Illinois Railway Museum Blog

Our Buildings and Grounds Department, led by Dave Diamond, is just like maintaining the many functions found in our towns, villages and cities.  Today the Bureau of Forestry volunteers were recalled from unpaid leave to work around the campus.  Actually, our volunteers are unpaid whether on furlough or actively engaged in the work.

Damaged Goods

For decades many have enjoyed the shade from a tree just north of our office.  During one of the severe storms of last summer about half of this tree split off and was removed.  Now it was time to finish the job.

Removal

The first operation was to trim off any branches and there was equipment on hand and willing volunteers to load it into one of our dump trucks.

The Grand Trunk

Of course not the railroad, but the remaining trunk was the last to stand.  I think that is Tom Opolony up in the bucket.

The crew continued through the day trimming trees, for example in the Depot Street Shelter area, and also in Electric Park.  Do not worry about the 'employees'.  Throughout the year you will likely see them engaged maintaining the buildings, campus landscaping, or working in the Streets and Sanitation Department, for Snow Command, or in constructing improvements throughout the campus.

And do not forget the fleet of special equipment needed to do this work - keep it in good repair and ready for use on what sometimes is a moments notice.

Most days in the shop, I never seem to take the time to snap a photo.  This week it seemed that whenever I turned around there was one of the many volunteers working on one of many projects.  So this will be more of a quick photo tour rather than long or not so long stories.

Window Trim

Buzz Morisette is shown setting up to make new exterior window jamb and trim pieces for some of the many new windows he fabricated over the winter for caboose ATSF 1400.  Later in the day he was seen working on wood for a new ELECTRIC PARK station sign for Dave Diamond and our B&G Department.

Window Details

Victor Humphreys is demonstrating how we routed a weatherstrip half round recess into the bottom of the new windows for IC 3996.  The step ahead of this was squaring up exactly the bottom of each sash.  And after the routing, he and Dick Cubbage helped cut a 10 degree bevel on each sash to match the sills on the car.

Jointing

I was not immune from the photo taking spree as Al Reinschmidt snuck one in unknown to me, while I was running some wood through our jointer to try to take out any warp, cup, or twist.

Hand Brake

Frank Sirinek is shown by the drill press with a modified hand brake assembly for Chicago & West Towns 141.  He and Mike Alterio worked on those for the two ends of that car.

Getting Even

I got even with Al Reinschmidt by catching him renewing some of the hundreds of window tracks needed for our PCC project car, Cleveland Transit 4223.

Window Frames

For the same CTS 4223 project Lorne Tweed continued on the often frustrating task of dismantling aluminum window frames so defective glass and weatherstipping can be replaced.  It seems that they are assembled with hardened self tapping screws and galvanic action and years of exposure make removing each screw a project in itself.

4223 Paint

Dave Rogan pitched in on a number of things throughout the day, seen here painting primed interior panels for the rear area of the PCC.

Pipe Dreams

Pete Galayda is showing Jan Nunez, our Office Manager, some of the finer restoration points of electric conduit piping for Charles City Western 300 steeple cab locomotive.  John Nelligan also worked on this project, among other things, fabricating new Crouse Hinds conduit box covers.

EX Siding

We are always excited about new pieces for any of the old warhorses.  George Clark continues here, painting a new batch of siding boards for Lake Shore Electric 810, an interurban freight trailer.

Brakes

A very dedicated group of volunteers has made remarkable progress in rebuilding a truck for Milwaukee Electric 972.  This work is being funded by donations to the TMS (Two Milwaukee Streetcar) project.  Over 70 new hardened bushings have been fabricated in our own shops and installed, and all of the new hardened pins have been made.  This photo shows the reassembled set of levers for one of the car's brake heads.

The Hopper

No, not the current tv ad for a video gadget called the HOPPER.  But Victor and I crawled underneath our GN 70104 three bay open hopper to take some measurements of the mechanism for releasing the doors.