Passenger Car Department

Chicago & North Western 7700: Baggage compartment door frames were completely rebuilt during the 2007 season. Winter 2007-2008 saw both large baggage doors re-fabricated.

CNW 7700 door construction Mar 2008

Delaware Lackawanna & Western 556: This coach has had a chronic problem with an entry door frame where the tread rises and prevents the door from opening properly. Over the winter the vestibule platform was cut out and it was discovered that several previous repairs had been made over the life of the car; probably by the DL&W. The framework is now exposed and waiting for new metal work.

Bessemer & Lake Erie 25: This combine car displayed wood deterioration in a few window frames. The single most severe frame was removed and a new window fabricated in the woodshop. Bob Kutella shows a photo of Wayne Baksic working on the new window in his Woodshop post of April 8, 2008.

Chicago Burlington & Quincy 1923: This baggage/RPO car has been cleaned to provide a better example of a baggage compartment for display. The Passenger Car Department baggage collection will be stored here as well as our milk can collection. Most other items previously stored in the the baggage compartment will be relocated.

Louisville & Nashville 2726 Diner Galt House: The diner returned from Horicon but suffered buffer damage in transit. Repairs will require the removal of the diaphragm and buffer plates to reshape the metal. This will probably be deferred until the 2008-2009 off-season. The car will be on display in Barn 3 during the 2008 season.

Galt House prior to painting in Horicon

Galt House newly painted

January 2008 Galt House buffer damaged in transit

NYC Dover Strait - Bob Hunter, Project Leader: Diaphragm fabric is being fabricated on one end and the interior corridor is being prepped for painting this spring.

Boston & Maine 3288 (ex 1094) Cafe Diner - Jack Biesterfeld/Ted Anderson, Project Leaders: This car continues to see interior restoration work. More dining room seats are being repaired/reupholstered and the coach area is being cleared for better display.

Dining area of the B&

Illinois Central Railroad 3345: The exterior aluminum sheathing is almost complete on one side of this Food Bar/Chair Car. The car is to be turned to complete repairs to the other side during the 2008 season.

Dover Strait - Bob Hunter, Project Leader: The exterior of this Pullman bedroom, buffet and lounge car was primed in preparation for repainting in August. The car was last primed in 1993 but manpower was not available to finish the painting project at that time. Bob Hunter came to the Dover Strait project in 1996 and worked to repair interior damage and replace fixtures at that time. Recent work is geared toward completion of the exterior painting and in mid-September one side of the car was again lightly sanded and primed with an epoxy based primer prior to receiving the two-tone gray finish coats. The stripe has yet to be completed and there is more work required to complete the exterior painting project.

Dover Strait prior to being primed on 8/11/07

By 9/8/07 the entire car was primed

The two-tone paint scheme was finished by 9/22/07

Rock Island 2602: Mike Baksic and Ray Mormann finished many sheet metal repairs in August of 2007 just in time for Thomas. Nick Kallas donated monies in October 2007 for a private contractor to apply the final coat of Pullman green paint to car. Yet to be done is the lettering.

Illinois Central 3345 - Roger Kramer, Project Leader: Andy Townsend worked on restoring the aluminum sheathing around the women's washroom window area. Roger Kramer plans to put the window back in this spring. Their plan called for getting the car turned to repair windows on the other side. Because the the car sides are made out of an aircraft type aluminum sheet that can't be welded, their work is different than the average sheet metal project. Fortunately Andy Townsend is experienced with aircraft sheet metal repairs making this work doable.

Nevada Northern 10 - Shelly Vanderschaegen, Project Leader: Interior work in the private car "Ely" was just one project for Shelly Vanderschaegen during the summer of 2007. Shelly removed all the old carpeting in the fall of 2006. In the summer of 2007 she found the same pattern and installed the new carpeting with the help of Mike Baksic. This is the oldest car in the Passenger Car Department. The carpeting upgrade really makes the car more elegant, you should stop in and see it. If you like old wooden cars be sure to visit the B&M 1094 after you see the Ely.

John McGloughlin - Roger Kramer, Project Leader: Roger Kramer, Jim Heinlein, and other volunteers sanded and primed the sides of the this Pullman sleeping car in the Barn 3 middle isle during the fall of 2007. Four coats of top coat were spray painted on the week after Member's Weekend. Roger has also been slowly restoring the women's washroom and the men's washroom with the installation of duplicate sinks and brass shelving.

The exterior of the sides below the windows was painted in September 2007

Roger Kramer working on John McGloughlin interior fixtures

Streamliner Cars - Phil Stepek, Project Leader: Phil Stepek has been working on the Streamliner cars since 2004. Phil prefers to perform major project work during the off-season so he can focus on the museum's mission of education by welcoming the many visitors and answering their questions during the summer months. Phil has been able to reupholster one roomette and install reading lights in the Silver Ridge. He acquired ceiling lights for the corridor then installed them over the winter. Phil strives to make the four cars a genuine experience for the visitors, and has made the cars comfortable as well by upgrading the air conditioning and ventilation systems.

The Streamliner cars 9/22/07

Boston & Maine 1094 Cafe Car - Jack Biesterfeld/Ted Anderson, Project Leaders: Jack Biesterfeld worked hard last summer and fall restoring the fine red mahogany woodwork in the 1906 Pullman B&M 1094 cafe car and had the dining area finished by the end of the year. Jack also repaired areas of the ceiling and found mahogany under previously painted ceiling areas. Jack will be moving into the coach area and restoring the ceiling and walls. His efforts are really making a difference at transforming the car back to it's early 1900's appearance. To keep  pace with his restoration, this car needs donations. Yet to be purchased are 18 seat cushions and frames. Replicas are available at the Strassburg Museum in PA at a cost of $400 each. For visitors and members who have not seen the interior of this car it would be well worth your effort to stop by. See the Illinois Railway Museum store to make a donation.

Exterior of the Boston and Maine 1094 Cafe Car inside Barn 3

Jack Biesterfeld is refinishing the red mahogany woodwork inside the B and M 1094

Louisville & Nashville 2726 - Project Leader Gerry Bogus: The L&N 2726, Diner Galt House has returned after a prolonged absence at the paint shop in Horicon. It will be on display in Barn 3 for the summer 2008 season.

The Galt House has been repainted

Bessemer & Lake Erie 25: Mark Hoffman removed a badly deteriorated wooden window in May 2007. Roger Kramer had the window repaired and repainted and then Mark reinstalled it just in time for the August visit of Thomas the Tank Engine. Yet to be undertaken is the repair of the last badly deteriorated window.

BLE 25 Coach/Baggage Combination in service at IRM