Wood Shop

I will continue on with this BLOG ENTRY under the Wood Shop banner, although, as in the past, there are many projects being worked on and you deserve to know about them.

Sign of Spring

The old adage states that the sighting of the first robin is a sure sign of spring, here in the Midwest.  At IRM it is the parade of electric cars visiting the pit area in Barn 4 for annual maintenance, lubrication, and inspections.  Above we see CTA 4391 getting attention from Frank Sirinek and several others who helped in the tasks.  This is a necessary but unsung ritual to maintain the cars and provide reliable transportation every year.

Get A Handle On it

In previous posts you have seen a number of volunteers working to finish up surfaces and polish brass hardware for the Sand Springs 68.  This marked the installation of the first seat handle, from an IRM pattern and rough foundry castings, and slowly finished over previous months.  Victor Humphreys is snugging up the last screw.

The Line Up

By the end of the day, Victor and I had installed half of them (nine) and here he is trying out one of them, on a stiff seat back.

Brown Paint

Tim Peters applied the first coat of brown paint to Chicago Rapid Transit 1797 on Friday, and here has just finished sanding that down.  The second coat went on after this photo.

Up for Grabs

In the shop Tim has been preparing, cleaning, and painting the grab irons, soon to be installed by each side door.

Signage

In keeping with the Rapid Transit string of photos, Bill Wulfert was working to restore a vintage UNION STATION sign rescued years ago from one of the L platforms.

Passenger Windows

Victor Humphreys was removing old layers of paint and varnish from a Boston & Maine 1094 passenger car window.  This and another one were in from the SPC department for repair and help as we were able.

At the Saw

As fast as Victor handled paint removal, Buzz Morisette was making new wood parts for those items too far gone to salvage.

After Winter

Our Great Northern 70104 hopper car rested outdoors over winter, and still looks good.  We are working to complete all the lettering on this car.

Rear Bench Seat

Lorne Tweed is working on our Cleveland Transit System 4223 PCC car.  He has cleaned out the rear area of the interior and is prepping the sheet metal for paintwork, repairs as needed.  Note the first interior trim panel installed to the left of the rear window.

Window Tracks

Eric Lorenz is throwing the sparks as he fabricates a special drilling jig to be used for mounting the cleaned window track elements for CTS 4223.

A Side Job

Joe Luciani and Jerry Saunders are working on restoration of our two NYCTA R-28 'redbird' cars.  The sides do not look too bad, but many of the panels have a LOT of body filler and the car framing behind some of them is almost non-existent, having disappeared from rust and corrosion.  Selected areas are being cut out, new steel ordered and on the way.

Mystery Car

I saw this unknown car on Track 41 as I was preparing to leave the Museum.  Do any of you sharp eyed readers notice some of the characteristic spotting features?

Lift Pockets

Earlier, back in the woodshop, Victor Humphries and John Faulhaber did a lot to ensure that all of the lift pockets got routed out in the nine new IC 3996 windows.  Using a combination of a purpose constructed jig, and many clamps, the task involved much less setup for each window.

Tapped Out

Eric Lorenz was drilling and tapping threaded holes in the window posts to allow subsequent installation of the window track assemblies.  Recent posts have shown other volunteers laboring over those tracks.  Lorne Tweed was also active on this project, doing window frame work and several other tasks.

The End

Bill Wulfert and Tim Peters were installing new sheet metal panels on Chicago Rapid Transit 1797.  Last year some of the original panels had been quickly painted and placed there for cosmetic purposes only.  Now the new panels have been installed.

Back to the mystery car.  It is Illinois Terminal 415, the first trolley to be operated at IRM.  For many years it has been the stalwart backbone of service for the public, serving many more years than for any previous railroad owner.  We had an aggressive and perhaps optimistic plan to have the car re-painted over the winter, but a lot of things had to fall into place.  As in any volunteer program that does not always work out perfectly.  So in the above picture Joel Arendt and Dan Fenlaciki are up on the roof and applying a new coat of sealing gray paint.  It will help buy us more time until the day the 415 can retire to some much needed maintenance, painting, and repairs.

Most days in the shop, I never seem to take the time to snap a photo.  This week it seemed that whenever I turned around there was one of the many volunteers working on one of many projects.  So this will be more of a quick photo tour rather than long or not so long stories.

