Entries by James Kolanowski

Just a quick update from last night on Wednesday evening...the batteries recently installed into 7525 were cabled up and everything tested successfully, so that project is complete. Next up on this loco is to go through a very thorough cleaning of the traction motors to improve their megger readings.

Photo: Cables connected to the new batteries.

Photo: Our first loco with a computer, which shows a battery voltage of 66 volts.

Last Sunday, Nick D was able to trim the front corner of the 33C's nose that had been previously torch cut and ground everything smooth so the supports and patch can be welded in place very soon.

Photo: Metal grinding and trimming completed on 33C.

Gregg W was also in the shop yesterday painting many parts for the Union Pacific M-35 doodlebug. While those were drying in other areas, he was sanding some wood pieces for another car he is also working on.

Photo: Gregg sanding some wood trim.

This coming Saturday is a meeting day for half the day in the morning, but we still plan on working on some projects in the afternoon and on Sunday. If you would like to volunteer in the shop and help out on the current projects being 7525, 1605, 411 and 33C, let us know!

Our goal for Saturday was to get a new set of batteries that arrived a few weeks ago installed into WC 7525 and then get the equipment on shop track 22 ordered differently. The temperature being in the middle 50's made it very nice to work outside in the sun! Mike B and I started by disconnecting the leads from the old bad batteries in 7525. When we were working on the FM side box, it just looked really small compared to the larger size unit batteries at 25 plates per cell that were ordered. As it turns out, the FM side boxes will only take small unit batteries at 19 plate per cell. Luckily we had just put a new set of the smaller ones into 6847 back in December. Our work for the day was doubled as we now planned on moving the new small unit batteries from 6847 into 7525 and installing the new large unit batteries into 6847.

Photo: Ready to remove a battery from 7525.

After disconnecting the leads in 7525, we tossed a bunch of other tools onto the deck and started CE 15 to move the locos over the crossing at Central Avenue. By this time Colton V joined us and we moved the 7525 and 6847 nose to nose so we could work on both locos at the same time on each side. As I went to borrow the steam departments little forklift, Colton and Mike removed the side panels of the battery boxes on 6847 and disconnected the batteries in it.

Photo: Colton and Mike remove the side panels of 6847.

We removed the old bad battery out of the ENGR side of 7525 and removed the new small battery out of 6847. While I went to get the new large batteries from the shop, Colton and Mike cleaned out the box which had a lot of rotted wood and some rotted steel laying in it. How things typically go at the museum, easy jobs occasionally become much more involved, while getting the second large battery from the shop, the little forklift got stuck as the asphalt pad right behind the barn door broke apart as it was driven over, likely due to the warmer temps and ground thawing. Nick D drove me over to B&G to get the big forklift to pull the little one out and then used the big one to get the battery out of the barn and onto solid ground so the little forklift could be used again. The large unit batteries weigh about 1,600lb each.

Photo: The old battery ready to be removed in 7525.

Photo: A lot of debris to be cleaned out of 7525s box.

Nick D also joined us at this point and we worked on the other side, removing the batteries from the FM side of the 7525 and ENGR side of the 6847. Removing the small battery from 7525 was a pain as it fit REAL tight! We had to break apart some of the wood blocking to get it out. One of the new large batteries was installed into 6847 and all the blocking reinstalled, and the small battery removed from 6847 was installed into the 7525 and blocked into place. We went back to the first side and did the same thing with both remaining batteries.

Photo: Mike and Colton after installing a new large battery in 6847.

Photo: A new small battery installed and blocked in 7525.

Mike, Colton and Nick reconnected the cables in the 6847 and reinstalled the side panels of the battery boxes while I moved the two old batteries to the pile behind the shop and returned the little forklift to the steam shop and the big forklift back to B&G.

Colton and Mike moved the locos back over to Barn 2 and pulled BN3 out from the deepest spot in the shop. Mike, Nick and I shoveled a few inches of gravel from between the rails for an SD truck length so a human can get under motors more easily to work on them in this spot on track 22 all the way at the end.

Photo: A short section of track cleaned off to the top of the ties.

The order of the locos was changed and 7525 shoved all the way in first and then 1605, with BN3 and CE 15 going in the west half of track 22. After the switching, Colton and Mike had to leave, Nick and I stuck around and cleaned up the end of the shop more by tracks 22 and 23.

Photo: WC 7525 and MILW 33C ready for additional work.

Photo: Nose work will continue on MILW 33C.

Nick continued later working on cleaning up the inside of 33C and was planning some work on making some smooth edges on the nose to weld in some steel in the future. That's all for the day, until next time...

Union, IL - A giant piece of Chicago history is coming back to life at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, McHenry County. On October 29, 2016 at 5:00pm the 70-foot long illuminated SANTA FE sign which for decades sat atop the Railway Exchange Building at 224 South Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago will be re-lit following an extensive restoration effort. The sign was acquired by the museum in 2012, when it was removed from the building and donated by the building's previous owners, Hamilton Partners. Restoration of the sign, which was constructed in 1982 to replace an earlier 1962 version, took place in 2016 courtesy of a grant from the BNSF Foundation.

The Santa Fe sign on the Railway Exchange Building in Chicago. Photo credit: Mike Blasek.

Restoration of the enormous sign was conducted by MK Signs Chicago. "Over 260 man-hours went into this project," said Dave Diamond, head of the museum's Buildings & Grounds Department. "The work included cleaning and repairing polycarbonate surfaces, wiring replacement, and installation of over 1400 energy-efficient LED modules to illuminate the letters." Steel supports were installed near the museum entrance, where the SANTA FE letters will be easily visible from passing cars. The sign joins other restored railroad signs at the museum including examples from the North Shore Line, South Shore Line, Illinois Central Railroad, and Chicago Transit Authority.

The restored Santa Fe sign on display at the Illinois Railway Museum. Photo credit: James Kolanowski.

The Illinois Railway Museum was founded in 1953 and is located 65 miles northwest of Chicago in Union. The nation's largest railway preservation museum, it encompasses all aspects of railway history including steam and diesel locomotives, electric streetcars and elevated cars, and historic passenger and freight cars which are operated on the museum's 150-acre site and 4.5-mile long railroad. The museum will be open in November and December for its Happy Holiday Railway event, during which the SANTA FE sign will be on public display.

Link to PDF Press Release

Link to PDF Detailed Information Sheet