREE in working order considering the number of active projects in the shop.

As a footnote, one of our members notes a reminder that our Member Photo Gallery on this site hosts thousands, maybe over ten thousand images.  All of those used in my BLOG entries are hosted there, as well as a myriad of other images for virtually every piece of equipment, operation and activity on our campus.  In our BLOGS you get to see those images along with some of the 'back story'; but feel free to explore the albums and images in the Member Galleries for your favorite topic.