Rock Island 2612

               I would like to publicly thank all the following volunteers who faithfully partook in the restoration of Rock Island 2612 and the repaint of Rock island 2602!    Without your interest and devotion  these projects would not have been completed.    So...   Thank you all again for your efforts.    We are continuing working on some projects  and starting others.    See you then.     

                      Gary Sherman, Loraine Bixler, Dan Bixler, Dave Cook, Brian Patterson, Andy Patterson, Mark Hoffman,  Ray Erickson, Austin Harvey, Kyle Vander Meer, Jane Blackburn,  Andy Townsend, Mary Geier, Howard Geier, Jan Hervert, Nancy Ring, Dan Boguse, Mike Steigerwald, John Mckelvey, Eric Olesen, Brian La Kemper, Shelly Vanderschaegen, Jim Opolony, Paul Cronin,  Matt Voss, Chase Renwick, Logan Gaerlan, Warren Newhauser, Roger Kramer  and from the steam dept; Christian Ellis, Jim Opolony, Eric Wahlmark  and Dave.  Here, again, are more pictures of some of the crew in various degrees of action. 

Gary

Jan and Loriane

Gary and Brian LaKemper

Dave

Dave Cook

    I am certainly proud of all of you for volunteering your time and labor in these two projects.        Roger Kramer     

Mary and Howard 

Austin

Brian, John our contract welder, and Roger 

 Howard, Gary, Roger, Loraine Dan and Dave 

Roger and Kyle  

Jane and Austin  

        Would you like to meet new people,  who also have similar train interests, and at the same time help restore and maintain museum artifacts?   Why not join our team and begin volunteering this coming week.   We meet in back of barn 3 where there is plenty of parking.    Remember to bring your lunch and your favorite drink.    All else is supplied including good conversation!       Thanks    

                                    Yes, indeed, the 2612 Team pulled off one of the more memorable restorations in the museum history.      Many Thanks  to all who help in this effort!         It wasn't that it was a special restoration  no, but it was rather the speed in which the restoration took place.   19 months from a Christmas car to a functional Rock Island coach. That is a very short time line. 19  months, is probably a new record for IRM.   Now don't get me wrong in your assumption that everything is complete, painted and functioning.   Far from it.    But it is now a usable piece of equipment that Irm can use on its the demonstration railroad.                                  Here, then, is a partial list of our teams accomplishments.  The interior is almost complete.    Most seat frames have repainted parts.  25 seat cushions and seven seat backs have been reupholstered. Two nickel seat frames are of brand new manufacture.   Two nickel seat cushions, bottoms and backs have been reupholstered        Many of the walkover seat handles are now a polished brass.      The ceiling has yet to be painted but all walls are now painted.  40 of the 42 seat frames are installed, 38 of the 50 window frames are installed, and the floor has been painted and repaired.   Steam lines are one step closer to being  pressurized.   Interior lighting was made operational.  42 advertising  car cards have been installed.     38 brass window frames have been repaired, painted, glazed w/ new safety glass, and installed.  Lastly,  12  window shades have been reinstalled.   Did I forget something?    Maybe, anyway that is a heck of a list.        

The exterior of the coach was not neglected.     One side was completely chipped and made free of the old paint.   A coat of primer was sprayed on to protect the surface before we can spray a first top coat.    Two new stair assemblies were made and installed.    Repairs were made by a Hampshire, Ill welder to the lower vestibule  frame to except the stairs.   Old deck plate was removed and new plate installed.   One entire vestibule has also been chipped and spray primed.  Two pin lifters have been reinstalled and painted along w/ two passenger gates.   The emergency conductors valve was made operational by repainting the airline pipe.    Both hand brakes were repair and made operational.   Four new buffer rods were manufactured so that two could be installed  using a spare used buffer plate.   AND we did all this work on time; and in time to be used on the DOWT train.     Quite an accomplishment for any group of people!!                        Now you can help us!!    We would like to store this coach inside the next barn that is being built.   BUT to do that we need your $help.  Please  send a donation marked " INSIDE STORAGE RI 2612"     This will insure that our hard work will be protected from nature's extreme weather changes.     Thanks for reading these blogs and more will be coming.    Roger Kramer                This last picture says a whole lot.    We literally installed the buffer and got it working 30 minutes before the switch crew tied onto the 2612 and moved it to the Thomas Train.    We sure cut the timing close.    The main thing is that we made the time frame!   

