General Blog Entries

Motoring in Style

Working as a volunteer at IRM often has unexpected fringe benefits.  Pictured here is Frank Carraro operating a two car North Shore train last weekend.

Frank has worked a long and productive career for real railroads and recently found time to come out and join the volunteers at IRM.  Sort of a busman's holiday, he has joined the Signal Department, mirroring the bulk of his professional work.

I have known Frank and of his railroad interests for longer than we both probably care to admit.  Suffice to say I rode with him chasing the North Shore when it was still in operation, as we hoped to take and record photo images of the cars and line.

Frank has always had a hope of someday operating a North Shore car, and it came to pass, as a two car train no less!  When you are a volunteer at IRM you often join up with a likeable bunch of fellows (and some gals) as much for the social aspect, as for contributing to railroad preservation, and also learning in the process.  In Frank's case he may be taking on some of the teacher role since I bet he has forgotten more about railroads than I will ever learn.

But the crew learned of his 'bucket list' wishes and when the opportunity presented itself, all of the crews worked around scheduled operations and got him a complete mainline round trip in the cab.  There are other satisfactions to volunteering at IRM, and believe it or not, positions are OPEN.  We do a lot of work throughout the winter, in the wood shop for instance.  Give us a try.