Window Trim

Buzz Morisette is shown setting up to make new exterior window jamb and trim pieces for some of the many new windows he fabricated over the winter for caboose ATSF 1400.  Later in the day he was seen working on wood for a new ELECTRIC PARK station sign for Dave Diamond and our B&G Department.

Window Details

Victor Humphreys is demonstrating how we routed a weatherstrip half round recess into the bottom of the new windows for IC 3996.  The step ahead of this was squaring up exactly the bottom of each sash.  And after the routing, he and Dick Cubbage helped cut a 10 degree bevel on each sash to match the sills on the car.

Jointing

I was not immune from the photo taking spree as Al Reinschmidt snuck one in unknown to me, while I was running some wood through our jointer to try to take out any warp, cup, or twist.

Hand Brake

Frank Sirinek is shown by the drill press with a modified hand brake assembly for Chicago & West Towns 141.  He and Mike Alterio worked on those for the two ends of that car.

Getting Even

I got even with Al Reinschmidt by catching him renewing some of the hundreds of window tracks needed for our PCC project car, Cleveland Transit 4223.

Window Frames

For the same CTS 4223 project Lorne Tweed continued on the often frustrating task of dismantling aluminum window frames so defective glass and weatherstipping can be replaced.  It seems that they are assembled with hardened self tapping screws and galvanic action and years of exposure make removing each screw a project in itself.

4223 Paint

Dave Rogan pitched in on a number of things throughout the day, seen here painting primed interior panels for the rear area of the PCC.

Pipe Dreams

Pete Galayda is showing Jan Nunez, our Office Manager, some of the finer restoration points of electric conduit piping for Charles City Western 300 steeple cab locomotive.  John Nelligan also worked on this project, among other things, fabricating new Crouse Hinds conduit box covers.

EX Siding

We are always excited about new pieces for any of the old warhorses.  George Clark continues here, painting a new batch of siding boards for Lake Shore Electric 810, an interurban freight trailer.

Brakes

A very dedicated group of volunteers has made remarkable progress in rebuilding a truck for Milwaukee Electric 972.  This work is being funded by donations to the TMS (Two Milwaukee Streetcar) project.  Over 70 new hardened bushings have been fabricated in our own shops and installed, and all of the new hardened pins have been made.  This photo shows the reassembled set of levers for one of the car's brake heads.

The Hopper

No, not the current tv ad for a video gadget called the HOPPER.  But Victor and I crawled underneath our GN 70104 three bay open hopper to take some measurements of the mechanism for releasing the doors.

I have been having more trouble getting around lately, so have had to take time off from the shops.  But I managed a short visit yesterday and was very pleased at the smell of fresh sawdust in the air.  Here is the short report.

Framed

Victor Humphreys is standing beside a stack of eight new windows while John Faulhaber is FRAMED by the ninth completed sash.  All were run through our nearly 100 year old BERLIN drum sander and that was accompanied by some DRAMA.  By day's end these sash were silky smooth, and all the extensions of the stiles had been trimmed.

Masked Men

Tim Peters and Eric Lorenz hold up some of the new painting masks prepared by Buzz Morisette.  These will be used on Chicago Rapid Transit 1797 and for Cleveland Transit System 4223.

Puzzle

For many of us anything electrical remains a puzzle.  Here, an intrepid group of wizards examine some original electrical schematics for the CRT 1797 project.  Victor Humphreys, Bill Wulfert, Tim Peters, and Randy Hicks confer on a vexing problem and the solution.

There was a lot of other work going on as usual, just not where I had a camera in hand.  The Electric Car Department had cars on and off the pit for their annual pre-operations inspection and lubrication.  CNS&M 714 was one I saw.  For the TMS project, all the new hardened heat treated bushings for one of the TM 972 trucks are made and installed. 

And a new project has been launched.  We have several TMER&L locomotives and the L 4 is getting some attention.  This homebuilt 1920 steeplecab is operational and offers a unique feature.  The TM installed a large cable reel and stinger on one of the hoods.  This allowed it to be run for short distances on sidings and other track without overhead wire.  For several months now both of our two small internal combustion switching locomotives have been out of service, so L 4 work is being done to have this electric locomotive able to operate and make some of the many car moves waiting in the queue.

Lazy me - or just short of time this week.  But I am going to report on several different projects in this single BLOG ENTRY.

