Illinois Railway Museum Blog

There was a lot going on, as on most weekends, so this will stay with the pattern of many news items.

A Caul

Ray Schmid and Jeff Brady are working on a very large caul for the Michigan Electric 28.  A caul is a form, usually used for bending sheet material, or somehow aiding in making complex forms.  In this case full sheets of the new roofing material will hopefully be wrestled into shape.

The Motormans Seat

More progress on the newly re-upholstered seat cushions for TM 972.  Victor Humphreys is working on the two motorman's seats.

A Nickle Seat

Dan Fenlaciki is working on mounting brackets for a bench seat near the end of the car, one that the old heads refer to as a 'nickle seat'.

More Step Boxes

The Step Box Boys, Jim and Tom Windmeier, were back at work, adding reinforcing blocks and other finish work on a dozen replica stepboxes.

One of the highlights of the summer occupied most of our time Satuday and that was a dedication of the IRCX 1277 tank car and the completion of the restoration of the UTLX 17222 tank car.  A special train was operated with the tank cars and two rider cabooses for guests representing Texaco Chevron who sponsored the work with a generous grant.

Other work in and around the Barn 4 area included work on the CA&E 36 truck including rebuilding a brush holder in anticipation of getting this truck under the car.  A new planer for the wood shop was ordered, and delivered in the same week.  This will expand our capabilities to allow a greater range of restoration work to be done.  We moved the URTX 26640 boxcar the old fashioned way.  Other equipment precludes using even a small locomotive, so out came a couple of pinch bars and strong backs to coax it about five feet further east.  And of course more air brake work in the ongoing maintenance and repair of operating cars.