Illinois Railway Museum Blog

Michael McCraren arrived before 9:00 AM and captured an image of the first snowfall at IRM.

First snowfall of the year covers IRM - Photo by Michael McCraren

Michael Baksic and Shelly Vanderschaegne arrived about 9:30 AM. They spent the morning gathering display items to put into storage for the winter.

A crew was at work in the 1st Exhibit Car including Michael McCraren, Mark Gellman, Jon Habegger, Jim Windmeier and guest Patrice Connelly. Patrice has a major in museum studies and design and was asked to come and lend a hand with design elements in the current railroad china display preparation. Mark Gellman and Jon Habegger worked on installing a shelf.

Mark Gellman installing a shelf - Photo by Michael McCraren

Jon Habegger measuring the gap - Photo by Michael McCraren

Jim Windmeier talks over the china exhibit with guest Patrice Connelly - Photo by Michael McCraren

The LaSalle Street Station display had to be moved for the china display - Photo by Michael McCraren

Patrice brought paper plates and cups to make a mock up of the china exhibit - Photo by Michael McCraren

John McKelvey came out and Shelly took pictures with him in the Santa Fe Lounge Car. In the photo below, John sits on a completed seat juxtaposed with the obviously soiled appearance of the current seats. The new upholstery material is a close match to the fabric used in the last upholstery work done in the 1534, which was possibly in 1938 when the lounge cars were further remodeled by Santa Fe. At that time, all interior furnishings were removed. Seven Pullman sections complete with upper and lower berths with tables, berth curtains, hangers and etc., were installed. The Pullman berths were used for Dining Car overflow seating, passenger lounging, games, and etc. At night the upper and lower berths were made up and used by the Dining Car crew as a dormitory area to sleep.

John McKelvey sits on a seat he has recently reupholstered - Photo by Shelly Vanderschaegen

Shelly cleaned up the kitchen and eating area in the Birmingham just before the crew came in for lunch. Visitors included Jim West, Buzz Morisette, and Patrice Connelly.

Jim West joined the crew in the Birmingham for lunch - Photo by Michael McCraren

Jim Windmeier, Shelly Vanderschaegen, and Michael Baksic at lunch - Photo by Michael McCraren

Jon Habegger at lunch - Photo by Michael McCraren

Patrice Connelly was a lunch guest - Photo by Michael McCraren

Buzz Morisette and Mark Gellman at Sunday lunch - Photo by Michael McCraren

After lunch, items to be used in upcoming displays in the 1st Exhibit Car were collected. And the creation of the paper plate "china" continued. A big Thank You to Patrice Connelly for lending her expertise to the display project underway!

Here's a sneak peek at next year's railroad china display! On Sunday, November 2, 2014, Jim Windmeier sorted and photographed all the china we have so far collected.

Milwaukee Road patterns - Photo by Jim Windmeier

Chicago and Northwestern patterns - Photo by Jim Windmeier

Burlington Route patterns - Photo by Jim Windmeier

Union Pacific patterns - Photo by Jim Windmeier

Illinois Central patterns - Photo by Jim Windmeier

On the morning of Sunday, November 2nd, Shelly Vanderschaegen, Michael Baksic, and Michael McCraren 'winterized' the Birmingham. They moved the stairs to the preferred winter door and distributed electric heaters. There was a small turnout on Sunday for lunch but good company.

Nick Kallas, Shelly Vanderschaegen and Michael Baksic at lunch - Photo by Michael McCraren

Jim Windmeier at lunch in the Birmingham - Photo by Michael McCraren

John McKelvey at lunch in the Birmingham - Photo by Michael McCraren

After lunch, Michael McCraren and Mark Gellman went to work inside the 1st Exhibit Car. John McKelvey and Shelly worked together on Santa Fe Lounge Car berth seats. They removed five seats from one section of the 1534 and took them to their work area inside the Barn 4 shop for reupholstery. Fabric purchased recently is nearly identical to the original upholstery.

Shelly Vanderschaegen and John McKelvey with a Santa Fe Lounge Car seat - Photo by Michael McCraren

The underside of a Santa Fe Lounge Car bench seat - Photo by Michael McCraren

Saturday, November 8, 2014: Ray Mormann and Mark Gellman removed bad steps from the 2nd Exhibit Car and began planning how to secure the trap as they worked.

Ray Mormann standing where the step used to be on the 2nd Exhibit Car - Photo by Michael McCraren

The steps on the pavement in Yard 5 - Photo by Michael McCraren

Ray standing with Mark Gellman on the vestibule platform - Photo by Michael McCraren

Michael McCraren stained three boards that would become the lower shelf of the china display in the 1st Exhibit Car.

These stained boards are to be used in the new railroad china display currently under construction - Photo by Michael McCraren

Inside the 1st Exhibit Car on Sunday, November 9th, Jon Habegger, Jim Windmeier, Mike McCraren and Mark Gellman installed the bottom shelves for the railroad china display. The LaSalle Street Staion display was restyled. Work began in the Pacific Peak to lay carpet protection for winter removal of more wall carpet leftover from Amtrak service. Brian LaKemper also spent part of his afternoon in the 1st Exhibit Car working on the new railroad china display.

Mark and Jim Windmeier discuss ideas for the china display - Photo by Michael McCraren

Mark installed the lower shelf inside the display case - Photo by Michael McCraren

Michael McCraren and Mark Gellman work on the china display - Photo by Brian LaKemper

The china is laid out in position of where it will be displayed - Photo by Michael McCraren

Starting to recreate the gate board from Union Station in the late 1960s - Photo by Michael McCraren

The display for LaSalle Street - Photo by Michael McCraren

John McKelvey continued working on the Santa Fe Lounge Car seats inside the Barn 4 shop.

John McKelvey pinned new material to a previously stripped Santa Fe Lounge Car seat - Photo by Michael McCraren

Outside Barn 3 on Sunday, Brian LaKemper and Chuck Trabert worked together on the Milwaukee Road Dynamometer, finishing up winterization, packing away tools, and removing the jammed safety bars for the side doors. The bars had slid up on their hinges, shearing off the tapered pins that hold them which prevented lowering the safety bars. The bars were freed from the hinges and the hinges removed from the carbody. No photos were taken of this process.

The Steam Department kindly straightened the safety bar that had been bent at some point, and punched out the broken pins that were supposed to hold the safety bars in place on the hinge. Next time out, Brian's plans include sandblasting the hinges to remove accumulated build-up, and then to prime and remount them to the carbody. Once they are remounted, the latch mechanism for the bars can be removed, as one is damaged and requires repair.

A Call For Volunteers: Need something to do this winter and you're itching to work on railroad coaches? The Passenger Car Department at IRM is in need of more volunteers to work in the Silver Cars removing old paint and carpets. Come on out and get involved!