Illinois Railway Museum Blog

There's always something to do.  Outside work on the yards project has slowed to a crawl but the parts that came down in the fall are ready to go up in the spring.  It's nice and warm inside the B&G Building, no wind eather.  A good place to recondition parts for the yards and build up stock.

I fixed up the media blaster with a new air supply hose from the compressor.  The 75 foot run was too much for the 3/8" air hose.  Too much pressure loss.  I doubled the size to 3/4" and that works Great!  Now I can actually adjust the pressure at the blaster's regulator.  It now makes quick work of rusty woodstrains.  A new window and supply of window film means I could see what I'm blasting.  When the weather is tolerable I work on accessible outside projects.

Work continues on moving equipment to the steel pole from the rotted wood pole by the pavilion.  I set the pole extension and transferred the signal and phone cables.  I finally got power into the second ART TRAIN car.  That initiated a new project.  Replacing the old transformers by the office which are now overloaded by the addition of the 2nd ART TRAIN car and additional lighting in the car shop.  In order to facilitate that future transformer replacement without an extended  power outage, I need to install a secondary tie between two transformer banks.  This tie will also serve as an emergency backup in the event of a transformer failure involving the office or diner annex.  I had planned such a tie for years but now it's installation is necessary.

Other winter work involves getting ready to do other projects.  Like a new display sign near the admission booth.  I want to get the platform lights on 50th ave station working this year.  These will be D/C cluster lights operating off the 600v railroad traction power but with new wire.  Circuits will be rewired to a safety switch on a pole outside.  The old open blade 600volt fuse box will remain undisturbed as a display but will be disconnected and not functional for obvious safety reasons.

There are issues with the R33 rectifier which must be repaired when the weather warms.  Spring maintenance must be done on the railroad,  there are several broken insulator pins and dozens of catenary hangers to replace.  Jole Ahrendt (car dept.) has been busy fabricating replacement catenary hangers.  I understand these are ready waiting for a warmer day.