Electric Car Department

STOP THE PRESSES!

Wheelsets

THE WHEELSETS HAVE RETURNED TO IRM!

Recall that the goal of this project is to restore two operating streetcars to service at IRM.  As they say on TV, do it big or go home.  The wheelsets are back at IRM with new steel tires applied, and they look spectacular.

Here is a short summary of the project to date.  New steel tires were ordered and custom made, enough to apply to both streetcars.  The trucks were removed from the TM 972 and extensively rebuilt.  One truck has had essentially a total rebuild as we found badly worn pins and bushings in the linkage, rods, levers and brake systems.  This was not something anticipated and was discovered after the trucks were being dismantled.

What is one to do, stop everything?  In the true IRM spirit we had to repair these items while the truck was out and disassembled.  Such is the life of a restorationist.  We could have had the needed parts custom made and waited until September for delivery and another six weeks to install them.  Instead we made these ourselves in the machine shop, and heat treated and hardened them on site.

This saved us months on the timeline and saved us about $4000 in costs.  See where this is going?  It also added up to about $8000 in unanticipated expenses, so money in the fund is running very low, about non existent.  We have spent money ahead on common parts for the CNS&M 354 to get the same treatment but need your support now to see the TM 972 running this season.

We are ready to begin final re-assembly of the trucks NOW and will keep you updated of any 'new' discoveries.  Please keep this major project on track and moving ahead with a donation to fund  RTMS.  We really need this and the money is not squandered.

Gerry Dettloff has submitted some images for you to pore over.  He is not too much for words, so with apologies, here we go.

The Car

Here is the car as of 2003.  This is an iconic but seldom preserved piece of electric railway work equipment.  Ours is from The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company, or TM for short.  It is known as a DUMP MOTOR since it is operational and self propelled and the pan between cabs could be dumped to the side, either left or right.  It was built in 1920.

Front

Gerry, has been helped for some years as he works on this, by Henry Vincent and John Faulhaber.  This series of pics focuses on the cab at one end of the car, as they strip the roof to bare framing and painstakingly make new wood parts.  Above focuses on the new front end of the roof and tack molding.

Letterboard

At the side of the cab was a wood letterboard extension that had no two square sides to it.

Almost Ready

Here is the new roof almost ready for new canvas, showing the trolley lead which will be mounted to the trolley base.

Cab Rear

Wood was repaired or replaced at the rear of the cab also.

Work Light

There is a five bulb series of lights  (5 x 120v = 600v) on the rear of the cab and this has been extensively rebuilt.