Entries by Roger Kramer

            The L&N diner, 2726, aka The Galt House, has finally been removed from track 33 to track 31 in preparation for much needed 2015 mechanics and inspections.  On December 6th  Paul Cronin and I began the work needed to repair the buffer damage  that was on the eastern side of the car.  This damage occurred more than 6 years ago as a result of the diner's movement back to the museum.                                               As the picture below shows Paul is quite knowageable in his techniques while using a torch.   That's one craft I never learned!        With the help from Bob Olsen, the three of us tugged and pulled and finally had enough room to pull out the bent buffer bar.                                        Wednesday, Dec 10, also the day of the woodshop xmas party, found a larger crew working on the buffer reassembly.                A special member came to visit us in barn 3 that cold day in December.             Not pictured but equally important was the reinstallation of the torsion rod.    This was accomplished on Saturday, Dec, 13th by Paul Cronin and Brian Le Kemper    Yet to be accomplished is the repair of the extremely bent steel buffer.    We must cut out the damaged area and weld in a new piece.   This will take place sometime in January or February , weather permitting.   With a new push on the diner the air is fresh with renewed optimism that the 2726 might operate in 2015.                        Again, Happy Holidays     Roger Kramer

        First, I would like to thank all of you for reading my restoration blogs and to wish all of you a Happy Holiday Season!!  Next, thanks to all the volunteers in the coach dept who have help make this a very successful year for us.  A number of projects are nearing completion as well as more receiving attention. Do not forget the blogs about the railroad china display. Two weeks ago  Paul Cronin and myself inspected the progress.   Quite impressive and very professional done, I might add.    Look for in the new year more progress and maybe a new arrival or two!    Remember, your donations, whether large or small, help Irm's many, many equipment restoration projects.   Thanks    Roger Kramer,  lead restoration manager                         

                   This fall we have completed two milestone projects on our Rock fleet.   Advertising cards have now been installed in the 2602 and  we now have fifty glass windows in the 2612.     

                    Here on a sunny day in early December I am  installing the last painted window frame in the 2612.  Austin Harvey prepped the last three frames and then I Installed them.   I would like to thank Dan and Lorraine Bixler, Gary Sherman as well as Austin for taking the time to sand each car body brass frame.   This  task was needed to remove the old paint and glue so that each window would more easily open and close.   Now all 50 window frames are painted and glazed with AS2 automotive glass.    Yet to be completed is the installation of 35 feet of new wooden window sills.     This will happen  warm  weather permitting.                                          We also  have done some detail work on the newly repainted 2602.    Rick  Serenda  has installed the car cards in the coach where earlier in the fall Dan Bixler had spent three days cleaning out the groves.   Rick has also removed the peeling wall advertising sign  holders and we will sandblast and paint them when the weather warms returns.              Again,  I  hope you all have a joyous holiday season! 

                   Here is the second installment of pictures taken by Robert Banke.  They were taken in and around the Chicago area in the late seventies. Please notice the condition of the yards, facilities and the equipment.                                           

          We could easily portray the next  scenes by restoring our last coach RI 2524 to active service.  How would you like to volunteer?            On the above picture, the next track over, is the end  of a bilevel.   Is that one of  the 2700 series bilevels?              I believe the RI 630 has survived the scrappers torch and is in existence today.      Years ago, Irm had a chance to buy this engine.   Instead,  we own the last RI steamer to run in commuter service, the # 938.                 Here is some  thought and a challenge to someone who is goal oriented and wants to see the 938 again in steam operation.   Formulate and submit a plan to raise money for the future operation and maintenance of this locomotive.   Then  present your plan before the Board of Directors of IRM and, with approval, begin raising  money to restore the 938 to operational  status.   In the meantime,  send your donations to RI 2612 coach fund and the RI 938 steam fund.                     Thanks   Roger 

  

                    Its been real cold in the weeks of November but the warmer months of late August, September, and October have produced a number of positives.   Where as other coach dept projects have the luxury of a indoor heated area where you can work in your street clothes ours now is strictly in a often unheated environment.   We have been busy focusing only on a small number of projects.

