Freight Car Department

This day was HUGE in the work and progress made on the Russell plow.  Weather was good and many willing volunteers turned out to lend a hand.  This very productive day made up in part for the recent dog days of near 100 F temperatures where neither man nor beast was able to function for long outdoors.  BTW the next three days are forecast to return to 90-95 F.

Move to the Rear, Please

Dick Cubbage has moved on to the rear of the plow, seen here working on the rear end sill.  Both he and Kirk Warner spent some extra days on the project this week and the progress really shows.

The Old Grind

Tom Bernacki did many tasks throughout the day, seen here inside the box, grinding welds smooth on the rear wall.

Drill It

Victor Humphreys also spent all day on the plow, seen here inside the shop drilling holes to mount a new left rear corner post.  The counterbores were done earlier in the day by John Faulhaber assisted by Tom Bernacki.  They provide relief for the many rivet heads inside the box.  In the morning this was just a stick of wood, by the end of the day it was fitted, prime painted, and installed.

Knock Em Out

Victor was inside the box here, knocking out old bolts and metal stubs that at one time held the original framing timbers, now gone.  To his left you may be able to make out new framing for the right side door, fitted and installed.

Door Framing

From the outside here is the door completely framed out - note the shiny fasteners around and above the opening.  To help make this possible, earlier Mike Alterio helped by straightening the right grab iron which had been bent up in its earlier life.  Tally for the day was five new pieces of framing completed and installed.

NeedleChipping

Kirk Warner spent much of the day needlechipping and here he is working "In the Curl" of the front of the plow.

Lower the Boom

The project has benefited greatly from the loan of a boom truck from Dave Diamond and the B&G Department.  Thanks, Dave!  Kirk Warner is in the distance on some scaffolding while Jim Leonard is in the bucket.

Mean Jim

Jim is one of the nicest guys out there, but in this pic, he looks like he really means business!

Left Corner

Tom Bernacki here is wire wheeling the last nubs of old paint away on the lower left corner.

Time to Prime

Jim Leonard was back in the bucket to begin priming some of the cleaned areas by mid afternoon.  That truck really improves mobility and safety, AND - there are no wasps living in the boom!

Meanwhile Out Back

Kirk Warner had the primer and was applying it to the end sill and about one third of the back wall.

Big report, big crew, big list of completed work!  Thanks to one and all for supporting the project.

Work continues on the snow plow restoration, lately working to replace wood framing and timbers inside the car body.  This allows some relief from the withering heat, as the woodworking is done inside the shop.

Lintel

John Faulhaber is working on the table saw with our sled jig to hog out material and result in new tenons on each end of this timber.  It is a lintel, for the right hand doorway on the plow, the horizontal piece that helps frame the opening.

Door Frame

With the lintel done, Buzz Morisette, John, and myself did a dry fit of all the parts on the workbench.  This is an assembly that has to be put together first before installing in the car.  Of course it fit perfectly (after two or three trips back and forth to trim up shoulders, etc).  Henry Vincent helped start the boring process for the ten holes to mount it.

Every year we try to have freight cars in operation at IRM.  Many who see and enjoy the spectacle probably do not consider the work that goes into this, as if it happens by MAGIC.

On an annual basis each car that operates in service requires an inspection, lubrication, and attention to repairs.  This week a large number of volunteers spent many hours to achieve this during the upcoming Diesel Days weekend event.  I am sure I will miss a name or two, but foremost are Wes Lloyd and Rod Turner who both worked the first three days this week on the task.  Many of the cars are stored in our South End yards, or perhaps the lucky ones in a Barn.  To dig those out requires many switch moves, and this year in withering heat.

On Wednesday, the workers included Buzz Morisette, Dick Cubbage, Dave Rogan, Don Ingwersen, John Faulhaber, Henry Vincent, Kirk Warner, and the first two I already mentioned.  Oh yes, I was there also.  In spite of supposedly being a cooler day forecast, it was 92 at Union by Noon, and the heat and humidity built.

