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.

This time we will look at DL&W 556, one of three open platform Lackawanna coaches we have.  There is not much illumination in these so pardon the pics - and thank goodness for digital images where some enhancements are easily made.  The cars were built by Pullman in 1914, seat 78, and are classic railroad roof steel coaches.  They were acquired by IRM in 1972, and have long served as the backbone of our our weekend passenger service.  But they are getting timeworn and long overdue for repairs and rehab.

DLW 556

This car has been out of service for some time.  Mike Baksic and Ray Moorman have replaced steel and decking on one of the platforms, while others led by Mark Hoffman are concentrating on the interior.

DLW 556

The seats and light globes have been removed and a LOT of peeling paint is being painstakingly cleaned from the sidewalls and ceiling.  The schedule hopes for the car to be repainted and ready to go back into service in 2013, and that may be optimistic as more issues are uncovered.  But with more volunteer help it could easily meet or exceed that date.

The other two cars in the set are numbered 561 and 567.

The Passenger Car Department is alive and well at IRM with a lot of projects ongoing and a lot of work being done.  Hope you enjoyed these short looks behind the scenes.

We are again fortunate to have some images from Roger Kramer, this time to give you a peek inside the DOVER STRAIT.  To start out, here is repeat of a roster shot photo taken with the car newly painted and lettered.

Roster Shot

The DOVER STRAIT is heavyweight passenger car riding on six wheel trucks manufactured by Pullman in 1924 to a six double bedroom-buffet-lounge floor plan.  The above picture was taken shortly after completion of its exterior restoration and lettering.  For those not familiar with the work, go to the category listing on the right hand side of these BLOGS and click on the small plus sign in a box to expand the Passenger Car Department CATEGORY, then click on the DOVER category to see the entire log of entries for this car.

Lounge Photo

As you enter the car you are greeted by a framed NYC poster.  Bob Hunter is the Project Manager and he has been assisted by Gene Mackowiak.  Other assistance has come for special tasks from the Freight Car Department, the Steam Department (yes), and the Wednesday Special Projects Group.  After largely completing the exterior work, efforts have been focused on the interior, and it is getting close to completion.

Lounge

The car will be stunning as can be seen from this recent photo of the lounge - repainted, trim installed, and lighting working.  Of course, you will expect a request for donations. In this case funds are needed to acquire and install the carpeting, table lamps, furniture, other furnishings, and finishing touches.  The fund is RDOVER.

Here is another in our ongoing series of views of work being done in the Passenger Car Department.  None of these pictures or reports would be possible without member photos, and the efforts to take them.  In this case we need to thank Roger Kramer.  This installment is focused on Boston & Maine 1094, a wood bodied car from the classic era, built by Pullman in 1906.

This another case where volunteer efforts are significant, ongoing, and are probably almost invisible or unknown to many of the readers here.

Dining Area

Volunteer Jack Biesterfeld has worked for several years tackling one area at a time.  This is the dining area, where the interior finishes have been carefully restored and the section furnished with tables and chairs, complete with place settings and plastic 'food'.

Dining Area

More of this restored area.  Lighting has been provided and the scene is visible from the car exterior through the windows, delighting visitors as they walk through Barn 3.

Light Fixture

This elaborate and ornate light fixture is original to the car.

Hallway

The hallway along the kitchen area is missing a window.  This is one of the projects where two new frames were completed by the wood shop over the last cold weather season.

Seating

There is a seating area next to the dining area, and this has seen a lot of work by Jack.  Ted Anderson has also done work here on the seats and frames, and has led the way both to preserve this car and acquire it in the first place.

Right now the car is inside Barn 3 but it is basically 'poaching' indoor space at the discretion of the Department Manager.  I cannot argue with that decision for this fragile wood bodied classic.  But in effect it displaces another passenger car which has paid space.  Donations to fund R1094 will help raise the $15,000 needed to preserve this fine car to assure indoor Barn Space, and to permanently protect the significant restoration efforts.

End Beams

Tim Peters has two new end beams well in hand, destined for installation on CRT 1797.  In the past few weeks we were able to acquire some old growth southern yellow pine timbers from a salvage site, and this allows some key steps to once again move forward.  We invested a lot of money on this and other projects to secure this material, at about 15 cents on the dollar.  If you can help out here with a donation, there is still more wood left that would suit and be tailor made in size to work on a number of projects.

A Glazed Look

Buzz Morisette was glazing some of the new windows constructed for caboose MILW 01984.  Better be careful swinging that hammer around all those sheets of glass!

Saw Base

Victor Humphreys was continuing the prep work prior to prime painting our new base for the heavy circular saw we hope to place in service soon in the wood shop.  Rod Turner had completed some additional welding on this during the week, thanks.

A New Door

Roger Kramer and Bob Kutella are working on a base rail for a new station door.  We had hoped to complete this last season, but other projects intervened.  Here we are sawing stop cuts to define tenons on this large slab of wood. Yes, we do something beside turn out prodigious quantities of new windows in the shop.

A New Window

That said, there seem to be endless quantity of new windows needing to be made.  (As an example there are 96 panes of glass in the Sand Springs 68, and it does not use storm windows)  It was good to see Henry Auchstetter out for the day, and he is discussing and examining a deteriorated window with Bob Kutella, the new ones to be destined for the Glen Springs.

All of the many projects underway rely on two things - dedicated hardworking volunteers, and a source of funds. Can you help?  We will teach skill sets and apply your labor, you will have to wrestle with your checkbook yourself!