General

Table Saw Fence

We are hoping to restore another table saw for use in the wood shop as it provides some features we do not have on saws now in service.  Henry Vincent is patiently working away on that, here a very complicated design for the fence.

Lots of Parts

You maybe able to appreciate just how many moving pieces are in this ONE assembly

From the Other End

Many of the parts are rusted and some frozen in place so it is not so simple as you might expect.  So far, only one threaded fastener seems stubborn to the point where it might have be drilled out.

Wagon Top

It alternated between cloudy and not so much all day but there was no rain.  For some reason it was hard to get good pics, but we all  remarked how beautiful the north side of the B&O boxcar was now that it is ALL in the finish enamel paint.

Roger Kramer was on site and was painting Illinois Central 3345, a Grill-Coach built in 1948.  I was leaving at the end of the day but Jim Leonard volunteered to grab a pic of this work.  Sorry, it did not come out.  Pete Galayda and John Nelligan continued on rebuilding grid boxes for Charles City Western 300; and Gerry Dettloff and John Faulhaber labored on the TM work equipment.

The exceptional weather on this fall day energized everyone and a lot went on, as usual for a Wednesday which is becoming a very popular day for volunteer work.

D 13

Work has continued on the TMER&T D 13, which is work car dump motor.  In recent weeks most of the roof structure over one of the 'telephone booth' cabs has been replaced and restored.  New saddles have been made and are fitted, ready to install.  Today, Gerry Dettloff, John Faulhaber, and Henry Vincent applied a new canvas fabric to the roof.

What Is Next

As they work their way along the side, it almost seems that democracy is in action.  "What should we do next on this side?"  Note that the car is in one of our storage barns and access is difficult, the crew resorting to creative staging and ladders.  Except for Gerry who quickly scampered up on top.

In the Shop

In the shop Pete Galayda (shown) and John Nelligan continue work on the Charles City Western steeple cab locomotive.  Here, a 'box' of resistance grids has been disassembled, a myriad of rusty and sometimes damaged parts in array on the work table.  Each is carefully cleaned or replaced and the parts reassembled into a box arrangement.  This is Number 3 of seven to be done.

Along Central Avenue

In recent weeks the Wednesday Special Projects Team have also been working on baggage car MILW 1309.  Some ten (or more?) years ago this was completely restored but years outdoors in the weather have resulted in a shabby and worn appearance.  That should not come as a surprise to any of your readers, but points out that the long term preservation of equipment, and best use of volunteer resources is NOT to do work over again, but work to fund and build the next Barn.  But it is looking very nice indeed.

As I mentioned previously in these entries, my time this weekend was almost totally consumed by IRM hosting a meet of folks interested in old wood working machines.  Over 85 attended on Saturday and I would like to thank all the volunteers that contributed their time and effort to make it a success, led various tours, and to those who cooperated indirectly in deferring their work, or scheduling it around the clinics and demos in the wood shop area.

That said, I managed to pick away at machining a new window sill for the X 38 snowplow and there was other work going on.  We thought the brutally hot summer would never end, but mother nature knows differently.  Nearby Sugar Grove registered a 32 F reading Sunday AM.  Now the race is on to use remaining good weather days on our projects before Jack Frost settles in for the winter.

Side Repairs

Victor Humphreys continues at warp speed on the repairs to the sides of our B&O wagon top boxcar.  Here is the first panel with new steel welded in, the welds ground down, and body filler applied and sanded.  Also you will note the new 'rivets' in place and the area ready to be prime painted.

Back In Barn 4

The Electric Car department managed to execute a long and complicated switch move to reassign space of many cars now that the Zephyr repairs are complete and the trips have been run.  (Remember that the Zephyr occupied most of Track 41 to allow repairs to take advantage of the repair pit.)  So the big news is that TMER&T 972 is back in Barn 4.  Watch for developments on this project in the coming weeks.

Here we were, toiling industriously on the Russell plow, when we heard a faint rumbling, that of a locomotive.  What to our wondering eyes should appear but the glorious LAKE CITY, out to stretch its legs, and to be turned end for end on the wye.