Finally, A Brake

I would be embarrassed to chronicle the time spent on this project but suffice it is longer than 3 years.  And no, that time was not consumed by delays and wasted time at IRM.  But here is the first sample new brake shoe created for Chicago Surface Lines 3142.  This is a special design produced to a pattern made in our IRM wood shop by Buzz Morisette.

On the Car

A sample shoe was immediately tested for fit on the car, sitting over the inspection pit in Barn 4.  It fit almost perfectly, so good that we were pressed to find something to correct in the geometry.

Steamy Windows

Victor Humphreys is smiling at the two new windows made for Norfolk & Western 2050.  Smiling with satisfaction at completing them, but also at the prospect of not having to tackle those again!

972 Truck

Progress continues to made on the rebuilding of the TM 972 for our ongoing TMS project.  New pins and bushings are completed every week and assembly has progressed to where cleaning and painting of the truck was started.  Here, Dan Fenlaciki, Frank Sirinek, and Mike Stauber are on their hands and knees applying primer.

Done

And by the end of the day all the parts were substantially completed, looking good in fresh primer.

Illinois Terminal

Buzz Morisette continued on his work to restore two doors for one of our Illinois Terminal cars.  Once you do a 'pretty good' job there is always the urge to take the next step to get closer to perfection.  So a 'quick patch' has turned into a more significant effort.

ME 28

Three fellows from the Michigan Electric 28 work team made a rare Saturday appearance.  Here, Ray Schmid works on another of the fancy upper sash windows, cleaning and showing off the prismatic cathedral glass.  Some more of the salvaged sash are at the bench beside him.

Spooge Tank

What is that???  It is a nickname for an electrolytic process that is fairly effective at removing paint and reversing the oxidation process that results in rust.  Some simple washing soda and a 12 volt battery booster are the major items for trouble free rust removal on convoluted and elaborate pieces, not easily stripped by any other process at IRM.  Tim Peters is putting the finishing touches on such a rubber lined wood tank at the east end of Barn 4.  The SPOOGE?  Soon you may see the frothy curd like foam that consists of the removed coatings and rust of the piece that serves as the 'victim', ceiling grills from the interior of CRT 1797.

More Windows

Also on the 1797, Tim had to pull these two glued up window frames from the press as another project was waiting for the machine.  Do not worry - plenty of time overnight for them to set up and have sound joints.

Finishing Up

The final two recesses have been routed into the new fireman's side window for Norfolk & Western 2050.  Dick Cubbage is touching up the last areas by hand - the old fashioned way with some sandpaper.

Fitting

Victor Humphreys is doing the final adjustments to fit for the engineer's window for the N&W 2050.

Book Em

The above window and the last sash for the Illinois Central 3996 diner were assembled and glued.  John Faulhaber helped on this and then completed the task by cleaning up around the shop.  So, we are close to closing the books on two shop orders.

Stop Em

Mike Alterio and Frank Sirinek were trying to resurrect two hand brake assemblies to be installed on the Chicago and West Towns 141.  Other work seen in the shop included George Clark working on new siding for Lake Shore Electric 810, John Nelligan working on Charles City Western 300,  and a few more volunteers working on the TM D 13, a traction dump motor.

I spent a lot of time this weekend on admin chores, meetings, things which disrupted my plans to take more pics.

Windows

Victor Humphreys is working on a new engineer's cab window for Norfolk & Western 2050.  The new fireman's window is complete except for parts we are waiting for from the Steam Department.  Buzz Morisette helped out in the afternoon and much of the tricky work is done.

Pressing Work

Jeff Brady is at our hydraulic press with a brakehead for the TM 972 truck.  As we have been reporting here, new pins and bushings are being fabricated on site to renew and provide years of service for the brakes and rigging.

A Clear Picture

Ray Schmid is cleaning up the second piece of cathedral prism glass for the Michigan Electric 28 upper sash windows.  This car has paired windows for the upper sash, two windows wide.  AND it has two windows for every opening, an inner sash and an outer storm window type of sash over that inner one.  So you BLOG readers can look forward to seeing a lot of "window" entries here in the future.

Mounting

Ray and Dan Fenlaciki are mounting the cleaned glass into a previously prepared and restored wood sash frame.  Both inner and outer sash use the cathedral style prismatic art glass, but the inside of the glass for the inside sash is frosted, as compared to the conventional clear glass inside of the outer sash.  Got that?