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Sunday, July 22. 2012Signal Maintenance - July 21, 2012I guess I do not have permission to use the category for the signal department. BUT - member/volunteer Frank Carraro has joined the work in that department and generously shares these pics and a short report.  Frank Carraro Photo Bob Olson and Mike Alterio are replacing a failed LED light unit on
the westbound signal at Johnson siding last Saturday. LED units are being
installed because of the high price of the special lamp bulbs used in signals
and the considerable labor in replacing them every year. We are having
trouble with lightning causing the LED's to fail, but we may have the fix for
that now.  Frank Carraro Photo Here we see Bob adjusting and lubricating the eastbound signal at Karstens These antique mechanisms need careful maintenance. This one was acting up. Thanks for the report, Frank. Just goes to show the extent of trying to keep our railroad running, and the many other volunteers working, in many cases invisibly. Thursday, July 19. 2012See the MAGICEvery 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 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! Thursday, July 19. 2012TMS Project Update - July18, 2012This is just a quick photo showing that progress continues, and the first traction truck is BACK TOGETHER. Next up, motors and journal bearings  Going Together Gerry Dettloff is lowering the completed truck frame on the east end. There seem to many balls that need to be keep in the air this season, and somehow milestones continue to occur in many of the major projects. By end of day the truck was completely assembled. And just in case you wondered how we get so much done on a weekend Saturday or Sunday, there are folks volunteering and working nearly every day of the week on one project or another. Monday, July 16. 2012Sunday, July 15. 2012Steam Department Update 07-14-2012Despite the heat work progressed well in the steam shop this week. A number of important tasks on 1630 were moved forward: · During the week, Kevin has made good progress on needle chipping the mountings under the boiler in preparation for painting. · Jason worked with Bob Hunter on the form 4 submission which is now well under way. · Glenn and Richard (welcome Richard on his first day) reassembled the McCabe which we urgently need to produce the firebox patch. An extremely awkward set screw fitting was achieved and the piston refitted. Now we are close to being able to test the machine.
· Phil and Bob continued tapering the super heater flues. A welding contractor is due in next Saturday and we should then be able to start building up the flues ready for refitting.
· Dennis welded the marks on the front tube sheet that need to be filled ready for tube fitting and also repaired the crack in the smoke box. We can now finish the front tube sheet ready for the inspection. That was the good news !!. The bad news was that Dennis proved that he is too big to reach the rear tube sheet either from the firebox or from inside the boiler. (Despite all the jokes, it is not your gut but your rib cage that determines this. I can just barely fit between the arch tubes and usually bruise my ribs when I do so, Dennis is just that little bit bigger in the chest). Hopefully the contractor coming in next Saturday is smaller and can do the work on the rear tube sheet.
· Collin, Sean and Jason removed flexible stay caps that we need to inspect and Jason refitted a number that we have already done.
Here you can see the inside of a flexible stay after cleaning and inspection. The slot is in the ball head of the stay surrounded by the hex headed sleeve. The stay is a long threaded rod with the ball head at one end, When fitting a new stay it is inserted from the outside thru the sleeve and screwed into the inner firebox. So far we have not found any bad ones, which is good news as replacing these is a slow job.
· The big new task started, which kept a lot of us busy, was the cleaning and testing of the super heater elements. There are 16 of these and each must be wire brushed clean, the ball ends that fit into the header thoroughly cleaned and polished and then hydro tested to 1000 psi. While it will be months before we are ready to fit these, we wanted to start early so that we can schedule any repairs if required. It was a good thing we did. The first one failed the pressure test and will need to be rebuilt. Two then passed and the fourth proved to have a good deal of corrosion on one of the ball ends which will require significant work to reshape or replace.
This shows the critical ball end of an element. The two rounded ends fit into rounded recesses in the header. It is essential that these provide a smooth, polished and rounded surface that mates tightly to the header.
· We also welcomed a number of groups of visitors to the shop. It was encouraging that a couple of groups expressed surprise at the number of volunteers and amount of work being progressed. In other areas: · Jeff put together an outline plan for positioning machines in the new machine shop. Once this is agreed we will be able to position all the large equipment and free up a good deal of space in other parts of the shop. · Bob cut the steel slugs that Tom will now machine to make the spring retainers for the Shay and also continued work on the planer. Nigel Sunday, July 15. 2012Wood Shop Update - July 14, 2012I cannot blame any of our volunteers, but in this weather they burrow into the cooler wood shop areas - it almost like being held hostage by the brutal summer weather. So here is a glance at some of the projects.  Seating Frank Sirinek and Mike Stauber continue their work on Kansas City Public Service 755 PCC car. Here they have gotten themselves into a painting frenzy on a seat frame and a lot of the loose parts to fix and remount it.  Floored Victor Humphreys and Kirk Warner decided to dodge the rain by doing some repairs inside our B&O wagon top boxcar. It appears that there was a hotbox on the number four axle on the right side in its past. The inevitable result was that a goodly sized hole had been burned through the floorboards. I assume the car was empty and had no lading, since if it was loaded there would have been no opportunity to reach the fire and extinguish it. So, out with the damaged boards, and here Victor is seen with the new decking mostly in place. When those guys came out of that steel boxcar for some air, they were SOAKED!!  Windows Buzz helped earlier loading new lumber for three of the freight car projects, and then cooled off a bit in the shop painting new windows for the AT&SF 1400 caboose. Behind Buzz, are three of the new doorposts for the CGW X 38 snowplow.  Ceiling Yes, Chicago Rapid Transit 1797 can again operate under its own power and it really looks good from the outside. Inside, let's just say that is a work in progress. Tim Peters has several ceiling panels stripped, primed, and with the first coat of paint applied.
Sunday, July 15. 2012CGW X 38 Update - July 14, 2012Kind 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. |
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Comments
Sun, 05-19-2013 22:13
Hello again. I had an idea that was (somewhat rudely, mid-sentence) dismissed in talking to a museum volunteer a few years back, but here it goes [...]
Thu, 05-16-2013 21:52
Looking good Bob! I hope to come out soon once I'm done with school.
Wed, 05-15-2013 21:28
I was not around at the time. General discussion suggests that it was "pretty marginal" in a number of areas. Nigel
Mon, 05-13-2013 11:08
"THUMBS UP!"
Fri, 05-10-2013 02:15
No, it will not be necessary to hold any of the work waiting for the plow to be turned, end for end. Weather will be the major factor, but there will [...]
Thu, 05-09-2013 19:54
The CGW X-38 plow is really coming to life. Bob Kutella and Vic and crew need to be very proud of your collective efforts. I am very appreciative of [...]
Thu, 05-09-2013 15:20
The snowplow looks great! Are you going to apply the door and upper windows befor it is turned to continue work?
Thu, 05-09-2013 09:09
Max, Is there any progress to report yet, in regards to the installation of the poles and overhead wires? Have a good day, sir.
Wed, 05-08-2013 18:40
Thanks for the update! I still don't understand why Commonwealth #5 was removed from service. Do you know why?
Tue, 05-07-2013 09:28
Mr. Kolanowski.....I was just wondering if the Spaulding webcam will be up and running soon for us stay-at-homes. Thanks!2FP
Mon, 05-06-2013 23:04
Max, Has work begun yet on the construction phase of erecting the poles and putting up the wire? Wish I could be there to watch it happen.
Mon, 05-06-2013 23:02
Keep up the good work, Bob. Wish I could be there to help!!!!!!!