Chicago Great Western X 38 Russell Snow Plow

This time I am not so tardy as usual with posting the late news for the Russell snow plow project.  But to start out this report we want to welcome two long time IRM volunteers - they reported today to help on the plow project and join the fine restoration team we have already.

Lorne Tweed Photo

Cheryl and Bob Kutella started the mortises on the drill press.

Mortising

Let me introduce Cheryl Lint.  She has helped a lot in the Strahorn Library and especially with our annual vintage transport event.  Today she was in the wood shop and I recruited her to assist on the framing for the last window opening on the plow, the one boarded up on the south wall.  We cut and planed timber for the framing, and then proceeded to drilling and mortising to put the four pieces of the frame together.  In no time at all they were all drilled out and Cheryl was handling a paring chisel like a pro, chopping them out square and smooth.  Thanks, Cheryl, you are welcome back anytime!

Headlight

Wally Unglaub came down from Milwaukee and also helped on the CGW X 38 project.  He started out removing paint from the replacement headlight casting.

Painting

And them Wally moved on to prime paint some new pieces of interior lining and trim for the plow.  Thanks go to you also, Wally.

North Door

I know, this is a terrible picture, but no matter where I stood the sun was almost directly into the lens.  Last week I said the north door was to be closed up, and here, Jim Leonard has finished that task.  Ready for winter, now.

Plow Nose

Our trustworthy Ray Pollice was on hand and worked on paint removal on the front end and bottom edge of the plow wedge.

Inside

Inside the box, Jim Leonard continues the sometimes tricky installation of more of the tongue and groove lining.  You can see three dots left of the window.  These are mounting bolts and a conduit entry for the telephone communication lines to the pusher locomotive.  That is one of the reasons we are putting all the lining in the back wall - so we can finish up more of the back wall exterior.

On the Outside

On the outside you see here the telephone jack receptacle mounted properly for the first time at IRM.  In many of the preceeding month's BLOGs you have seen this mystery object loose and dangling.