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Saturday, April 14. 2018Just Another Saturday
I would just like to help announce that the Irm.org web page has been updated to a brand new format. Please take a look. I think you will be pleasantly impressed with this updated and more informative version. Now, here is a sample of what happened last Saturday. It was just another cold day at Irm. There sure was a lot of activity for a cold day. Here are just a few images of the days events. I couldn't cover every dept but just be sure lots of progress was being made.
 Ray is taking a break sitting on the cab floor of the 1630 while Ken Ristow enjoys the view.  Bob and Ed Kletecka drilling holes in the 428s new steel cab floor.  Mike McCormick, another new steam dept member, is also drilling and laying out the old pattern on the new floor steel.  Bob Olsen sanding the exterior vestibule door on the Mt Harvard.  Last Saturday he was sanding the new window exterior frames for the Mt Harvard.  Here are some 80 screw heads that I sanded and primed for future installation on the window frames.  The latest project of both the track and buildings and grounds departments.  After all these years the old bookstore passenger cars are being removed from the site next to the station. Now we shall have a much clearer view of operational equipment running by the main line.  Remember these stairs? How many times did we all walk up and down them? They will be gone shortly.  Jane and Stu from the steam dept were helping Norm and his crew with more riveting on the MEC 28.  Thats Jane heating the rivets.  Another view  The riveting is slow work but it eventually gets completed.  Heres part of the exterior where Tim has removed the old wooden siding and now is preparing to reside with new!  End view of the 1754. An interior shot. Tim is again working hard on this project! He is at the museum almost everyday except Sundays. That is his day of rest. Tuesday, April 3. 2018Continuing the Mt Harvard Restoration
Our small crew this winter and early spring have been progressing on a number of projects for the Mt Harvard. I have been working in the woodshop for about 3 months manufacturing 15 mahogany wood window frames for the sleeper. They have been made from various sized wood mahogany planks purchase from Owl Hardwoods of DesPlaines, Illinois. A lot of cutting, trimming, fitting and gluing to get the correct size and shape for the window. All the frame dimensions have been made from the specification drawings given to me by the folks in the Pullman Library. The window project is far from finished but its to the point where the frames call now be sanded and primed. I would just like to thank Tim Peters for assisting me in this project His valued experience in woodshop construction and machine operation have made my efforts much easier.
 After cutting the wood pieces to conform to the drawings I am going to use the museums mortising drill to cut holes in the long 2 inch wide wood pieces.  Here Im sitting at the machine drilling square holes to accept the tendon portion of the window .  It took me a couple of days to drill 60 holes. Very tedious work!  Heres the mortising machine in action. This is a very valuable piece in the museums woodshop. Without it many, many projects would not have been made here in the wood shop.  Here are just some of the frames already fitted and glued ready for sanding.  Sitting at our temporary work table here in the woodshop.  I also removed some of the window sill in the obs end of the sleeper. I removed the old stain then sanded, restained and applied three coats of spar varnish onto each piece.  Curt Wahlmark was one of four members of our small winter team. Here he is removing old paint from one of the vestibule doors from the Mt Harvard. Bob Olsen is sanding and removing old paint from second exterior vestibule door from the Mt Harvard. Sunday, March 25. 2018The Steam Dream is Taking Shape
The Steam Department reached a major milestone yesterday by installing the smokebox cover to the front of the boiler barrel on our Shay #5 steam engine. This is the culmination of years of work and many numerous people working towards this goal. I can't remember when the group first started working on this project but it certainly has been at least nine or ten years. Please notice at least one thing as you view these pictures. The many volunteers are relatively young. These young people are the future of the Steam Department and it bodes well for the museum in general. As I have said previously, on any given Saturday, you can come down to the Steam Shop and see at least 20 people working on various projects. Here now is what happened yesterday and last week in the shop.
 Just to remind you. This is what the shay smoke box looked like a couple of weeks ago.  This is yesterday, March 24, 2018. The smoke box cover is being installed for the very first time.  Here the gang is fastening the nuts onto the studs.  Trevor was inside the smokebox making sure the studs were in the right position. He just climbed out and happy to the light of day again. Only kidding, of course, hes smiling because the job is done!  Heres the installation gang  Another look of the shop forces. Just like the old days. A picture of the guys who participated in the work gang.  Not to be outdone Christian holds the builders number plate onto the front of the smoke box for me to photograph.  Charlie is painting the tool box underneath the 1630s tender.  Charlies Dad Paul is painting the front pilot beam of the 1630. The 1630 is getting sprucing up. We will be celebrating the engines upcoming 100th birthday this year.  This was last weekend. Working on the footboards  Not to be outdone the UP 428 is also receiving a painting job.  This father and son team are painting the flexie stay bolt caps on the 428  Here is maybe the next generation of volunteers. This is Ricks grandson. He sure had a great day. You can tell by the glint and glow in his eyes. |
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Comments
Mon, 09-08-2025 08:22
Good job on the Burlington Nortern 9976. OK.
Tue, 08-12-2025 12:56
No new news that I have heard of thus far.
Tue, 08-12-2025 12:53
I'll also be doing another update on it soon. Keep en eye out for that.
Tue, 08-12-2025 12:47
A little work was done to it for Diesel Days this year. You'll see photos floating around for the temporary short term job that was done to make it [...]
Wed, 08-06-2025 13:01
Is steam car CN 15444 going to be coming to museum several times it was to be moved to muesum
Sat, 07-19-2025 18:56
Yeah, sadly it's still there as of 7/19/2025
Thu, 06-12-2025 19:14
Its been 14 years guys, where is the unit? Like really? Did you guys misplace it? Or are repairs taking that long? At this point be might we will have [...]
Wed, 04-09-2025 17:40
Jamie Thanks for the update. She's gonna shine like every thing else you guys do! Smeds
Thu, 03-06-2025 16:28
Yes, there is a wye. Those two have been MU'ed on diesel days a year or two ago.
Wed, 03-05-2025 14:04
7009 number boards look good. Is there a way to turn a locomotive around at IRM? In case you ever had a mind to connect 7009 and 6847?
Fri, 03-29-2024 21:26
We're slackers and spend more time working on the equipment in the shop than keeping all you readers updated. We'll work on it, but I'm sure updates [...]
Thu, 03-14-2024 08:02
What happened to the Department Blog? It's been over 2 years and I still regularly check for updates, but nothing comes...