Passenger Car Department

Much of the work on coaches, this year, has been concentrated on our running fleet of Rock Island coaches and the BLE 25.    While still repainting roofs on the coaches Howard Gierer has freed  up some time to restart another  project.  This latest painting project is actually an old one!   We are now focusing on finish painting one of our IC coaches, #3345.   Incidentally, the next Rail and Wire will have an extensive article on this food bar coach.     Here are some of the early August efforts being play out in our new shop, barn 10.  August 9th was our start date and already we have sprayed one coat of orange and already sanded and prep it for the second coat.  Remember this an 85 foot coach so it takes a lot of teamwork to sand and prep each side.    Please consider coming out to volunteer and put some time into this project!  This will be a very striking accomplishment once we get it completed.   Feel free to stop by our new shop and view our interesting assortment of projects.         One of the torsion bars that support and buffer mechanism was bent many years ago.  Jerry with my assistance removed it from the coach body.  That was a difficult job.  This one will be taken to the steam shop to be straighten.   It along with the opposite one will then be painted IC brown before installation.   The prepping is the most important part of any painting project but it takes most of the manpower.  We are always seeking new volunteers as well as members that we have not seen for a while.    Lots of projects to pick from and a few more coming on line in the not to distance future.   If you can't make it out to help please consider donating to a passenger coach dept.  Pick a specific project of your choice.   How about this one,  IC 3345.                  Thanks    Roger