Does anyone know the status of have steam operating at the Illinois Railway museum this year? I was poking around the web site today it said to check back for updates thru out the year. Are they close?
Bert
An "expensive model collector"
No, you don't know where the 1630 is. It's inside a building on the property. Any work it needs done will be handled on premises, or the affected parts will be taken off and shipped to where they need to go.
You might be confusing the 1630 with the Nebraska Zephyr consist, which is at Avalon Rail Car in Milwaukee for repairs and restoration that are beyond the museum's capabilities.
The Union Pacific engine you refer to is the 428, a 2-8-0. Work on this engine is proceeding, but not as quickly as we'd like as it is an extensive restoration.
I should never say never, but I'm confident you will never see the 2903 run at IRM. It is far too big (and expensive to run) for the relatively small trains and distances run at IRM. Smaller engines better suited to our typical 3-4 car trains are a much better choice for spending our limited resources of manpower and money.
NZ
What about the Shay.
Sorry for the delay in responding.....and please accept my apologies for the misinformation received at the Museum. It is unfortunate, but some of our members feel compelled to answer every question put to them, even the ones they don't know the answer to. As the late Bob Collins (WGN radio personality) used to say, "if I don't know the answer, I'll be proud to lie to 'ya!!"
The CB&Q 637 is the 4-6-0 that once was on display at Lincoln Park in Aurora and now resides at the Museum. One of our loyal members, the late Eddy Persons, had once worked for the Q in the Aurora shops and over the years took it upon himself to keep the bearing surfaces of the 637 lubricated so they would not be destroyed by corrosion, in hopes someday she could be restored.
The 637, being over 100 years old, will need a lot of replacement parts and metal fabricated, but it is restorable, it's simply a matter of time and money. The 1630, UP 428, the Shay (J. Neils #5, needs flues, so I'm told) and a few others are all better candidates for restoration to service at this time, since they will require less $$, time or both. Personally, I think 637 would be an absolutely perfect "chooch" for our operation: a small, branchline engine pulling a 3-4 car coach train, just enough load to mark her bark!
A lot more could get done at IRM (and any number of other Museums) if there were more people to contribute their time, expertise, money or any combination of the above.
I don't volunteer in the steam shop (my time is taken up in other departments), but the folks in that department can give you the best, most up-to-date information on their activities if you stop by there on your next visit.
Regards,
I've been following the work on 428 for a number of years(and even did some work on her). I don't know if the information is completely accurate or up to date, but it was my understanding that both 428 & 1630 need drivers turned and in order to do that the drop pit in the shop needs to be repaired. There was also some issue with the wheel lathe and there was talk of sending the drivers out for turning once they were removed.
428 has new flues and it's boiler was inspected and tested a few years ago and it's in better shape than it would appear. Boiler jacketing is just sheet metal over insulation and not really a big deal. The issue with it is rebuilding the cab and restoring all the backhead appliances.
Someone in the U.P. steam program devised a cutter that replaces a brake shoe and allows a driver to be trued by towing a loco back and forth. Not sure if that has been considered or would work, but it could also be the source of a Plan B.
NebraskaZephyr wrote: don't volunteer in the steam shop (my time is taken up in other departments), but the folks in that department can give you the best, most up-to-date information on their activities if you stop by there on your next visit.Regards,NZ
don't volunteer in the steam shop (my time is taken up in other departments), but the folks in that department can give you the best, most up-to-date information on their activities if you stop by there on your next visit.
Years ago I read where "The Mighty Penn" had a dynamic test bed for steam locomotives at its big shops in Altoona, PA. The Company would order a locomotive lifted onto the test bed, fire it up, and then have someone run it in place while the mechanical engineers measured stuff like coal and water consumption rates, drawbar horsepower, dynamic augment, and the like.
So is there any truth to the rumor that the I.R.M. plans to build something similar, but instead of using the dynamic test bed to measure a steam locomotive's economic usefulness, I.R.M. plans to gear the rollers on which each drive wheel sets to alternating current generators, which, in turn, would sell freshly made electric power to the Commonwealth Edison Company?
This rumor makes perfect sense to me! With such an arrangement visitors could enjoy the motion work of a steam locomotive chugging away under load while the Museum would benefit by taking some of its "dead, tired iron" and turning it into a profit center.
Whadda concept!
daveklepper wrote:As Hell slowly freezes over!
Thanks for the kind words, snagletooth...The Museum was founded and built by a bunch of folks that were nothing if not determined.
BTW, work is progressing on the drop table, which will facilitate much of the work on 428 and 1630, so there is hope! Keep those cards and letters (with contributions enclosed! ) coming!
Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
n012944 Does anyone know the status of have steam operating at the Illinois Railway museum this year? I was poking around the web site today it said to check back for updates thru out the year. Are they close? Bert
Go to the IRM's website, and go to the steam department, they have a full update on the Steam department's operations and activities every 1 or 2 weeks. Also on the website home page is a calender which is color coded to show what type of locomotives are operating on different days.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.