Wood Shop

Barn 4 Visitor

Chicago Aurora & Elgin 308 was a visitor to Barn 4 yesterday.  Randall Hicks was able to operate the car to here and spot it over the pit for annual inspections and maintenance.  This type of behind the scenes labor requires skill and time and is often unnoticed.  But very important if we wish to have safe cars to operate for public rides.

The Rack

Pete Galayda is completing the insulator mounting arrangement for the grid boxes on Charles City Western 300, a steeple cab locomotive.  That orange is REALLY ORANGE!!!

Window Tracks

Simon Harrison is mounting window tracks in the openings on the right side of Cleveland Transit System 4223.  These were pieces laboriously cleaned up last year in the shop during poor weather conditions and now they are in their rightful place.

Post Caps

While Simon worked on the right side, Lorne Tweed raced to stay ahead of him by mounting more of the window post caps on the left side of the car.  Other activity on this car included removal of the twelfth light fixture from the old decrepit ceiling panels, removal of all old rusted in screws from those and the steel backer plates, wire brushing the plates ready for paint, and fabricating two more new ceiling panels.

Side Framing

Tim Peters is examining some of the side framing on Chicago Rapid Transit 1024.  As so often happens, any little thing becomes a much bigger thing.  A rotted window sill was removed and this led to the discovery of water damage and rot of two of the cars window posts.

At the Platform

Tim is working on the platform at the west end, discovering more needed repairs layer by layer.  Here he is down to the steel for supporting the end platform and fitting some reinforcing steel.  And this is one of the GOOD corners!

We also noticed a lot of infrastructure and site work in process.  At least five new steel poles for the electric trolley bus system extension have been painted and are ready to plant in the ground.  Concrete forms were being prepared to sink in the holes as soon as they are dug and dry - we hope.

Work continued on stump removal from a low area that had 'volunteer' trees and brush growing in it for a decade or more.  This will be a big improvement to the parking area, more capacity, and improved drainage.

On the Move

Chicago Aurora & Elgin 309 was on the move on Track 41 heading into the Barn for the inspection pit.  Father and son team, Randall and Frank Hicks, worked throughout the day and accomplished most of the items on the checklist and inspection report.

Lighting Panel

Rich Witt has completed available work on several recent projects and volunteered to work on removing light fixtures from a ceiling panel for Cleveland Transit System 4223.  They are very stubborn and recalcitrant, the metal screws being truly well rusted into place.  Later in the day we got to see an original First Aid Box from the CA&E cars and Randy Hicks entered a request for six of them to be built.

The Last Box

John Nelligan is grinning broadly next the last of seven resistance boxes to be restored for Charles City Western 300.  And why not?  It seems he may have spent the last several months glued to a stool at the sandblaster cleaning the many parts before assembly work could be done.

In Place

John is beside himself and also beside the locomotive.  The first grid box is in place and mounting porcelain ready to receive the next three.

Toy Boxcar

John Faulhaber and Henry Vincent are just finishing up the children's activity boxcar sponsored by Ray Bellock.  Before the day was over it rolled happily out of the shop doors, another project complete.

Getting Legs

Jim Foraker worked on parts for our new saw base.  Legs and mounting pads were cut to length and prepped for welding.

Steam Department

Norm Krentel is enjoying the pleasant weather as he monitors the steam generator and steaming tube while a length of white oak is warming up inside.  This for another of the curved pieces being made for Michigan Electric 28.

In Memory

Just one week ago long time member of IRM and officer of the organization succumbed to a long and arduous hard fought battle with cancer.  In his memory the CA&E train, led by car 409, displayed black marker flags and black bunting across the front.  Crew members included Randall Hicks and Jeff Obarek.  We will all miss and remember you, Jim

Light Panels

Dave Diaz returned to our shops and helped John McKelvey on seat repairs and then moved to working on the old lighting ceiling panels for Cleveland Transit System 4223.  He did make some good progress and managed to remove several of the light fixtures which were held in stubbornly by a host of rusty screws.

Bending Wood

Bill Peterson, Jeff Brady, and Norm Krentel were quite successful in steam bending some white oak slats for the new roof on Michigan Electric 28.  They used a home made steam generator and steaming 'chamber' to cook the wood for two hours.

More Bill

We return to the popular feature MORE BILL.  Bill Wulfert has great patience and stick-to-it-ness as he continues the painstaking work of repairing and restoring myriad light fixture sockets.  Don't tell him I said this as his fame will make him hard to live with.

There was other work going on including more progress on the CGW X 38 snowplow, and on Chicago Rapid Transit 1024, and Electric Car Department tasks.

This will be a short report today as I met and escorted two members of the Great Northern Railway Historical Society on a tour and with meetings to schedule a special event for them.  The GNRHS is holding their annual convention in Chicago this year for the first time and they will spend Saturday July 27 at IRM.  If you are already a GNRHS member, remember the date and plan to attend.  If not there is still time to join them.  There are still volunteers needed to act as tour docents and other IRM support tasks.

This entry will be for general interest work I saw on site today, and perhaps one surprise pic.

Childrens Boxcar

John Faulhaber made some slight adjustments and finishing touches, then went on to prime the car.

Interior Paneling

Lorne Tweed is making good progress on the Cleveland Transit System 4223 interior behind the rear door.  Several pieces are test fit here, including one piece, new from the fabricator just today.

Sign Box

In the above pic you may notice a void or empty space just to the rear of the rear door.  The rear sign box will be mounted here as shown by Lorne.  It fits like a glove!

Window Tracks

Of course there is usually more than one person working on any of our projects.  Simon Harrison is installing window tracks, two for each window.  Slow work to be sure - the process, not Simon.

View From the Top

Here is pic of our B&O 374065 wagon top boxcar from an angle not usually seen.  In this case from the top of the adjacent CGW X 38 snow plow.  During the day, Victor Humphreys worked on this car, installing a repaired side door threshold plate.

Bending Jig

Jeff Brady and Norm Krentel are making a sturdy bending jig while just outside the door, a steam generator is 'cooking' a piece of white oak.  The result we hope for is a nicely contoured runner for new roof mats for Michigan Electric 28

More Bill

Based upon feedback from our readers, here is (on request) MORE BILL.  That would be Bill Wulfert continuing on restoring and cleaning the many light socket assemblies we need now.  Funny thing is, he looks like he is enjoying it.

Big News of the Week

The big news of the week involved delivery of new castings for resistance grid boxes on Chicago & West Towns 141.  There is a lot of grinding and cleanup needed on the foundry castings, but they have all been examined and tested.

Wood Lining

Bill Peterson is cutting many more boards to length as destined for interior lining on our Chicago Great Western X 38 snow plow.  Then he sanded them all and Vicotr Humphreys started the step of applying white primer.

Framing

Buzz Morisette is installing two new timbers at the top of the interior rear wall on the X 38.  It seems nothing is ever simple and he had to overcome some drama due to their inconvenient location.

Lettering

It was gloomy and rainy in the morning but after that ended and the sun came out, I continued on painting more of the CGW herald on the X 38.  Only two good hours, but slowly, it is taking form.

Ceiling Lighting Panels

Ray Pollice is taking the old bulls-eye lights out from the ceiling panels for Cleveland Transit System 4223.  The old rusty screws present quite a problem.  As soon as one of the old panels was down its bare substance it was used as a pattern and Brian Patterson and I laid out and cut a new replacement.

Window Tracks

Inside the 4223 Lorne Tweed was mounting aluminum tracks on the window posts,  -  if you have been following this story you know what we are referring to and where it will lead.

In at Last

It is not the last window to go in, but Lorne said at last we are putting windows in!

New Roof

Tim Peters is up on a lift working on the roof at the east end of Chicago Rapid Transit 1024.  The center section wood and supports below it have been 100% replaced and are taking shape nicely.

We celebrated May Day working outdoors on the Chicago Great Western X 38 snowplow.  At 82 F it was the warmest day we have seen in SEVEN months!

Prep Work

Victor Humphreys sands and cleans up new interior lining wood while Dave Rogan primes them as soon as they are ready.  Dave also primed the two new interior framing timbers made last weekend.  Several of these short pieces were installed inside the plow next to the south doorway, even as the paint continued to dry.

Cupola Roof

Jim Leonard is a champion - he volunteered at once to continue body cleanup and repairs outdoors on the plow body.  The first area to be attacked was the cupola, as completion here will allow for installation of new windows made in the shop over the winter.  In this pic he is wrestling with a pneumatic air scaler to remove old paint and rust from the roof.

Priming

With the weather holding favorable into the afternoon, Jim wire brushed an area clean and began applying fresh primer to the roof.

Meanwhile

I could ill afford to let such nice weather be wasted.  So we began the complicated task of hand painting the famous CORN BELT ROUTE herald on the north side of the plow.  Paul Cronin assists in lining up the pattern and tracing the artwork.

Prep Work

John Faulhaber helped me out while planning which part could be done in the time remaining and masking areas that lent themselves to the task.  Just like the old game show - BEAT THE CLOCK.

On to Painting

The first word we painted was of course CHICAGO.  If you are not familiar with this iconic herald stay tuned.  Weather permitting more will appear each week.

Stripes

Below the CHICAGO there are four horizontal stripes, which could largely be masked off for painting.

End of Day

The stripes were completed as the sun sank ever lower.  I suppose this looks disconnected and puzzling.  I guess it is - I know where we are going, yet it is hard to visualize.

I stayed on task while the other members of the crew worked on installation of more interior lining and applying steel capping to the doorway weatherstrips.

While we were outdoors working on the plow, here are some 'drive-by' images I managed to take.

Light Sockets

Bill Wulfert was carefully polishing and cleaning porcelain light sockets and the various copper and brass innards.  These are to be used and re-installed for the 50th Avenue station lighting.

Door Hardware

Randy Hicks continues his work on the train door restoration for Chicago Aurora & Elgin 36.  He is installing restored and cleaned shiny brass door hardware.  Alas - he says they will be painted to be period correct..

Next Seat

John McKelvey continues on upholstering the next seat cushion for the LAKE CITY.

Interior Ad Panel

A new work assignment for Bill Peterson - he is cleaning and wire brushing old paint and rust from another of the steel ad panels for the interior of Cleveland Transit System 4223.

Engineering

Rich Witt is back at the drafting table, preparing drawings for three new wood sash to be made in the shop.  These destined for some of our heavyweight Pullman Passenger cars.