Illinois Railway Museum Blog

As I arrived on campus Saturday morning there was smoke over the prairie.

Steam Is Up

After over five years the Frisco 1630 has a fire in her belly!  Throughout the day there were respectable groups of visitors gathered to watch and the melodious deep throated whistle sounded across the museum grounds.

To the tune of "Let it snow" - - -

The weather that day was delightful

The smoke from the stack was a sightful

Like looking again at a dream

Let it steam, let it steam, let it steam.

This was a major overhaul and rebuild to the locomotive.  The Steam Department had a plan, stuck to it, and did a careful and safe job along the way, often enduring repeated criticism and calls for running.  Those could not be justified since they often originated from 'spectators' who had no concept of the scope and magnitude of the work.

During the day, there were many adjustments and some glitches, but as I left the campus yesterday the cab was enveloped in a cloud of steam as the blowdown valve was being used.  This was a stationary test, and is a milestone along the road to restoring steam operations at IRM.  But it would be very preliminary to predict or plan when mainline running or operations might happen.

For one thing, the Halloween Train has been re-staged and relocated this year and there is nowhere for the engine to go, short of a few hundred feet of back and forth action.  After the end of the month the Terror Train can be taken down and the west wye cleared, but by Novenber 1, the weather MAY dictate how long water can be left in the boiler.

CONGRATULATIONS ON A JOB WELL DONE BY THE STEAM DEPARTMENT!!

HOLLYWOOD

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you some of the behind the scenes action in preparing these BLOG entries.  Actually a production crew was on the campus with lighting, cameras, props, actors, caterers, etc to film an upcoming commercial for the Belk Department Stores - found in the southeast of the US.  Probably over 40 people needed to make this relatively simple product.  Here, they had taken over the depot platform, using the C&NW bilevels as backgorund and part of the scene.

Welocme Back

Welcome back to Rich Witt, who was recently a 'victim' in a vehicle accident.  He got banged up a bit, and is still pretty tender and limited in activity. But it was good to see him stop in.  He has brought out some new tools for shop use, and John Faulhaber helps examine the plunder.

Barn 4 Addition

Most of you have followed along as a new lean-to shop addition was added to the southwest corner of Barn 4.  Here, a B&G crew of three prepare the earth for a new concrete apron and pad, which could be poured later this week.  Dave Diamond has the transit set up and is checking elevations.