General

There was a lot of activity yesterday in spite of cold blustery weather.  This could probably go into several categories, but I will lump all together under this heading.  First, our NEWEST ARRIVAL.

A Tender Subject

Here is the Vanderbilt tender from Kansas City Southern 759.  Newly arrived and now placed on its trucks, south of Barn 9.  I believe this was acquired decades ago and owned by IRM - stored offsite at Galt, IL.  If not mistaken it was plucked from the scrap line at Northwest Steel and Wire in Sterling, IL before they shut down.

X 38 Windows

Here is your first view of three newly completed windows for the CGW X 38 snowplow.  We processed these last week and they are now ready for paint.  Buzz Morisette graciously volunteered to check dimensions.

Carlines

Working on his own project Buzz had made several new carlines or roof ribs for our private car ELY.  Any such repair project inevitably turns out to be much more work and requires more effort than first thought.

Threshold

Victor Humphreys is on 'the threshold of a new discovery' as he grinds weld on new steel for this threshold for our B&O wagon top boxcar.  I say threshold guardedly since it is a heavy steel plate which get fastened to the wood floorboards just at the doorway.

Lettering

Tom Bernacki volunteered to help document lettering on our MILW 97054 airslide covered hopper.  It was very cold and blustery, windy, but dry most of the day.  He made several trips to the car's storage location in the South End Yard 14, coming into the shop for lunch and some breaks to warm up.  Here is part of his work, half of the reporting marks and car number.

Another Window

Joel Ahrendt is working on a new window for the cab of our Milwaukee Electric L 4 steeplecab locomotive.  Now painted and finished, he is glazing and putting the finishing touches on it before installing it in its rightful place.

The Rack

New shelving and racks were assembled and installed just this week in the latest addition to the Barn 4 shop space.  Volunteers wasted no time in putting them to work and doing some housecleaning in that room.  Eric Lorenz is the antithesis of a hoarder, yet manages to survive in the world of IRM packrats.  Behind him is an entire shelf of windows and other parts for our Cleveland Transit System 4223 PCC car.

Ceiling Parts

Eric and Lorne Tweed exhumed several steel panels from storage and they also are now stowed on the racks.  These are curved sections which will be stripped, primed and painted, ready to hold the ad cards originally displayed by them in the 4223.

Seating

Seating was also placed high on the new racks with a large crew removing the parts from Chicago Rapid Transit 1024.  Some of those seat back 'cushions' must be 20 feet long of rattan, springs, and wood frames.   The crew included Scott Greig, Bill Wulfert, Tim Peters, and Eric Lorenz.