Milwaukee Road 33C update
Illinois Railway Museum Blog
by
2y ago
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 ..read more
Visit website
Mt Harvard Restoration Update
Illinois Railway Museum Blog
by
2y ago
This last year, 2021, was very productive with our volunteers working on various projects in and around barn 10. The Mt Harvard is a case in point. What follows is just a sampling of what has been accomplished since my last update on this sleeper. Paul and Ed removing window frames. One of the major tasks on the MT HARVARD that started in 2020 and carried over to 2021 was the restoration of all interior and exterior window frames. Counting all 40 frames to be removed inspected and repainted was by far a monumental task. Details of just one section. John Knoll is working on the window s ..read more
Visit website
Milwaukee Road 649 Roof Project
Illinois Railway Museum Blog
by
2y ago
This has been the fall 2021 project, painting and protecting the roof on the Milwaukee 649. There is a lot of labor that comprises a project like this and it is almost completely painted. The eight or nine volunteers, including three from the diesel department, made it happen. My Thanks to all of you for your hard work! The Pawnee and Milw 649 switch out of the barn. We switched the car out of barn 10 and then positioned it in the exterior scaffold to begin the work. Tom started the roof work by needle chipping this portion. October shows areas primed. It is a long 85 foot car. G ..read more
Visit website
Rock Island 2524 update
Illinois Railway Museum Blog
by
2y ago
A group of nine coach department volunteers have been working on the restoration of our last Rock coach 2524. It has been a gradual process, but it has gathered some momentum in the last seven months. Doug starts the project. Here is Doug in late June of last year and one of our 15 member volunteer staff starting the needle chipping project on the south side of the RI coach. The next day. Before the days work is finished Doug spray primes the area. Doug, June 22rd. Now Wednesday one of our younger volunteers Austin is showing off his chipping ability. Austin, June 23rd ..read more
Visit website
Track Department report May 1
Illinois Railway Museum Blog
by
2y ago
Today started later than usual with Tom and myself as the crew. We started around 9:30 with a fuel up of the 50 burro, the 30 burro, and the regulator. We then set to work to fix the starting circuit after the wiring harness melted on the overheated engine a couple weeks ago. A replacement low voltage circuit was installed with a new starting switch installed in the battery switch compartment. Much easier than trying to use jumpers under the crane. Once installed we tested the fix, and then went to work with the 50. Today's plan was to set out more track panels back in yard 13. Last week we s ..read more
Visit website
Diesel Locomotive Indoor Storage funding update
Illinois Railway Museum Blog
by
2y ago
Here is a follow up to our post from a couple weeks ago about our push for funding indoor track space. Two historic Armco diesel locomotives have been fully funded to be stored indoors, they are the Armco Steel B-71 and Armco Steel E-110. The B-71 is a Baldwin-Westinghouse build in 1930. The E-110 is a Lima-Hamilton LS-1200 built in 1951. The estimated cost to store these two indoors is just over $21,000. They have been marked to be the next two Diesel Locomotives to be store inside once the additional barn space is built and ready. Photo: Armco Steel B-71. Photo: Armco Steel E-110. The ..read more
Visit website
Raising funds for new storage Barn 15
Illinois Railway Museum Blog
by
2y ago
This is a solicitation of new funds for the purpose of building Barn 15. If you're wondering the price per foot, here is the expensive details. Pricing is subject to market conditions but the Building and Grounds Manager, Dave Diamond, has told me to expect the price to be around $250.00 per foot. Yes, expensive but consider the alternative of a rare piece of equipment sitting outside in all sorts of weather. Protection is the name of the game!! For example, in order to fund an 85 foot passenger car in this new building, it would cost $21,250.00. Very expensive, but well worth your donation. H ..read more
Visit website
John McLoughlin Progress - Part Two
Illinois Railway Museum Blog
by
2y ago
Continuing from John McLoughlin Part One, we view the transition to the full restoration of all the four open sleeping sections. Again, this from last year in 2020. Here I am installing a new Spar urethane coated window sill. Here is the completed lower section including newly recovered seat cushions. Fast forward to Nov 2020 and all four sections are completely repainted and representing a typical Pullman sleeper once again. Another view of a completed section. Here is the hallway entrance leading into the mens bathroom. Yes, we have not forgotten to repaint the ceilings. The ..read more
Visit website
John McLoughlin Progress - Part One
Illinois Railway Museum Blog
by
2y ago
The following pictures are of another ongoing Barn 10 restoration project. The John McLoughlin, as many of you know, has been receiving an extensive historical facelift. Here are the developments from mid Summer 2020. This is the last of four sections having paint applied.  June 2nd finds Sandi applying more paint to the wall.  The very eastern sidewall is now  repainted. Viewing the multiple sections showing  the divider wall of each.  The upholstery team of Jane and John working on recovering one of the seat cushions. June 5th Tim Fennell continues r ..read more
Visit website
Progress update of the Multi Purpose Building
Illinois Railway Museum Blog
by
3y ago
Here are some recent construction pictures of our Multi Purpose Building. This is the front of our building where the concrete sidewalk is being poured. Contractors at work. Front railing being installed. Interior wall installation. Wallboard being installed in the model RR display room. More installation of wallboard. Milwaukee Road Historical Association portion. Wallboard installed in the model RR area. This huge area is where the Pullman Library archives will reside. Wall area has been taped, sanded and ready for priming and painting. First coating of w ..read more
Visit website

Follow Illinois Railway Museum Blog on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR