Illinois Railway Museum Blog

Those of you who read these entries regularly have seen that IRM has acquired a large model railroad via donation.  The concept is to construct a permanent steel framed building along the Main Street alignment and to re-assemble the major components of this layout and to have it open for public display.  Model railroads on exhibit during the Thomas Event, for instance, have proved very popular with visitors, and this would serve to add a new and different dimension to any IRM visit.

Concept

We have spent a lot of time and have developed many CONCEPT sketches and proposals.  Here is an example of what the front facade of the new building MIGHT look like.  It is pleasing to my eye, but then it would be since I drew it.  I would say it is a long shot that the final product would more than resemble this view, but you should quickly get the idea of the potential.

I have been informed that at the January 14 meeting, the Board of Directors approved going ahead to the next steps which include fundraising and more detailed plans.  We will be getting cost estimates and setting a fundraising goal and we will be contacting potential donors or sponsors for this attraction.  In the meantime, a new restricted fund has been set up   RMRD  to collect and grow the money for this project.  Any help in the way of donations, or perhaps of sponsors wishing to participate, or contractors willing to donate at least part of their services IN KIND, please contact me.  Together, we can make this happen.

All Hands on Deck

Henry Vincent is shown with a new shop jig we made.  The last assembly steps required ALL HANDS with Henry, Tim Peters, and myself doing the dirty work.

Windows

Yes, this is an all too common picture caption.  Buzz Morrisette has been making fourteen new sash for caboose ATSF 1400.  All of them are glued up and assembled in what seems an amazingly short time.  Maybe he has Santa's elves working now that the Holiday rush is over, or he just works that much faster than I am able to.

A Day in the Sun

Chicago Rapid Transit 1797 has been the subject of several recent switch moves to rearrange cars in Barn 4.  With clear skies and maybe 55 F it came out in the sum for steam cleaning of the underbody by Tim Peters and Frank Kehoe.  The vapor cloud can be seen under the car at the right.  Hard to believe but now, 24 hours later, the first snow of the season is piling up outside my window here at home.

Windows

Yes, windows again.  Lorne tweed worked to apply clear finish to several of the completed sash for Cleveland Transit 4223, and Simon Harrison also contributed his labor to the cause through the day.

In other work seen in the shop, Henry Vincent made some more progress restoring a large very old vintage photo mural of a PRR steam locomotive. Roger Kramer and I worked on mortising windows for IC 3996, and Victor Humphreys helped me milling stiles on the table saw as well as a hunting trip to our material yard to locate potential replacement trucks for ATSF 1400.

Perhaps one of the biggest news items concerns Chicago Surface Lines 3142, a true workhorse of our summer Museum operations.  Since its initial restoration that car puts on a lot of miles and we were well aware of the impending shortage of replacement cast iron brake shoes.  For two years this has been in the process, with many hundreds of hours invested in the shop and by members at home.  Remember that brake shoes are CONSUMED in operations and this is not normally covered by restoration funds.  In this case the tab could well run to $8,000, or we face the possibility of the car not operating this entire season.

Our efforts to date have come to several dead ends for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the disappearance of small foundries suited to make these specialty castings in small quantities.  But we made a lot of progress this week.  Lorne Tweed has taught himself to use AUTOCAD and created a file for the brakeshoe pattern.  This was converted to a stereo lithography file and a plastic prototype was created using a 3D printing process in nearby Crystal Lake.

With this tangible sample in hand it was fitted to the car, and needed adjustments were defined.  The next steps will be to furnish this prototype to a foundry who will use modern laser tracing to mill a new pattern for the shoes and get them cast.  HERE'S HOPING - - -

Between the Doors

We found Bill Wulfert working in the shop area known as TIM PETER"S RAPID TRANSIT department, and caught him off guard looking between some CRT 1797 doors that have been restored and look about ready to go back on the car.

Windows

Of course, windows seem to be a perennial topic or theme of ongoing work.  Jon Fenlaciki worked on additional windows he is restoring for Chicago Aurora & Elgin 451.  He has done MANY, MANY of these and the end is in sight!

Windows

You guessed it!  More window work as Ray Schmid works on another coat of clear varnish for two restored sash to be installed in Michigan Electric 28.

Truck Work

Jeff Brady has been working on the truck rebuilding for one of our TMS project cars, Milwaukee Electric 972.  More disassembly work in almost infinite detail reveals that pins and bushings need to be renewed.  These are hardened sleeves and - er - pins that join things like levers and castings which need to move freely in the completed truck assembly.  Brake rigging is an example.