Illinois Railway Museum Blog

     This has been my home-work for the winter.   Yes, I have been busy working in my basement workshop, installing latches, repairing, and painting more brass 2612 windows frames for installation.                 Here's the report on my progress todate.

Right and left hand window latches primed and painted in my basement  Thanks to Jane Blackburn for sandblasting many of these parts

One of 18 painted frames waiting for installation of the window latches

Here is a window frame before it has been sandblasted.

           Kyle and Gary have sandblasted most of these frames earlier in the fall.   I then took them home to complete the restorations.  

           Another member of our team, Dan Bixler, has also been working at his home cleaning and painting the brass window strips that hold the window frame into the car body.  So far he has painted about 60 of these strips and will bring them to Irm when its gets warmer! 

Here is a similar frame with installed working latches, new bottom gasket and caution sign applied

A sample of the 18 frames waiting for the arrival of glass panes.   They will be installed w/ gasketing in my basement staring the week of Feb 10th 

 As many of you remember, we began our efforts to restore this car, for operation, in February, 2013.   With Mike Baksic's encouragement we hope to meet our two year time frame.  

         Want to become part of the "Team 2612"???!!!   If your interested you can contact me thu email or call and leave a phone message at the museum's number. 815 923-4391.       Thanks.         With the Frisco 1630, steam engine running this year we will need  the increased capacity this car offers on the steam train.

 As soon as the weather gets a little warmer[I hope we don't have to await too long] our crew will again be busy installing windows and installing parts on the coach.    WHY NOT JOIN US!!.                                 Roger