      I have said this a number of times but "Work continues on 2612." There has been some doubt from various members whether we would reach our deadline of completing the 2612 before Thomas. You can be reassured that we have! With a great out pouring from the core of volunteers the coach will be in a train. We just don't know which train but it will be used. Here are pictures of the various team volunteers and their projects.

                            More postings to come.      My postings have been slow in coming because I have been at Irm for eight days straight.   More  updates coming.        Thanks     Roger

                          Working five days a week for the past three weeks has improved the interior as well as the exterior of the coach.  I am now to the point of having only three projects yet to complete before we can operate 2612 for the Thomas Event/Train.        Most importantly, I have found a welding contractor from Hampshire, Ill  to repair and install the rebuilt stairs, decking, air line and begin the process of repairing the floor.                           I am hoping that we will have all the welding done by the first week of August.   It's amazing what can accomplished with an 8 hour work day.     Would you like to help pay for the steel?         To help defray the costs,  Please send a donation to the 2612 fund.   Thanks    Roger 

    

                  Our volunteers are coming out more frequently now that the coach is almost finished. We have installed all the brass window frames on one side and have now ordered more glass panes to complete the other side. I have installed 15 shades as well as all the newly polished walkover seat handles. Dan Bixler is almost done painting the brass window splines while Loraine continues sanding around the window frames. Ray, Austin, Shelly and Jane have been assisting John Mckelvey in the upholsterying of new seat cushions and backs. Gary is now on vacation so we won't see him for about 2 weeks. Not to be outdone, Austin, Brian, and Dave, Mark and Andy have been working in the 2602. Please see my Blog concerning that project.

                        On the exterior, Mary and Howard Geier continue their great work. Mary is needlechiping the vestibule and Howie is sanding the southern exterior. We have also found the original lettering, C.R.I.P. on the vestibule wall, upper left hand corner on the door side and I have talked to Buzz about duplicating the style, color and height.

Here's Loraine and Miguel needle chipping further on the exterior.   By the time Saturday's activities were finished all window frames were installed on the South side.    That's a large accomplishment in itself!   I wonder when was the last time the  2612 had any windows in it.  

                        The next big project is hiring a welder to install stairs and decking on the  western end.    Stay tuned!  I'll have some important info on that subject in my next blog.          Thanks Roger

                                      As a team we again accomplished so much this last week that it really looks like the interior of a Rock Island coach.   Most importantly, we are winding down the painting phase and beginning the installation of window frames, seats, walkover handles and window shades.

                  Thanks to Dan for painting the brass strips at home in his garage.   Painting the strips are an important part of the "Puzzle" in returning the 2612 to service.   His wife, Loraine, has been cleaning and sanding the brass frames which the windows side up and down in.   BTY she likes to bake and recently brought some delicious homemade brownies to our crew, last Saturday.  The homemade treats were, of course devoured in no time!!   Thanks Loraine, they were very tasty.  Joining our  Rock Island crew does have its benefits.   I am sure Loraine  will make more treats.   She loves baking w/ real butter!          Digressing a little from our  work format gives our crew time to relax and enjoy the museums activities.     From left to right,  Howard, Gary, myself, Loraine, Dan and Dave.      It is possible we will paint the exterior, Pullman green this fall!     A before and after image.   Everyone likes to see progress!     This project is by no means complete but it certainly shows the membership what can be accomplished in a short period of time.    Focus, focus  focus.            

             As Pauline said in her last blog, the department needs your continue support.   Please consider a donation to any of the ongoing projects mentioned in the last few blogs.  We the volunteers, would greatly appreciate your supporting any of our projects.    Thank You          Roger  Kramer

                               A great week for the 2612!      We sanded the last of the panels below the windows, then primed and finally painted the last 25 feet.    While Dan, Dave and I were busy working towards that goal, Gary continued installing the newly manufactured "nickel seat" frames on the eastern end of the car.   This first picture show Gary and I installing the seat cushion after first installing the back.   Pretty neat! Yes!

 

If you can remember, the area that Gary is working on in the above picture was the space where the toilet once occupied.           NO FLUSHING,  PLEASE!!               As you can see, the coach is really taking shape.     Next comes the installation of more seats, windows and shades.  

               Please consider helping us with a donation to our fund, RI 2612.       Thanks   Roger