Passenger Car Department

                                               The  Chicago, Milwaukee and Puget Sound  RR,  LAKE CITY, arrived on the property in August 19, 2012.  Here are some pictures of its movement around the museum roads.  The unloading  portion will be shown at a later date.    To move this rare observation car from central Wisconsin to Irm's campus cost over $33,000!!   Nick Kallas arranged for the movement as he has done for all the museum's off-property acquisations.    It was a nice late Summer day and only about 10-12 people were present to help and record the history making event.  Only two coach dept members were there to help: Gerry Boguse and myself.  Also assisting were the Buck brothers who were in operations earlier in the day.    We sure needed their prayers for the unloading did not entirely go according to "plan."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   If you are a member of Irm you have come to realize that when an acquisation first arrives it needs to pay for the museum to construct additional track for that piece to be "stored."  This is also the case w/ the LAKE CITY.  The storage price is $75.00 per foot to construct the track.   That price includes the cost of the rail, jointbars, spikes, ties and ballast.             You get the picture.      For an 81 foot passenger car this really gets expensive.   It is an additional $6075.00    We are putting out the appeal for donations to pay for the "space."    I realize it is almost income tax time but with a donation this year to the Restricted Fund, LAKE CITY you will be working on your 2013 tax deduction!!                         In addition............ Please! Please!  do not forget to send in a few donational dollars to help in the barn building fund,  Barn 14.                                       

                                                   Restoration  has continued on the women's lavatory in the John Mcloughlin Pullman sleeper.     Mark Hoffman and I have been working on the bathroom as time permits.  In the last two years I  have installed two missing sinks and  the fittings that are attached to them. I have also  installed the brass water pipe below the sinks.  Just as important, I have purchased the five correct brass shelves and the 2 lite fixtures.   Monies for purchasing  these items have come from donations to the John McLoughlin restricted fund.                                             Last Summer, we decided to paint and restore a test section in the women bathroom.  The results were quite stunning!  I hope you agree with me.  Here are pictures of the before and after!!    The test section sure turned out quite well!!  Mark and I were very pleased.  There will be more improvements in the future!                                  This is the view from the exterior if you would be on the walkway in Barn 3.   No longer is this window frame clear glass as it was for many years.  Now, with correct pressglass installed one gets the correct "look" when the sleeper was in operation .     Mark and I have decided to tackle the repaint of the entire  bathroom.     We started in early summer of 2012.   The next blog will update you on our progress....    BUT... In-the-meantime,we need some assistence with one problem.   Part of the wall in missing, removed out by the previous owner.                     Donations would be very welcome to assist in the rebuilding of the wall.  Since this is a volunteer project not supported by the general fund please consider a donation  to the Resticted Fund.... John Mcloughlin.    While you're at it.... Please also consider sending  a donation to the BARN 14 building Fund.    Thank You       Roger     

                   Saturday was a wet and dreary day BUT, the small Saturday coach group kept plugging away.                                The projects continued.                 One, my favorite, as of late, was the R I 2612 and the other was the Ely.                          Noteworthy on the Ely, was the installation by Buzz and Victor in the afternoon, of the second ceiling panel.      Before I could arrive and take a picture Victor had gone home.  Instead, here is Buzz along w/ Mark smiling for the camera.                                                                                                                         Last week, Mike and Ray pulled new wires for the future installation of the two ceiling lite fixture.      Look closely at the picture and you will see the new wires protruding from the panels, ready for the "hookup."                                                                                                                                     Not pictured, but equally important, is what the Sunday coach dept crew is working on.  Mark, Mike, Shelly and Ray are continueing the painting and upgrading of the second Display Car-Railroad Experience for future Grand opening.   On your Spring trip to Irm this year do not forget to visit the display car in yard five.  Its quite impressive and beautiful!!                                                                                                                                                                                           My excitement for the day,was the continuation of stripping the 2612 for use in the "Thomas" train this August!   I begin by throwing a few boxes left from last week.    After lunch,our new member, Brian Patterson, walked in and began the  ongoing task of scraping  the old paint off the walls.  I, in the meantime, unscrewed all of the misc screws on one wall.   They were used for xmas displays by the Crandic.       I also removed plywood from the nickelseats and placed in positon the nickelseat cushions.  By then Mark showed up and assisted Brian in scraping more paint off the walls.                                                                                   The last chore of the day was the transferring of a few of the cushions to my truck  in preparation for the removal of the old green upholstery.        At that point it was 5 pm and the door were closed for the day!     What we need now is help to strip the old green upholstery off of these cushions!!          Any assistence would be welcomed!!                       The coach dept is also appealing for donations to help pay for track storage for the 2612.              Please send a donation to the  Ristricted  Fund, 2612, and when doing so Please consider another to the..................BARN  14  Building Fund.    Thank You    Roger   Kramer 

                                    Yes,  the latest coach, RI 2612, is begining to look like a coach once more!!   Matter-of-fact one of the electric car members visited yesterday and even remarked it sure looks a lot better!!!                                                                                                      Here are the amazing results of just a few hours efforts.   Warren Newhauser and Paul Cronin are watching the old paint just fall off the celiling    Another Rock Island fan and new volunteer, Brian Patterson, really got into peeling the old carpet off the wall.  In many places it peeled off right to the bare metal.   Thanks for your help,  Brian.   See you next time,when it's a little warmer.     BTY, as you can see in this picture,  Warren was  working without his coat.  After I removed the gray curtains the sun came thur and warmed the entire car.  It was quite comfortable.    Here we all are working away this last Saturday Feb 2, 2013                                                                                                                                                                        As you can see with just two days of work the car has  been transformed into a work of?                        NO,  not yet!  Much work to be done.      Next,  removing the green fabric on the indidvidual seats and scraping more paint; then sweep,sweep and more sweep.   Want to help?         Please come out on a Saturday and/or Sunday and stop by Barn 3 to say hello.  If you can't make it please consider a donation to Rock Island 2612 fund to help  pay the track storage fund.       Remember,  with all our efforts  this Will happen.......................   More good news is coming....  Roger Kramer 

Here are some interior pictures of our newest acquisation,  Rock Island 2612.     O!!, my mistake! This is what it should  look like!   In actuality this is a pic of the 2602Q u e s t i o n ?   Do we want this coach to be operational for both the 2013 Thomas Event and the 4-day  Labor Day Weekend/Railroad Extravaganza?    Some monies will have to be spent inorder to place in service.  Is it a good return for the money?   Do the accounting..   I think so.                                Want to help with this project?    Show up at barn 3 any Saturday or Sunday and we will get you involved with the 2612!!                                              With volunteer help we CAN make this coach presentable to the public for revenue service.                                                                                                           Notice the "junk" on the floor  and walls.  This has to removed and cleaned.                                                         It  needs the manufacture and installation of two new buffers                                                   Both entrance decks are in fair shape shape                                                                                                             Please help... With a donation to Rock Island 2612 fund.   We need to pay the transportation costs and then pay for the $6075.00 track charges.   Thanks....  Roger     Just a reminder.....  Please help with a $25 donation to  the Barn 14  building fund.