                     First, our heavy weight sleeper, John McLouglin, has had its long interior hallway completely needle chipped, sanded, and prepped  for priming.  Some of this work has been preformed in the milder weather of September and October.   I have also reinstalled the ceiling light fixture in the women's bathroom.  It was removed in January of this year and brought home to my workshop where it was primed and painted  to the finish ceiling color.  Robert Olsen and Rick Serenda,  two new members to our team have been scraping and priming areas on the steel roof.  When the weather warms we will prime and paint these areas black..  

               Next, we have been working on the interior of the Lackawanna coach 556.   Mark Hoffman, Loraine Bixler and Brian Patterson have been working on removing the old peeling paint from the ceiling, walls and on the baggage racks. We hope to have the interior painted by next year.  Many volunteer hours will be needed to accomplish this task.  We now have a limited heating supply to keep the car at least 50 degrees. Maybe that will bring out a few more volunteers to help with the project.  Interested? Please see me or Paul Cronin on Saturdays or Wednesdays. 

               Jack Biesterfeld has again been working on his favorite project, B&M 1094.  He along with Dan Boguse and myself have removed a protection wall behind the oil fired boiler.   This boiler will be removed at a later date.    In the meantime we have found the old coach wall behind it.    The old wall is in a viable state and can be restored.   Missing is the wooden  window and it's frame.   This will be made in our woodshop when monies become available.   If you would like to contribute to this worthy project please send a donation to the B&M 1094 Fund. 

                Lastly, Gerry Boguse along with his brother,Dan, have been busy winterizing the water system on the L&N 2726 Diner.  They drained all the water out of the system and then filled it with an antifreeze solution used in RV motorhomes.  Gerry also received from R and B Metal the last of the made to order stainless steel flooring.  These six pieces will be installed next spring.  As of yet there is not an interior winter heat source for the diner.    Anticipation grows about operating the diner in limited service on our railroad next year!

   All-in-all, a lot of progress for the fall season.    Please remember the coach department projects when you send your winter donations.    Thanks   Roger

             These pictures were sent to me courtesy of Robert Banke.  They were taken in the late 70's at the Rock Island station.   Today, you can not even get close to many passenger commuter yards to take pictures  like this let alone just to view them.  How times have changed!    Please take note of the surroundings in the following pictures.  You can see the lack of maintenance of both equipment and infrastructure.  Notice there is more grass growing than ties     Sad, how a once great railroad would end up like  this!            Here, then, is a snapshot of what it was like to ride the "ROCK" in the late 70's; the good old days!          

                               My thanks again to Robert Banke for having the foresight to take these informative pictures of the Rock Island commuter service.      If you would like to help Irm portray a similar scene please when sending in your yearend donation please include a contribution to the Restricted RI 2612 coach or the RI 938 steam loco fund.                             Thank You      Roger Kramer

            Our restoration crew took a short break  between Thomas and the middle of September when our restoration resumed on 2612 after the coach was switched back into yard three.   I also requested, during that time, to moved the 2555[which is bad order] and the 2602  back into yard 3.    Now we had three cars to work on and finish some more projects.   

                       Not only did our crew work on the 2612 but we also had significant inroads in the upgrading of the 2602.   As the  pictures  show below we finally painted the primed standee grabs that had been left primed for many years.  That made a big difference in the appearance.  Next, Dan Bixler completed his task of cleaning out the car card holders.  Now we can install  the new reproduction advertising cards provided by Mike Baksic .    Also accomplished but not pictured but was the sandblasting, priming, and painting of the four advertising sign holders for the 2602 and the removal of th four peeling holders in the 2555.     Lastly, still in warm weather,  Buzz was lettering a coach   Wow, where did the warmth go!                    Please remember your  museum for the Xmas holidays.  Make a donation to your favorite piece of equipment!    How about  the passenger coach dept?   Thanks   Roger

               The future barn construction reality is finally setting in and Randy Hicks and I are  keeping you up to date  on the progress of  the future  barn sites.   As we have said the work continues at a quick pace.                         Yards 13 and 14 are ballasted and here in these pictures yard 13 is being tamped and regulated [swept free of excess ballast]The museum still needs donations to facilitate the construction of the second barn so please do not forget to send your  donations to the fund, Barn 14 Construction.    Thank You      Roger             Thanks to Bob Olsen and the entire track crew for dumping ballast, Mark Reimers and his crew for surveying the sites, Dave Diamond and his crew for all the site preparation and Jamie Kolanowski and his switching crews for moving equipment.