Chicago Great Western X 38 Russell Snow Plow

The weather was not the best but the crew soldiered on through some periods of drizzle.

Under the Roof

Jim Leonard was up in the bucket truck and working under the front roof overhang.  That surface was previously needlechipped and now it was more overhead work.  Jim wirebrushed large ares of this steel in the morning.  I bet his arms were hanging heavy by lunchtime.

Priming

And Jim followed through on the job with prime painting up there.  Nick Rindt finished needlechipping some more area on the right side plow wing, and that also got primed.

Operators Seat

Victor Humprheys painted some more finish gray in the cab cupola in the morning and here we see Buzz Morisette wrestling with the restored operators seat on the right side.  Not much room to work up there, and not much room to stage a good photo.

Ready To Go

The seat is in, and most of the cab painted.  Victor Humphreys is enjoying this setting as though they were ready to pull out for plow duty.  Come out Saturday for our open house from 1-3 pm and place yourself in the spotlight.  Paul Cronin and Kirk Warner tested the operation and both wings work.  Paul and Kirk also did some blacksmith work by straightening a floor mounting plate for one of the flanger cylinder rods.

Pipe Dreams

We will close this entry with the last of the small diameter piping that had to be removed to allow the new windows to be installed.  Here is a gauge branch tee, two sets of window defoggers, and the whistle valve and piping.

You Have to See It

You have to see it!!  In conjunction with Museum Showcase Weekend we are holding an open house for our Chicago Great Western X 38 Russell snowplow.  This has been on site less than two years yet an amazing amount of work has been done.  We have manufactured and installed eleven new windows, two doors, and relined most of the interior wood siding in the rear box of the plow body.  Most of the cab cupola has been restored and that includes a newly restored and upholstered operators seat.  Many body repairs have been done and the south side and rear end are completely repainted and lettered.  Most of the remaining body is quickly being restored and repainted.  Air piping has been repaired and is working.

Last year we did much this same thing to the delight of many of our visitors.  So stop by Track 40 from 1-2 PM and look over the progress. 

Sitting Pretty

We will also include the opportunity to climb into the car and up into the cab.  Plan on staying there a minute and taking a turn at the controls to be able to personally operate one of the plow wings!  This will require physical ability to climb steps and a ladder and there are cramped spaces and a potential headknocker.  We will have a donation jar on hand so please fill it with greenbacks to help the work continue.

Come help us celebrate the 77th birthday of this plow.