Illinois Railway Museum Blog

        First, I would like to thank all of you for reading my restoration blogs and to wish all of you a Happy Holiday Season!!  Next, thanks to all the volunteers in the coach dept who have help make this a very successful year for us.  A number of projects are nearing completion as well as more receiving attention. Do not forget the blogs about the railroad china display. Two weeks ago  Paul Cronin and myself inspected the progress.   Quite impressive and very professional done, I might add.    Look for in the new year more progress and maybe a new arrival or two!    Remember, your donations, whether large or small, help Irm's many, many equipment restoration projects.   Thanks    Roger Kramer,  lead restoration manager                         

                   This fall we have completed two milestone projects on our Rock fleet.   Advertising cards have now been installed in the 2602 and  we now have fifty glass windows in the 2612.     

                    Here on a sunny day in early December I am  installing the last painted window frame in the 2612.  Austin Harvey prepped the last three frames and then I Installed them.   I would like to thank Dan and Lorraine Bixler, Gary Sherman as well as Austin for taking the time to sand each car body brass frame.   This  task was needed to remove the old paint and glue so that each window would more easily open and close.   Now all 50 window frames are painted and glazed with AS2 automotive glass.    Yet to be completed is the installation of 35 feet of new wooden window sills.     This will happen  warm  weather permitting.                                          We also  have done some detail work on the newly repainted 2602.    Rick  Serenda  has installed the car cards in the coach where earlier in the fall Dan Bixler had spent three days cleaning out the groves.   Rick has also removed the peeling wall advertising sign  holders and we will sandblast and paint them when the weather warms returns.              Again,  I  hope you all have a joyous holiday season!