Illinois Railway Museum Blog

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.

Pedestal

Simon Harrison is showing us one of four pedestals used on CTS 4223 for mounting the trolley pole to the roof.  It seems an odd and maybe overcomplicated system to an old guy like me, not used to working on anything newer than 1940.  Anyway we are moving along to get a trolley pole mounted to the car.  These parts were salvaged from a car to be scrapped by cutting out an entire section of the roof where they were mounted.  Needless to say there was some torch work, grunting, and cussing.  But there are now the needed four of these, cleaned up and ready for paint.

Interior

Dave Rogan and Jim Leonard worked inside the car installing some fussy interior panels.

Running Boards

Frank Sirinek was using the air powered needle chipper to remove many layers of paint from the metal fittings on the running boards of Vera Cruz 19, our operating open car.

Windows

Randy Hicks and Rich Witt were working on refinishing window sash for CA&E 36.  Dusty work and fussy work, not too glamorous.  We are lucky to have tireless volunteers like Rich Witt who are willing to work on any task at hand.

Parts

Tim Peters was doing some "hot work" with the torch as he continues for needed parts for Chicago Rapid Transit 1797.  Burn off those rusty bolts, Tim.  You may have read elsewhere on the web that Tim is working on a mate for a wood L car in the 1200 series to match and go with the 1268 which he completed about a year ago.  Not exactly.  The 1268 is a control trailer and not motorized.  The 1797 was at one early point also a trailer but was  modernized and converted to a motor car, a completely different design and series.  But both are painted brown.

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.

GN Herald

Here is the herald by the end of Saturday.  Two more letters and the outer circle which really defines this and makes it recognizable.  Not a lot of square inches covered by white paint, but a LOT of really fussy hand painting.  There was some good news, as I fretted a few days after my last post where there appeared to be a smear of white paint to the right of the N in NORTHERN.  No smear!  Just a reflection of the flash used for the photo.

Side Cutting

Our intrepid Victor Humphreys largely keeps his head down and stays below the radar.  In recent weeks a lot of effort was put in outdoors on the restoration of our B&O wagon top boxcar.  A sure sign of spring.  The interior has had stored materials relocated and repositioned to allow work on the next quarter of the sides.  Nothing to see there folks, please move along.  This week he accomplished slotting and cutting work for ultimate removal and replacement of damaged and rusted out side panels. 

Open Car

Mike Stauber and Frank Sirinek are shown by Vera Cruz 19, our operating open car.  Last year almost all the seats were repaired and refinished, and so far this spring the floor and traps have been repainted.  It really looks GOOD!  Hmmm, I wonder if that is the right color?  Maybe I should keep my mouth shut.

The Old Grind

Eric Lorenz continued the amazing work and progress on out Cleveland Transit System PCC, 4223.  Here he is removing old paint and crud from a fabricated bar plate that is part of the needed support for adding the trolley pole.

Trolley Boards

From here on, the report is all Rapid Transit, all the time.  Tim Peters has fabricated new trolley boards for the roof of CRT 1797 and is just finishing the second coat of paint.

Interior

Largely unremarked, Frank Kehoe is restoring much of the interior of the same car.  There is a LOT of work here, and trust me, a lot has been accomplished.  Thanks, Frank.

More Windows

Every report here within memory has mentioned window work.  I thought we were going to break the pattern but at the last minute I noticed Buzz Morisette restoring a window for Chicago Rapid Transit 1797.  Earlier in the day Buzz had repaired a pattern/form for the steam department.  And of course all the other work I failed to capture.  Maybe we should sell a shop access admission and let folks stroll from project to project, fascinated at the work and with mouths drooping open.  I could spend a day like that. Insurance?  Nah.

Rocky

Selfishly, I will show this here, as we continue to handpaint the famous "ROCKY" Great Northern herald on the right side of our hopper car, GN 70104.  It may seem a random act but trust me there is method to the madness.  The white needs two coats and that has been done on the goat and the four lower letters.  Stay Tuned.

Exsiding

Here is Lake Shore Electric 810 with the last of the new siding in place.  Both sides and ends!

Clear Coat

We would like to welcome back Mr. Richard Witt to the shop work, following knee replacement surgery.  We all missed you Rich.  Here he is applying clear coat to aluminum sash windows from Cleveland Transit System 4223, after they have been cleaned up.

Benchwork

Jim Leonard was caught in the act of installing pieces of sheet metal for the rear seat bench and surrounding wall panels in the 4223.

Corner Piece

Jim has just done the final fitting on this piece of corner trim, and is on his way to the car.  Also on this project, we missed getting a pic of Simon Harrison who was laboring on cleanup of STILL MORE window track pieces.

Parts

Henry Vincent was finding new treasures in a cache of parts and fasteners donated and sent by a member in Ohio.  A belated thank you, Charley.

There was still more car work being done on several projects including the CCW 300 steeple cab locomotive, CRT 1797 rapid transit car, and other work I am failing to recognize.

CHICAGO GREAT WESTERN 4051

IT IS HERE, safe and sound!  Now all we need is some snow. 

Front and Right

Left and Rear

Builders Plate

This winter was not typical but who knows what the future will hold.  Here is the plow as it sits today on our Yard 8 Connector Track.  It has been little modified over its life, but there are some changes we will probably do like close up the doorway cut into the rear end of the plow.  And of course make new windows and doors to replace those that are missing.

Diagram

Here is a railroad diagram sheet of the plow supplied by Erich Russ courtesy of Chicago & North Western Historical Society.

The plow was delivered as number X 38 and sported at least three color schemes on the CGW. More research is needed, but it seems right now that it was maroon with the railroad name and Corn Belt logo, then maroon with black plow faces and roof and reporting marks only, and finally all over bright orange.  That could change as we get more research done.  Morning Sun Books has published data so if you have a copy of their book, please review that section.

The final scheme was in C&NW yellow with the ball and bar herald (after the merger) but still retaining CGW reporting marks, renumbered as 4051.  Note that there was a temporary drawbar that was removed from the plow when working snow to provide a smoother face for shedding the snow.  If we were to paint our plow in the maroon scheme, it would be a perfect match to our restored CGW 601 caboose, and could stage a credible plow train consist for photos.

Amazingly, it seemed to sport only these few color schemes over its service life, and of course was always lettered for CGW, even after CNW absorbed that line.

I would be remiss if I did not take time out here to recognize our member, Mr. Lucien Opperman, who has supported the project and done a LOT of legwork and research into the history.  He resides over 2000 miles from us in Union, but has taken the effort to help on this.  Isn't the internet wonderful?  Thank you!

But wait, I am getting ahead of myself.  The FIRST thing we need to do is to cover all acquisition costs which may include purchase, transportation, and associated track charges.  We have had some very generous support, especially from IRM members, and some of these were making good on pledges made five years ago when the possibility of first acquiring this plow first came up.  I have a list and if any of you are unsure of your promise, please contact me separately so I can refresh your memory.

But as new equipment goes, this happened quickly and on a fairly small budget.  Getting this plow - PRICELESS.  PLEASE, let's begin its IRM history by erasing all charges and starting off with a clean slate.  Donations may be sent to

Illinois Railway Museum

Box 427

Union IL 60180

And designate it for the CGW Snowplow or for fund  R 4051.