March in the Car Shop

Our Volunteers in Action

It takes a lot of work, time, energy, elbow grease, dedication, and determination to keep our Museum in Motion. We've assembled these photo essays, to share with you some of these activities. [Please be patient while the graphics load; we hope you'll find their detail worth any delay.]

After a gentle winter, March came in like the proverbial lion, with cold and wind and snow. Nearby Chicago saw about a half-million electricity customers without lights or power. At the Museum, however, the lights continued to glow, and our electric railroad continued to run. Kudos to our A.C. and D.C. Line Department volunteers, and our Building and Grounds Department.

The seasonally cold weather didn't stop a lot of volunteers from coming out and working in the shops. Maybe a few projects moved indoors, and a few more clothes were donned for those done outdoors.

Our photo team took these photos in the Car Shop; lots of other projects were also going on in the Steam Shop and elsewhere on the property.

(photo above) Frank Wischler (foreground), (left to right) Reg Simon, Rich Block, Bill Wulfert, Pete Vesic, and another volunteer are working on several restoration projects in the warmth of the car shop attached to Barn 4.

(photo to left) Frank Sirinek (left), Jim Nickolas (standing), and Jim Meindl at work in Barn 4.

George Clark (seated) discusses the upcoming operating season with Bruce Lampson in the Car Shop. Bruce is preparing short sections of pipe for the main air supply system as part of the restoration work on TMER&T L10, a steeple cab electric locomotive.

George Clark (standing) and Doug Geren (seated) view some photos with Jens "Little Pete" Pedersen.

With our operating season starting in a few weeks, the inspection pit is kept busy with inspection and repair projects.

(photo above) North Shore car 160 sits over the inspection pit in Barn 4.

(photo to left) North Shore car 160 sticks out the door of the barn, positioned for work on the truck sitting over the pit.

Photographs by our IRM Photo Team, using a Sony MVC-FD7 Mavica digital camera, text by Harold A. Driscoll.