Passenger Car Department

We have some progress to finally report on the ongoing restoration of the 8-1-2 sleeper. Mark Hofmann has been wire wheeling and needle chipping the women's bathroom and connecting hallway for the past two months. He was at it again this last Sunday, Oct 27. He worked on grinding off the excess paint on the ceiling where he had previously chipped. This is a very difficult job. First, working overhead with an electric grinding is very painfully. Very quickly your muscles fatigue from the overhead work. Second, the temperature near the ceiling is always hotter at the top. Don't try this in warm weather! It's another reason for fatigue. The heat can be unbearable. That's the reason we accomplish these tasks in either early Fall or Spring. He also finished priming the hallway where months ago he had needle chipped and sanded the area. If you don't prime the area it will soon start rusting. Here are the results of his efforts.

We are also getting some estimates for making a missing wall panel from R&B Welding of Woodstock, Ill.   Please consider a donation to help defray the costs of manufacturing.    Thank you.      Roger and Mark

EXTRA!!!! EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steam Locomotive,  Frisco 1630,  our 2-10-0  was test fired for the first time today!  It also moved under its own power!!   Thanks to the men and women  of the steam dept!  A job well done!

A special Thank You to Tom Schneider.

                    This was a first in the coach dept.   Saturday, October 19th saw 4 volunteers working on the 2612 but I was the only male volunteer in the group.  Yes, I was happily outnumbered by three ladies working in the coach.  Jane Blackburn, Nancy Ring and a new volunteer, Sarah Meuller all worked on 2612 project.  Sarah's friend, Dave, volunteers in the Steam Shop.                            I, not to be outdone, was disassembling one of 32 brass window frames.   Removing two window latches from each frame is quite time consuming.   It would be easy if they were fastened to the frame with brass screws but that is not always the case.   Many times when they were repaired by the RocK Island maintenance crews they use anything they could find.   That includes the steel screws which, now, I am  having so many problems.   The screws are rusted into the frame.   Its very time consuming and difficult to remove.   To date almost all the latches have been removed.     Happy Halloween to everyone!   I hope all of you came out to enjoy the " Terror on the Train" this year!    It was sccarry!!                         When your out visiting Irm  please stop by the 2612 project.                                               Thanks  for reading,   Roger