Entries by Robert Kutella

This sure is not the same summer as last year.  More rain and only a few hot heat wave temps so far.  Clear and pleasant Saturday and Sunday.  So we spent most of the time Saturday working on the Chicago Great Western X 38 snowplow outdoors, and Sunday rubbernecked like a tourist at our Vintage Transport Show.  If not a record setter, surely one of the largest in my recent memory, with over 500 vehicles on display, and seven different trains running for riders.

First of the Ceiling

Victor Humphreys is nailing up the first of the long awaited new ceiling boards inside the rear cabin of the plow.  Just a few boards at a time but a big visual impact.

Rear Roof

Bill Peterson worked in the shop the morning, cutting and fitting the next ceiling boards, and then moved on the enjoy the weather on the roof of the plow.  He made good progress attacking the rust and old paint to the rear of the cupola/cab.  Behind him you can see the last two of the eight new windows installed in the cupola, the old rotted frames still resting on the roof after being removed.

Front Area Roof

Tom Bernacki and I (mostly Tom) went to work on the roof to the front of the cupola.  As you see here only a small area remaining, then priming and the black finish enamel.

A Prime Crew

Tom and Victor are up on the roof and they primed all the new areas to the front and in the rear of the cupola.  A number of other tasks moved along including installation of the last remaining new window on the north side of the rear cabin. And the second seat frame for the cupola got some finish paint, aluminum polished up, and more new wood parts primed inside the shop.

More Roof Work

It was not all fun and games on the snowplow.  I walked by Chicago Rapid Transit 1024 and handed my camera up to Tim Peters who got this view of the south hip roof area.  Nearly all repairs are complete - new tack moldings up, and letterboards replaced.

We recently changed two wheelsets on our IGC 199458 steel caboose and the Wednesday Special Project Team has taken up the challenge to spruce it up.  They are not much in the limelight but quietly go about the work of rehabbing many many cars on site.  Right now they are finishing up the MILW baggage car as the USED BOOK STORE.

ICG 199458 Interior

Paul Gasiorowski and Joe Luciani are conferring about the caboose interior.  They have cleaned the inside, spot primed and painted much of it already.  Paul documented any lettering, and created new stencils.

Cupola

It is hard to get a working picture in the cupola area, but that is Lee Regione contorting his body to cut in and repaint behind one of the seats.

Boxes

The woodworking is about done and Rich Witt is in the home stretch of prime painting the replica First Aid boxes for our CA&E cars.

A Door

The morning weather was rainy so the crew turned to other tasks for our Chicago Great Western X 38 snowplow.  Buzz Morisette is a genius when it comes to fussy work.  He took a few measurements and did some trimming on the second new cab door for the plow.  Here the door is inside the rear box while Buzz does some final trimming and shaping.

The First Door

Victor Humphreys is cleaning up the glazing compound and doing some other touch up on the first door recently hung on the plow.

In Place

It Fits!!!   Buzz is testing the fit on the second door, the one on the north side (right side) of the plow.  These things make a huge difference in the appearance and are a big morale booster for the crew.  Dave Rogan worked all day on the project as well, making a fairly complicated framing block to advance the interior wood lining.  We fit the last side window and touched up the paint on that.

Roof Work

John Faulhaber seems to be breathing a sigh of relief as roof work is nearing an end of the woodworking phase on traction trailer 810 from the Lake Shore Electric.  Above him is the last piece of curved end tack molding installed

Saw Base

Meanwhile in the shop, Jim Foraker stands beside our restored table saw sitting on a new welded base for measurements.  Henry Vincent helped on this lift and relocate, and the shop area got a nice cleanup in the process!

More Roof Work

Work continues on our Michigan Electric 28 roof project.  Jeff Brady and Norm Krentel are now attacking the very fussy work of bending new roof boards for the front end of the car.  I did a similar exercise years ago for the Sand Springs 68 and can testify that each board has to be shaved and trimmed before fastening down.  And there are TWO layers of these boards on each end.

Many of you follow IRM operating days on the webcams.  In case you were watching Saturday, you probably asked yourself "WHAT WAS THAT?"  On Saturday IRM hosted a group from the Great Northern Railway Historical Society as they were holding their annual convention in Chicago for the first time ever.  I would be remiss if I did not publicly and loudly thank the many volunteers involved in setting this activity up, and running the special operations.  There were probably over 30 individuals who contributed to the successful day including those in the Operating Department, Internal Combustion Department, many of my Freight Department volunteers, the Signal Department, more than I can mention by name or list here.   We had a good time rolling out the red carpet for the GNRHS with special displays, docent led tours, exhibits, and a special MIXED train.  This unusual consist (for IRM) ran a closed trip for their members and it included a photo runby at Seeman Road.

Runby

Here is the train at Seeman Road on the runby for photographers.  The train was led by CB&Q 9255 and a matching CB&Q caboose 13572 brought up the rear.  Behind the locomotive were four freight cars, five passenger cars, and three cabooses open for riders.  Before and after the special trip that same consist ran our trips for the public.  Something new, something different, and the public flocked to the cabooses.

At the Platfom

The special is loading now, ready to depart in only a few minutes.  Behind the loco the first two freight cars were of course from the Great Northern; hopper 70104 and tank car X 1390.  All aboard!!

Eastbound Special

Crossing Seeman Road and heading east, the train makes a very pastoral scene as it passes through the Illinois croplands.  We had a well behaved photo line setup, and also our members flagged the local traffic on the road and warned us of approaching vehicles.

Wiring

I was very busy with the visiting group but managed a few pics of the hardworking volunteers, still at their restoration work.  Eric Lorenz was adding more wiring to the front end of the Cleveland Transit System 4223.  Amazing how many wires, cables, and harnesses need to be made up before the ceiling goes in.

Plowed and Primed

A good sized crew worked on Chicago Great Western X 38, completing paint removal, cleanup and priming of most of the side panels on the north side of the plow.  Tom Bernacki is up on the roof, having worked up there on the needle chipper while Jim Leonard was a jack of all trades for the day's activities.  Victor Humphreys, Bill Peterson, Ray Pollice also helped us along.  Less than two weeks of good weather and some extra work days, led to this fairly fast transformation.