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Wednesday, March 5. 2025Milwaukee Road 33C getting rewiredWork has begun to rewire Milwaukee Road 33C, our 1956 EMD E9A passenger locomotive. Existing wiring has been deteriorating and the insulation is extremely brittle in many places. It would be better to replace it now and have a reliable system in place rather than constantly having to repair areas of it. Below are some photo of the progress along the way. This example of the wiring in the raceway that runs the length of the engine room show how brittle the insulation can get. This is to the engine room lights after the other wire was removed.  Photo: An example of the wire insulation. Here all the wire has been removed from the engine room and pulled back to the steam generator room. The covers will be taken off the raceway in this room and that wire removed as well.  Photo: Wire removed from the raceway from the engine room to the no. 2 cabinet. Both start stations will be rewired as well. This photo of the number 2 start station shows the extension that was added to the box for the switches added for the constant speed Head-End-Power. We will reuse the space for the interlock relays and switches for the prelube pump that will be added.
 Photo: The no. 2 start station. Here's a view sighting down the length of the raceway towards the number 1 cabinet and front of the locomotive. The lower section of trough was used for the heavy gauge wire for Dynamic Brake cabling and battery cable. The shelf in the trough was for the smaller low voltage and control cabling. The DB cabling was all removed during the HEP days. We will be reinstalling the DB hatch and cabling, and all the gear required to make DB function again.  Photo: The raceway to the no. 1 cabinet with wire removed. There is space in both the number 1 and number 2 cabinets for the Dynamic Brake transfer switches. We acquired those transfer switches years ago from some whole electrical cabinets we bought from scrapped SD's out in Oregon. The bracket is still in place on the number 1 cabinet. The number 2 cabinet will need a little extra work since some equipment and brackets were moved and removed to make room for the drive shaft through the number 3 cabinet to the HEP alternator.  Photo: No. 1 cabinet with space for the DB transfer switch. In the rear generator room, Jim is seen cutting the heads off the screws that hold some covers in place. This is part of getting access to the wiring to the rear terminal board and MU receptacle.  Photo: Jim cutting screw heads off to open a panel. There is always extra work as seen here from years of critters making nests wherever they can get access into.  Photo: A lot of cleaning is needed. Here's another round of wire to recycle in a fairly large crate.  Photo: A crate full of vintage E unit wiring. Stay tuned for more updates on the rewire and restoration of 33C. If you would like to contribute to this restoration, you can do so here at Diesel Department Locomotive Restoration Fund.
Wednesday, March 5. 2025Diesel Shop update 3/5/2025Here'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!
Monday, January 13. 2025Barn 15 Construction BeginsWhile 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:
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Comments
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...
Mon, 12-27-2021 16:28
Happy New Year to all the Departments at the Illinois railway Museum! Thanks for all the good work you do in railroad preservation. Ted Miles, [...]
Wed, 10-13-2021 13:33
Was the CB&Q 1309 every transported to IRM?I’ve been reading old issues of Rail&Wire and the car was mentioned several times.
Mon, 06-07-2021 22:40
I was wondering if in the model layout display what scale would you guys be using and would you be displaying model train history as well? Just [...]
Wed, 06-02-2021 17:27
Nice to see 428's cab back on. Looking forward to when it is operable!
Tue, 06-01-2021 16:47
I hope the work will continue on the UP #428. Now that they are the museum's connection to the national railroad network; she would be very [...]
Sat, 04-17-2021 23:07
What is the status of 126, the Milwaukee Buffet car that is in S. Dakota? Any guess on when or if it will get to IRM?
Wed, 04-14-2021 21:09
Perhaps it is time to scrap the remains of the c, B & Q 7128 to make room for the Villa Real. Ted miles, IRM member
Wed, 04-14-2021 15:26
Hi IRM my name is Jason and I was wonder If you guys would be willing to save a CN Dash8-40cm they are currently being retired by CN and being [...]