LAKE CITY

I guess the heat wave is over and winter is on its way.  Far more pleasant to work outdoors on site yesterday than it has been for the last 6-8 weeks.

Lounge Chair

How does he do that?  Our upholstery guru, John McKelvey, has just finished recovering a lounge chair which will be used in the rear compartment of Illinois Terminal 234.  I do not hesitate to take a log and reduce it to sawdust, but I doubt I could do half the job in twice the time, than John can do with a basket case chair or seat cushion.

Roof Boards

Lorne Tweed and Dave Rogan were dry fitting and doing the first assembly work for a new roof board structure for Cleveland Transit System 4223.  There is a lot going on in a small space.  Now, how to hoist that up and over the car to mount it on the roof?

Off the Grid

Pete Galayda is assembling another resistance grid box for Charles City Western 300.  John Neligan assisted throughout the day.

Venting

Fred Zimmerman was on an outdoor bench working to restore galvanized sheet metal patent roof vents for one of our elevated cars, CTA 4412, a 1924 product of the Cincinnati Car Company.

On Site

He's here!!  Our blue friend arrived today and was unloaded from his semi truck.  The large tents are being erected, and our electricians were busy running power and cables.  Nine days from now you may come out and help with the event, and meet several thousand of your closest five year old friends.  BUCKLE UP!

This will include a wide variety to give some hint of some of the activities this weekend

COMING BACK TO LIFE!

SHRT 63

It sounds simple to make such a move but all the trolley fans got excited with the appearance of Shaker Heights Rapid Transit 63 inside Barn 4 over the pit.  Eric Lorenz is helping LARGE with a systematic and careful checkout. 

Passenger Side

Yes, it is really inside Barn 4 and it is looking good, if you do mind the last service paint scheme.  This car was originally built for and operated for the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

Pole Up

A trolley pole has been fitted and restored to the roof, as god always intended.  The pole was up and progress made.  The MG set was running, some of the entry doors working again, if only sluggishly, and the headlight worked!  What else do we need?

Framing

I am going to sneak this image in here, rather than a separate entry for only one pic.  We managed to make eight new interior framing timbers for the CGW X 38 snow plow, fit them, drill them, and all prime painted ready to install.  Victor Humphreys is in the shop taking shelter from the brutal heat Saturday early, before a line of storms blew through.

Letterboard

George Clark was in the Barn prime painting a new letterboard for the Lake Shore Electric 810.  We still identify this part as a letterboard although in this case, no actual lettering will be applied for this paint scheme.

Trailer Train

One of the things we are able to do is to do some work with industry partners.  Trailer Train had some of their Engineering Department on site to do some testing on the deck of our 75 foot TTX piggyback car.  The car presented a unique opportunity to help judge wear and life span of the white oak deck boards still being applied to some of their equipment.  In this case the car presented a good 'control' for wood which had seen years of use, without really being used in transport, virtually remaining as installed.

Chicago and West Towns

Frank Sirinek was escorting some visitors on a sort of 'private' access tour of the C&WT 141.  Smiles all around.

Vintage Transport

Sunday was our annual vintage car show and for the first time in recent memory, the weather was near perfect.  Over 400 vehicles had pre-registered, and an additional 133 were 'walk-ins' bring the total to over 500.  There were vintage restored cars on every grassy flat spot and it seemed there was a good turnout of visitors to enjoy the spectacle.

I guess I do not have permission to use the category for the signal department.  BUT - member/volunteer Frank Carraro has joined the work in that department and generously shares these pics and a short report.

Frank Carraro Photo

Bob Olson and Mike Alterio are replacing a failed LED light unit on the westbound signal at Johnson siding last Saturday.  LED units are being installed because of the high price of the special lamp bulbs used in signals and the considerable labor in replacing them every year.  We are having trouble with lightning causing the LED's to fail, but we may have the fix for that now.

Frank Carraro Photo

Here we see Bob adjusting and lubricating the eastbound signal at Karstens   These antique mechanisms need careful maintenance.  This one was acting up.

Thanks for the report, Frank.  Just goes to show the extent of trying to keep our railroad running, and the many other volunteers working, in many cases invisibly.