Freight Car Department

Here is a post that will certainly not be the same run of the mill news.  This project has been in the works for maybe a year and one half and the job was executed Friday.  Jamie Kolanowski led the effort including securing replacement wheelsets.  Helping were Mark Secco, Jeron Glander, Mark Sanborn, and John Brazil.  Mark was instrumental in this task since the heavy lifting was done with our CNW 6363 crane, and this would not have been possible without the many days of work Mark has devoted to this piece of equipment.  Pictures were furnished via e mail today from Jeron Glander and Mark Sanborn.  Thanks fellas!  Of course I was unable to be there, and have tried to place them roughly in time order and 'invent' some caption info.  There are a lot of them, and I am sure you will see the steps, and appreciate their long day, made even longer by a line of thunderstorms which rumbled through before 10 AM.

Setting the Stage

Our Commonwealth Edison 15 locomotive moved everything into place roughly as you see it here.  The location is where Depot Street is crossed by the tracks leading to the Thomas boarding area.

On Spot

The equipment is nearly where it should be, Jamie walking beside the caboose, Mark wearing the orange safety equipment.  A spreader has been rigged and the crane moved to the next adjacent track to the east to give room to work and a better angle.  Oh yes, what was the project?  Replacing two thin wheelsets on our Illinois Central Gulf 199458 caboose.

The Work Starts

This is still before the rain with the crew working on the truck in question.  Luckily (?) both bad wheelsets were in the same truck.  First step - to remove the keeper castings designed to hold the roller bearing cartridges in place in the truck frames.

Worker Bees

I guess everyone needs a title and if I was there, Mark (in orange) would be the LIFTMASTER.

Looking East

Here is the arrangement but that sky is looking ever more threatening.  AND THEN IT RAINED AND RAINED.

Wet Streets

More of the Same

Here is the overall view after the line of storms had passed.

Ready to Lift

  Now you can see why railroads called this type of equipment the BIG HOOK.

The Perfect Pose

From this angle the new wheels are directly in line with the ones to be removed.  All we need is a Star Wars transporter device to swap them out.

Quiz

What is Mark pointing at or doing?  Quiz of the day allows you to furnish the best caption.

In Style

Mark did this exact job for the UP before retiring and still looks very stylish in his garb.

In the Air

In the Air

The lift has been made.  With the trick frame chained to the car body, the old wheelsets simply drop out.

This caboose has been out of service several years due to the poor condition of two wheelsets.  Next job is to do our department inspection and lubrication.  Once mechanically sound, should we operate it?  It is a favorite with our train crews with the large spacious end platforms.  This modern caboose was built in 1970 and the years have not been kind to the paint job, never having had enough support to be considered for storage inside a Barn.  I am thinking we should recruit folks to clean it up and repaint it, and that includes the interior which is also pretty shabby and with peeling paint.

This was certainly an odd weather day.  The forecasters were unified in the prediction it would rain all day, until mid afternoon when it it be REALLY BAD weather.  Some volunteers may have been scared off and some events in Chicago were postponed.  Two of the volunteers had concerned wives who called the shop to tell them to clear out before 2 PM to beat the predicted storms.  We figured we could get an hour or two of work in on the plow, so began with that right away in the morning.  And worked along for almost six hours without rain!  We got a lot done.

Another New Sill

Shop work was the first task for Buzz Morisette as he worked to fabricate another new window sill for the cab cupola.  This one is destined for the rear window area, if I am not mistaken.

Who Is That

Why, it is Dave Rogan of course.  Here he is leaning out the cupola window area, and wire brushing the metalwork.  Earlier he and I had two needle chippers going at once scaling layers of old paint.  You see what those areas look like to your right of Dave, in this picture.  Then Dave was using a power wire wheel to clean down to bare metal, seen in the posts to your left left.  And below the roof line a hint of the old yellow paint is visible.

Priming

Always with an eye to the sky, Victor Humphreys came topside and applied primer to all those areas that had been prepped.

The Roof

We had also started on the very long job of restoring the roof.  Only a small area to be sure and a bit scary perching way up on the left front corner, knowing there is only the gaping maw of the plow below you.  But here is the first primer going on the roof.

More Help

We were very grateful to have some new and unexpected help from Joe Luciani - here cleaning the truck frame on the left side - and Lee Regione.  They were sweating in the sun on the ground while we were sweating up on the roof.

Here Comes the Paint

Victor had completed the painting up on the roof while the ground work continued.  Just in time.  Victor attacked those cleaned areas with fresh primer.  Here he is doing a triangular flanger support, and then he moved on the prime the truck frame.

Framed

Inside the cupola Buzz toiled away fitting new wood and also fitting the slider window for the left side.  The fixed window looks good installed and the surrounding area painted in the deep maroon.

Like the Everready Bunny

Using the needle chipper is a funny task.  It is loud and some vibration is involved.  But it can be very satisfying to see the years of use and abuse peel away.  You just do not want to put it down.  As the painting was going on on the opposite corner, Dave started cleaning layers of paint from the left front corner and roof.

Parts

The old TV commercial seemed to say "Parts is Parts", at least for a chicken.  Not so true for restoration work.  Bill Peterson is cleaning up many of the cupola window hardware parts.  Earlier he had completed the fitting and installation of the floor repair pieces inside the rear compartment, left side.

Locks

Victor Humphreys is installing a very old mortise lock for one of the doors on the snowplow.  Lots of drilling, fitting, chiseling.

Cupola Framing

Buzz Morisette continues the tricky work of restoring the window framing and sills in the cupola.  Here he adding some paint to the framing for the left rear window.

Cupola Roof

First thing in the morning Victor Humphreys went up on the roof and finished the second coat of new paint on the cupola roof, before the metal work got too hot in the sun.  Uncertain weather drew out this task, but we are off and running now.

Cupola Maroon

We also applied the first maroon to be seen on the cupola.  This to the posts, trim, and framing exterior, while Buzz applies some finish grey to the new wood sills and posts on the left side.