Diesel Department

Here's a few updates and photos from the past month around the shop.

Two sections of concrete were poured at the East end of tracks 21 and 22. This gives us more work space when the tracks aren't occupied with equipment.

Photo: New concrete for additional workspace.

A couple water pumps were dug out of our spare parts stock and will be send in to be rebuilt. Once that is completed, one will go on C&IM 30 and the other to the #2 engine on 515.

Photo: EMD water pumps for rebuilding.

The rear number boards that Bryan M made last year were installed in CNW 7009. While 7009 was in the shop, it went through an inspection.

Photo: Rear number boards installed in 7009.

The Chicago and North Western 4160 patch job from last year was reverted back to Rock Island 4506. The magnets on the cab were removed and number boards all swapped back to 4160. It was also inspected while it was in the shop.

Photo: CNW 4160 patch back to CRIP 4506.

United States Army 8537 was brought into the shop for a number of items. Some grounded wiring was replaced on the #2 aux gen, which hadn't been working for some time. Both engine rooms were cleaned of oil leaks. Motors and generators were inspected. A seized slack adjuster was freed up and adjusted. Sand tanks were topped off.

Photo: Cleanup inside the engine compartments of USA 8537.

BN3 had some cleaning within the engine room. Some panel covers were reinstalled and broken bolts for those covers drilled and tapped as needed. IT 1605 was brought into the shop for an inspection and filter change. C&IM 30 was also brought into the shop for a prelube pump installation, some rewiring of the cab fans and to make room for a radio breaker and new wiring there, an inspection and one water pump replacement.

Photo: Prelube pump and filter mount in CIM 30.

Some pallet racking was setup for a temporary place to store our oil and fuel filters. The Ingersoll Rand 91 traction motors were moved into the new open area on the east end of track 21. They will be cleaned and evaluated to see what each will need to be made operational in the future.

Photo: IR 91 motors moved in for evaluation.

To keep these projects going, we're always in need of your support. Donations can be made to the Diesel Department Restoration Fund. Thank you!

While some of the gravel work had begun for Barn 15 back in October 2024, this past weekend, the first of the holes for the sonotubes have been dug. These will hold the concrete which will hold the galvanized steel posts, which will then attach to the wooden posts above ground.

Gravel being spread back in October 2024.

Holes and sonotubes going in for concrete.

Barn 15 is designed to be a 464 foot long building with four tracks, housing 1,784 feet of usable indoor track space at a total estimated cost of nearly $780,000. The Diesel Department has bought 835 feet of that indoor space for a little over $375,000, all funded by your donations and through your purchases in the Take The Throttle fundraising events. Some of our departments locomotives getting permanent inside storage are as follows:

• Amtrak 945
• Armco Steel B71
• Armco Steel E110
• Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 543
• Conrail 4601
• Burlington Northern 1
• Burlington Northern 2
• Burlington Northern 3
• Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 9976
• Chicago and North Western 515
• Chicago and North Western 6847
• Chicago and North Western 7009
• Chicago and Illinois Midland 30
• Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific 4506
• Wisconsin Central 7525

Progress on the restoration of Milwaukee Road 33C continues at a slow pace. The next areas of engine room paint prep around the generators, aux gen, and blowers is extremely tedious to clean and prep. The same goes for the areas around the equipment rack, which includes the governor end of the engine, oil and fuel filter housings and strainers, lots of piping and other pieces. Here we see the main and aux generators primed and painted for the No 1 engine.

Photo: The FM side gets a coat of epoxy primer. While wet, it looks like it is a final coat, but it will dull a lot as it drys.

Photo: The engineers side with a coat of epoxy primer.

Photo: The finished product on the engineers side after the main gen, aux gen, engine blower and duct, and other accessories receive the final coat of paint.

While there was some paint mixed, there were four covers remaining to be painted that go between the radiators and the engine room. Those were primed and painted at the same time, along with one electrical cabinet cover.

Photo: The outside of the electrical cabinet cover and the four radiator covers all primed and painted gray.

Photo: The inside of the electrical cabinet cover is painted with red insulating paint.

We'll add additional small updates to this blog as we progress through the engine room. As always, we're looking for donations to the Diesel Locomotive Restoration Fund to help continue the type of work you see here. Thank you for your support!