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Monday, September 23. 2013ME 28 Update - September 22, 2013I will try to post something here this morning although it will be necessarily short as I am about to get back on site at Union to work with a contractor today. I noticed Randy Hicks gave us a plug for the woodworkers convention. We had the biggest attendance ever and this time cracked the international barrier with two attending form Belgium. That would be the Belgium in Europe, not the Belgium two hundred miles north in Wisconsin.  A Bundle of Canvas Jeff Brady and Bill Peterson have managed to extract the canvas from storage and with great effort have it hoisted up on the roof of the car. This is just the start of the process as the next step is to unroll all of that.  The Big Rag This is a big rag, probably over 1100 square feet of canvas. I do not think IRM has had to recanvas a roof on a car this long to this moment in time. So, as with everything, there is some new learning along the way. There is a trim allowance on all the dimensions but it only makes sense to try to slide and push it around to center it on the roof. Easier said than done.  The Clamps We made ( I do not include me in that) a dozen new clamps of our own design to clamp to the edges of the canvas, and they were mounted, starting at the ends of the car; shown here as Jeff and Bill demonstrate.  Rolled out The large white thing stretching into the distance is the canvas all rolled out. If it seems a long way away, it is, and more so if you consider the work left, which includes setting about 1500 tacks. For now we have stretched and pulled the canvas to begin the process of removing all the wrinkles and get it to lay down flat on the roof. Friday, July 12. 20132200s ArriveTo follow-up on Jamie's
post, both cars of our 2200s pair (2243-2244) are now on the property.
The journey leading to their delivery has been a long and at times arduous
one. We anticipated their arrival quite some time ago, but the original retirement
date of this series of cars was pushed back several times due to delays in
delivery of CTA's 5000 series cars. Even the specific cars we were
getting changed. Mainly through the efforts of Eric Zabely with help from
Richard Schauer, JL Saunders Jr., and Nick Espevik (among others), the cars
finally arrived on Wednesday July 10 and Thursday July 11, 2013.
Work will start immediately on inspections and getting the cars ready for the public. Eventually these cars, like the 2000s, will be fitted with trolley poles so they can run in service. A HUGE thank you goes out to all of you who have supported this project, either with direct donations or through your purchase of Snowflake Special tickets over the past several years. This would not have been possible without your support.  The 2200s in their first home at 50th Avenue – Photo by Nick Espevik Thursday, June 27. 2013Electroliner NewsELECTROLINER NEWS
We will start this entry by sharing a previously unpublished photo from the Fettinger Family Collection, showing one of the two Liners at Zion Illinois on a snowy day in 1962
The photo is courtesy of Barbara Lanphier of our Strahorn Library, whose father took the photo. I am sure most of you are aware of the upcoming IRM special events but in case you are not - - - We are holding the largest ever Trolley Pageant on July 6, larger by far than any of our previous Independence Day weekend parades, and surely larger than anything seen at any other Museum in the USA. That will be held July 6 - you do not want to miss it!! The following Sunday, July 7, we will be commemorating 50 years since the abandonment of the North Shore with North Shore Day at the Museum. There will be an opportunity to tour the Liner on July 4, July 6 & July 7. NSL and Liner memorabilia will be on sale on July 7 only--all proceeds going to the Liner Restoration Fund. On July 7 we will be launching the Campaign for the Electroliner, a fundraising effort to restore the Liner to operation. The Liner has operated on occasion at IRM - first in its Philadelphia Suburban colors, and a few times after that in a beautifully restored North Shore line paint job. Many elements of its electrical and mechanical workings are just plain worn out. We have a plan to make it operational in time for its 75th Birthday in 2016. Even given that time, it is an aggressive plan and will involve motor work, new upholstery, and rehabbing most of the interior. If we are successful in reaching the funding goal some of the necessary work will move along faster by allowing contracting and hiring of some tasks. The first milestone is to make the train able to operate reliably under its own power and then move on to the heating and air conditioning system (the train has sealed windows). Seat work can begin early in the process and will be ongoing. Come out for NORTH SHORE DAY and be sure to walk through the Liner, and pick up details and other information on the fundraising campaign. EXCITING HUH??. Saturday, June 8. 2013Wednesday, May 1. 2013IRM Receives Charitable Grant for Exterior Restoration of CTA 2153-2154
 2000s in their original Mint Green and Alpine White paint scheme The Illinois Railway Museum is pleased to announce that it has received a $5,000 Railroad Heritage Grant from the Tom E. Dailey Foundation. This generous contribution from the Foundation has been earmarked for our CTA 2000-series "L" cars, 2153-2154 (Pullman-Standard, 1964). Specifically, the grant will greatly help fund the exterior restoration of CTA 2153-2154, in which they will be backdated to the distinctive Mint Green and Alpine White paint colors which they wore upon their delivery to the CTA in 1964. CTA 2153-2154 are the only unmodified 2000-series "L" cars in preservation, and were considered cutting-edge upon their manufacture due to the inclusion of fluorescent lighting, air conditioning, molded fiberglass carbody components, and "Space Age" design elements.  2153-2154 at 50th Avenue Station
Thursday, April 11. 2013CTS 4223 Update - April 10, 2013I think I will split the Wednesday work into two reports this time, since we had a large and productive crew working almost exclusively on the Cleveland PCC.  Rear Interior Trim Simon Harrison was taking no chances as he is geared up to removing old paint from a piece of sheet metal to go on the left rear interior of the PCC.  Preparation There are a lot of old broken off screw stubs inside the PCC. Dave Diaz took a turn at removing them, Simon did more in the afternoon. We are doing that now as it will soon be time to mount more of the interior panels.  Out in the Barn Out in the Barn on a workbench, Jim Leonard processed several of the curved ad card panels, removing dirt, rust, and paint from the back side of these.  Priming As fast as they were cleaned, Jonathan Soucek was priming them, along with a sign box, and some of the other trim panels.  A Straight Shot Many of these ad card panels suffered through years of storage and had some bent corners or other dings in them. Dave Diaz did a very good job of taking all those out.  Wow By the end of the day all these seven were primed, and three more, two other miscellaneous panels, and the sign box. |
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Comments
Thu, 07-13-2017 23:53
Mark Secco your the best. Your favorite Proviso yard pilot.
Thu, 07-13-2017 06:02
Jerry, we only have one six axle GE locomotive, and that's BN 5383 which is very much green and black. The only GE unit that has been in the location [...]
Wed, 07-12-2017 16:37
UP yellow is quite different that ATSF blue & yellow. This was a six axle unit as well. I will now go away being the only one to see a ATSF GE and a [...]
Mon, 07-10-2017 17:52
CNW was the "helper" on the Thomas train this past weekend, also power for the bilevels used to pick up the stranded passengers after the simulated [...]
Mon, 07-10-2017 14:58
CNW 411 has been running just about every day a diesel has been needed. It's helping Thomas with his train during his and Percy's visit this year.
Mon, 07-10-2017 09:41
It's a Union Pacific GE Dash8-40B #1848. Been on campus for a few years.
Mon, 07-10-2017 09:31
It's been running this season with the Bi-Levels and the coach train.
Sat, 07-08-2017 20:03
Any update on CNW #411? Really miss seeing that locomotive on the rails...
Sat, 07-08-2017 18:20
Sorry about running this on the 9908 topic, but I couldn't get a new topic going. Anyway, I do know my diesels and it was not the ATSF FM unit. The [...]
Tue, 07-04-2017 17:17
What is the current status of this car? Is it still waiting to be moved?
Sun, 07-02-2017 07:56
A bit more information: ATSF 543 is one of only 3 Fairbanks-Morse H-12-44-TS yard switchers ever built. They had an extended frame and short hood to [...]
Thu, 06-29-2017 13:28
For the BN unit I would keep to when it was work for BN on the metra lines but get some bi levels and take metra off the side of the bi levels and put [...]