Next - -

Here are three tank cars being moved into position to Track 41 for the process.  Many items are reviewed and recorded on a two page check list.

Many Are Called

But not all pass the test.  This Illinois Central tank car (yes it is a tank car) failed in needing three brake shoes replaced and it is an odd type, no spares to be found.

So, be sure to come out and watch the freight cars in operation this weekend, take a ride on one of our restored cabooses, and bring your camera.  In the back of your mind - appreciate the work that went into this.  See you there!

Kind of an odd weather day so we danced around the conditions and still got some work done.  There were a few hours of much needed rain and drizzle, except when I got home and found a dry bottom in my rain bucket.  It started hot, we got some 'liquid sunshine' and then it got REALLY HOT and STEAMY.

Old Floor

I spent some time inside chopping four mortises by hand for four new doorposts and then thought I could do some work inside the X 38 carbody, rain or shine.  Of course once I got set up and the tools out, it was only shine and the inside was more of an oven. 

Late in its career the C&NW installed some sheets of very cheap OSB over the floor.  Some were already gone so I attacked the next one.  I suppose it was not totally unexpected but under that one, where the oil stove sat, we uncovered evidence of a small fire, three floor boards charred and two holes about the size of tennis balls burned completely through the decking.  We have the opportunity to make the repairs now, so on balance, a good thing to make the discovery.

The weather took a turn for the better, only about 88F, although it should be back near 100 F in a week.  Still no rain!  But the crew came out to WORK.

Bucket Truck

We really need to thank Dave Diamond of the Buildings and Grounds Department, who has agreed to loan us this truck.  It is more or less of a sport model bucket truck with boom.

In the Bucket

Victor Humphreys was the first one in the bucket, getting training, and trying it out.  Gerry Dettloff, Dave Rogan, and Jim Leonard watch from a distance.  Are they discussing who will be next?  Is this on their BUCKET LIST?

At Work

Simon Harrison is in the bucket and has made substantial progress on the hard to reach areas of the wedge.  There really is no easy way to set up a scaffold and reach those safely.  And this way it is a little FUN!  At least for the first turn in the bucket.

Last Two Hoses

Dave Rogan and Jim Leonard installed the last two replacement hoses for the plow wings.  Good job!

Crew Portrait

Around mid day you can see six eager workers on the plow and there were at least two more inside the shop.  Chipping, cleaning, grinding etc.

New Framing

I know this is a lousy picture, but the camera does not like recording dark areas inside with a very bright field through the doorway.  Aren't human eyes wonderful?  So you will have to take my word for it that the three framing timbers we made last week were installed by both doorways, and bolted in.  They fit perfectly the first time.

More Framing

In the shop Al Reinschmidt and Dave Rogan have planed more wood, and are cutting six more pieces of framing for the interior of the plow.  Good progress throughout the day, still needing some work on four mortices and four tenons before we can do a dry fit of these.

This is another project where the hot and hotter weather slowed the pace of outdoor work.

New Framing

In the morning John Faulhaber and Victor Humphreys selected three pieces from the new lumber delivered this week.  The result is these three pieces custom sized and planed to be used for framing the doorways on either side of the plow body.

Paint Already

We ducked out to the plow with care - it was like getting slapped in the face with the heat.  Measurements taken, marks made, holes drilled and counterbored.  This first one got prime painted the same afternoon by Victor.

After many years of work, we are now at the point where we consider this restoration complete.  Here is a photo essay of the stunning results.

Victor Humphreys Photo

This classic 3/4 view shows everything you need to know.

Don Burkett Photo

The right hand side.

Don Burkett Photo

The left hand side.

Don Burkett Photo

The A end.

Don Burkett Photo

The B end.

Of course now that it is done we need to pay the bills and assure funding for long term preservation.  We do not want to have to consider doing this over in 5 or 10 years.  Do you like what you see?  If so, please send a small donation (or a larger one) to fund   R70104.