Illinois Railway Museum Blog

We have had some beautiful June weather at IRM!

Sunday, June 1st:

Kevin Kriebs continued his adhesive removal project on the exterior of the 1st Exhibit Car. Jon Habegger was at his post inside the 1st Exhibit Car greeting visitors. Jim Windmeier brought printouts of a Milwaukee Road dining car table set up, to demonstrate how they set the table as each railroad dining table was set differently. He talked to Michael Baksic, Jon Habegger, and Shelly Vanderschaegen about creating a display featuring railroad dining in the 1st Exhibit Car to use various railroad dishes from the Museum collection.

John McKelvey stripped several DM&IR 84 coach smoking section seats in his continuing effort to reupholster that section of the coach.

John McKelvey stripped DMIR 84 coach smoking section seats - Photo by Shelly Vanderschaegen

A look inside the 84 coach seats - Photo by Shelly Vanderschaegen

John McKelvey with an 84 coach seat he reupholstered - Photo by Shelly Vanderschaegen

Mike McCraren was conductor on the passenger coach train.

Mark Gellman helped Michael Baksic complete three air brake tests on the available passenger cars and then assisted Jon Habegger in last minute interior repairs, cleaning and preparation of the Chicago Burlington & Quincy 1923 Steel RPO/Baggage car for the upcoming Railway Post Office Weekend.

Mark Gellman cleaning in the Chicago Burlington &

Mark made the tail sign for the 1923 RPO car - Photo by Jon Habegger

Shelly Vanderschaegen continued waxing and buffing the Honduran Mahogany woodwork in the Ely dining room then discussed reupholstery of coach seats with John McKelvey.

Michael Baksic and Ray Mormann spent the day caulking seams and windows on the streamliner cars in Yard 5.

Ray Mormann and Michael Baksic applied caulk - Photo by Shelly Vanderschaegen

Friday, June 6th:

A group from Monarch Landing Retirement Community in Naperville, IL visited IRM. Thanks to Ray Bellock for showing them around our wonderful railway museum. They rode the Illinois Terminal 415 with motorman Bob Opal and then were pleased to have a boxed lunch in the Birmingham dining car in Yard 5 with Shelly Vanderschaegen as hostess. We hope they come back again!

Monarch Landing Retirement Community group tour - Photo by Shelly Vanderschaegen

Sunday, June 8th:

Mark Gellman and Jon Habegger worked on the RPO Days catch program. The Chicago Burlington & Quincy 1923 RPO was pulled by the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad 1630. Six retired postal clerks were in attendance and everyone had a good time.

RPO catch sequence pulled by 1630 - Photo by Jon Habegger

The bag hook approaches - Photo by Jon Habegger

The mail bag is caught - Photo by Jon Habegger

The mail bag is pulled inside - Photo by Jon Habegger

In another run-by our own Mark Gellman made a catch and dropped a mail bag like a pro.

Mark Gellman prepares for the mail bag catch and drop - Photo courtesy of Mark Gellman

Mark made it look easy as he dropped one bag and hooked the other - Photo courtesy of Mark Gellman

John McKelvey continued reupholstering the DM&IR 84 coach smoking section seats. Two of the seats have walkover backs without the same "triple hump" padding as the stationary seat backs. John put in extra effort to make the walkover seat backs match the stationary backs. In the image below where John is installing a newly covered walkover seat back you can see the results.

John McKelvey installing a walkover seat back in the DMIR 84 - Photo by Shelly Vanderschaegen

Work continued on the Dynamometer car. Warren Newhauser, Brian LaKemper and Chuck Trabert were on hand in the X-5000. After operations had completed, Mark Gellman assisted in replacing the brake pads on the Dyno.

Chuck Trabert repairing pipe in the Dynamometer - Photo by Shelly Vanderschaegen

Pipe repair in the Dynamometer - Photo by Shelly Vanderschaegen

This rusted door panel was removed from the X-5000 - Photo by Shelly Vanderschaegen

Curator Michael Baksic met with Gerry Boguse in the Louisville & Nashville diner 2726 Galt House to discuss needed floor repairs.

Gerry Boguse and Michael Baksic in the Galt House - Photo by Shelly Vanderschaegen