Illinois Railway Museum Blog

Today started later than usual with Tom and myself as the crew. We started around 9:30 with a fuel up of the 50 burro, the 30 burro, and the regulator. We then set to work to fix the starting circuit after the wiring harness melted on the overheated engine a couple weeks ago. A replacement low voltage circuit was installed with a new starting switch installed in the battery switch compartment. Much easier than trying to use jumpers under the crane. Once installed we tested the fix, and then went to work with the 50.

Today's plan was to set out more track panels back in yard 13. Last week we set out enough panels for 13-4 track. This track is laid out with mostly 100lb rail, with some 112 panels at the end. During our work we found two more 100 lb panels, one on the Rock flat, and one at the bottom of one of the stacks. These were dug out and set aside just before the rail break on 13-3 track. Once the rail break is fixed we will finish setting these two panels. During our work to get to the panel on the rock flat, we had to lift 3 rather difficult panels off the flat. We elected to pick them and set them over for 13-1 track. The first panel was not too bad. The second took multiple attempts and some heavier chains due to crossing panels and asphalt on the panel, to pick the panel off the car. We set that one, and found the next to be even more covered and much much heavier. We rigged the panel and began the lift. we swung it around and got ready to set it for 13-1 track. As Tom was lowering the boom to get the panel into position, the two wheels opposite the load lifted off the rails. Quick work by Tom got the load set down and the crane settled back down onto the rails. For a few brief seconds the back wheels were a good 4 to 6 inches off the rail!!! Talk about an E ticket Ride!!!! Tom had approximately 16 thousand pounds on the hook at that time. We decided that we would NOT do that again! We took the opportunity to stop and get lunch around 3PM.

As we were cleaning up for lunch, we got NICK'd. We were volunteered to help move a rather large painting in a crate over to the Strahorn Library. Nick, Buzz, Tom and Myself met Barb at the museum, and made quick work of loading the crate into the library. It made it into the door with centimeters to spare. We did get a slight glimpse of the painting. Can't wait to see it all the way out of the crate.

We returned to pick the last panel off the Rock flat, and set that, then started on the Eastern most stack of panels where 13-2 is going to be. We set several for 13-1 and set a couple panels from last week flat on 13-2. All of them in the 8 to 10 thousand pound range.... All in all we handled about 18 track panels and have them set. Another day like this and we should have all the track panels set out for the yard.

We wrapped up the day by moving the now empty rock flat to yard 14, and put the burro back on 11-1 track. A little clean up, some hospitality from the Silver car guys in the form of a cold drink, and it was time to head for home.

Next up will be some cropping of the rails to length and to remove the torch cut ends. We will have to find some 100, 112 and 115 lb bars and see what we will need for comp bars. Once we know what the drillings will be we can start with drilling holes for bars. Some final moves with the crane and we can bolt up tracks. Easy to type, easy to read, but still a lot of work. We also have some misc. ties, frogs, points, etc that have to be moved out of the way. Long range plan for some ballast as well.

Photos have been posted on the IRM Member photo site. http://www.irm.org/gallery/album247

Frank D.