Illinois Railway Museum Blog

This time I am not so tardy as usual with posting the late news for the Russell snow plow project.  But to start out this report we want to welcome two long time IRM volunteers - they reported today to help on the plow project and join the fine restoration team we have already.

Lorne Tweed Photo

Cheryl and Bob Kutella started the mortises on the drill press.

Mortising

Let me introduce Cheryl Lint.  She has helped a lot in the Strahorn Library and especially with our annual vintage transport event.  Today she was in the wood shop and I recruited her to assist on the framing for the last window opening on the plow, the one boarded up on the south wall.  We cut and planed timber for the framing, and then proceeded to drilling and mortising to put the four pieces of the frame together.  In no time at all they were all drilled out and Cheryl was handling a paring chisel like a pro, chopping them out square and smooth.  Thanks, Cheryl, you are welcome back anytime!

Headlight

Wally Unglaub came down from Milwaukee and also helped on the CGW X 38 project.  He started out removing paint from the replacement headlight casting.

Painting

And them Wally moved on to prime paint some new pieces of interior lining and trim for the plow.  Thanks go to you also, Wally.

North Door

I know, this is a terrible picture, but no matter where I stood the sun was almost directly into the lens.  Last week I said the north door was to be closed up, and here, Jim Leonard has finished that task.  Ready for winter, now.

Plow Nose

Our trustworthy Ray Pollice was on hand and worked on paint removal on the front end and bottom edge of the plow wedge.

Inside

Inside the box, Jim Leonard continues the sometimes tricky installation of more of the tongue and groove lining.  You can see three dots left of the window.  These are mounting bolts and a conduit entry for the telephone communication lines to the pusher locomotive.  That is one of the reasons we are putting all the lining in the back wall - so we can finish up more of the back wall exterior.

On the Outside

On the outside you see here the telephone jack receptacle mounted properly for the first time at IRM.  In many of the preceeding month's BLOGs you have seen this mystery object loose and dangling.

Here is some new info and pics from our REPORTER, Mr. Gerry Dettloff.  Gerry and John Faulhaber have been consistently working on the D 13 cab at one end and have already rebuilt the roof structure and applied and painted a new canvas roof.

Mounting New Saddles

This week they are working to mount new saddles on the new canvas roof.  Where did the saddles come from?  Of course you have to plan ahead, there are many steps.  The saddles were made in our wood shop and previously primed and painted, ready to install.

Trolley Boards

With the saddles mounted and ready, they are now mounting new trolley boards to the top of the saddles.  Next step?  To mount the trolley base and pole and wire it up!

Wednesday was an exceptionally productive and satisfying day for the crew.

A Prime Candidate

Rich Witt worked diligently to prime paint new parts for the interior of the plow.  15 pieces made today, and as fast as Rich processed them, they went up on the car.  On some of them the paint was still wet.

More Help

Whenever and wherever help is needed, Henry Vincent is there to help.  There is an array of primed parts on the bench before him

Drilling

This piece of interior lining is ready to fit.  Dave Rogan is drilling clearance and counterbores, having marked it up when we fit it inside the plow.

Last Look

Here is a last look through the north side doorway.  About half the rear wall now has new tongue and groove lining.  Much more was in place at the end of the day.

Weatherstrip

I said above that was the last look, meaning that doorway will soon be closed up for winter.  Jim Leonard fit in a blank door, and here he is installing new weatherstrip to help keep out the rain and coming snow.  The weatherstrip is exactly the same section material used by the CGW.

Paint Removal

Fred Ash helped again with removing paint from the south side of the nose.

Big Jobs

There were two big jobs we set as goals for the day.  Here Victor Humphreys is wiping down the rear wall after sanding it, and Dick Cubbage is working his way around to the south side with a wire wheel, prior to priming that area.

Maroon

Then Victor moved in with a bucket of maroon paint destined for the back wall.  All was done at day's end and it looks almost startling to see it in maroon as compared to rust, peeling paint, and a large gaping hole there when we acquired this only a few months ago.

In the Bucket

Jim Leonard attacked the front area of the plow with black paint.  Here he is in the bucket to reach the structural channel under the roof, cleaned and primed last week.

Done

Jim finished up the second coat of shiny black enamel over the half of the nose we are working on now, and it fairly glistens, even in the soft cloudy light today.

Lots of odds and ends addressed and completed on this project today, including more of the above mentioned interior lining, two more framing timbers, and more!