April 19, 2012

Hello Everyone

Well it has been a long time since I put up a post.  Between my new job and everything going on at the museum, there hasn't been much free time this past winter/spring.

Anyway, for those who don't know, we are holding a wine and beer tasting fundraising event at the museum on May 11.  Check out the website or call Carol for details.  It should be a lot of fun.

A lot has been happening at the museum.

0309 has received a much needed coat of paint, and looks like a different trolley. 

A viewing platform has been constructed in the main hall to allow viewing of the inside of the Ponemah, Caboose, and 10.  Thanks Tim.

We found the Ponemah bell and installed it on the locomotive along with painting up the inside.

 There has also been a lot accomplished in the shop over the winter, thanks to the warm winter we had.  16 recieved a lot of work on the end of the car including wood work on the roof and a new canvas on one end. 

16 is also getting golden glow headlights.

John Pelletier has been very busy in the shop doing all this nice work on 16. 

One motor is back together and installed in the type 5, and the armature for the second motor is out at the motor shop being worked on.  We should have it back in a few weeks, which will allow us to reinstall that motor.  We have one more motor to do on the other truck to get the car back on 4 motors.

Above are some pieces for the motors for the Type 5 that Pat machined up at the shop.

In the shop, we are also busy getting the shop rearranged and the wood shop set up.  The picture above shows the dust collector being installed. 

If anyone is interested in helping out in the shop, John, and or myself are active at the museum every Saturday in the shop. 
The museum is in full swing, with a lot going on this Spring.  Please consider coming down and helping out.  We have everything going on from simple painting projects, track work, operations, and of course the rollicking times in the shop.

Galen

January 29, 2012

Hello Everyone

It has been a while since I posted anything.  It certainly isn't because there aren't things happening.

I have taken a new job, and am getting back into the routine of commutting, and getting up to speed at the new job has taken a lot of time from my schedule.

We have a lot happening at the museum despite the winter period.  The visitor center is almost into shape from Winterfest.  Most of the decorations are put away, and the cars are generally moved into position.  We still have a few decorations to take down, and some minor shifting of cars to do this coming weekend.  We also need to start setting up the displays for this coming season.

A lot of members were up at the Amherst Rail show this year helping to represent the museum.  The booth was well set up and manned, and a special thanks to George, Ted and Tim for doing such a great job with the booth.  We had a lot of visitors with interest in both the disappearing train and the velocipede. 

For those interested in helping out, we will be at the museum for the next few Saturday's working in the visitor center getting things cleaned up, organized, and exhibits set up.  Please consider coming downt to help out.

Galen

January 1, 2011

Hello Everyone

Well Winterfest if now over, and we had a great year.  Business was up over $11,000 from last year, due in part to the wonderful weather we had throughout the event.  We only had to cancel one evening during the week after Christmas due to rain.

As always, the volunteers did a wonderful job of running the cars, keeping the cars running, hosting the visitors inside the visitor center, parking cars and all the other miscellaneous jobs it takes to operate Winterfest. 

The relatively mild weather has allowed work to continue in the shop.  The floor on the east end of 16 is now replaced, and will be painted when the tempreatures allow.

The second motor from the truck for the Type 5, was removed, and dis-assembled on Saturday.  We have baked the first set of field coils and will be installing new leads on them soon.  Once we complete thate, we will be setting up to dip and bake the field coils for re-installation in the motor.

We are hoping the mild weather holds for a few more weeks to allow us to switch the visitor center and get it set up for the coming year.  The plan is to change the display around with the Ponemah and Caboose paired togeather, and move 840 into the visitor center in place of 2056.  Of course, first we need to take down the visitor center decorations.

Anyone interested in helping with the visitor center taking down the Winterfest decorations, we will be having a work day this coming Saturday (01/07/12).  Anyone who is interested in helping to switch the visitor center, please contact Tim Lesniak. 

Anyone intersted in helping in the shop, please contact either myself or John Pelletier. 

I hope everyone had a very nice holiday, and am looking forward to a wonderful new year.

Galen

December 17, 2011

Hello Everyone

Let me start off by wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season.  For those who haven't made it up for Winterfest, the event is a great success thanks to so many different people's efforts.

Last Saturday (12/17/11), over 1,000 rides were given through the evening.  You can see by the first picture, the large number of people entering and leaving the gift shop and main gallery.

While Winterfest takes the efforts of a lot of people to keep it running, work around the museum property has not come to a standstill.

Work in the shop continues on a number of different projects.

John is working to replace the platform flooring in 16 along with taking care of some other repairs on 16.

Work is continuing on the Type 5

The car has been jacked up and the west end truck removed.  One motor has been removed from the truck, and disassembled.  We are in the process of baking the fields and renewing them for reinstallation.  We previously sent out an armature for servicing, and have that armature back to reinstall. 

(photo of motor with armature removed, prior to removal of field coils for Type 5)

We plan on continuing work on the motors for the Type 5 throughout the winter.

Other work on the Type 5 includes work on the flooring inside the car.  These pictures were taken previously, and John has begun reinstalling the floor.  Also at this time, the wiring to the car heaters is being replaced. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, and as the last pictures show Carol hard at work during winterfest with a long line waiting for tickets (On Saturday there was a constant line, with these pictures being taken around 7:30 P.M.);

Seasons Greetings.

Galen Semprebon
President~CT Trolley Museum

November 30, 2011

Hello Everyone

Well things have certainly been hectic at the museum for the last few weeks.  The snow storm in October added a lot of extra work to the set up for the event, but despite all the extra work, we somehow pulled it off and were ready for operation last Friday.  The first night was a shorter ride, but by Saturday night, we were running to Newberry siding.  There is still some overhead work to do between Newberry siding and Wells road on the catenary.  Thanks to everyone who pitched in to make this happen.  Please consider stopping down during the holiday and visit.  I'm sure George would appreciate the company inside the visitor center, and he always likes to show people his latest aquisition.

Work is progressing in the shop on the type 5, albeit at a reduced pace since so much labor was tied up in getting the line into shape and readying the visitor center for winterfest.  Work is progressing on the floor, and preparations are beginning on getting the dust collector and wood shop machinery set up. 

Work has begun on the visitor center entrance reconstruction.  The front vestibule was damaged during last winters record snow fall, and needed to be reconstructed and reinforced to prevent similar damage in the future.

Thanks to the fire museum members for their work on the line truck.  The truck is now up and running, which helped a lot in allowing repairs to the parking lot lighting.

We have also moved the trailers for the winterfest decorations closer to the visitor center to allow for easier loading and unloading.  The hope is to be able to remove the running gear in the future to drop them down, and then hide them with plantings so that the area is more visually appealing.  Also, now that the trailers are moved, shelving is being installed in one of them to help organize the contents better, and also allow us not to have to completely unload them each year to find what we need for decorating. 
 
For anyone interested in helping out, there still are a number of projects occuring at the museum this winter.  Work will progress in the shop until the cold weather sets in, then projects will occur within the visitor center. 

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving day and weekend, and look forward to seeing you at the museum this winter.

Galen  

November 8, 2011

Hello Everyone

I hope everyone has power back, and life is getting back to normal. 

The storm has created some issues at the museum.  The last Saturday night of Rails and last Sunday of Pumpkin patch were canceled.  This will cut into the museum finances, though the events were still both successful overall. 

We had some damage from the snowfall event.  Trees down on the line resulted in some damage to the overhead and A.C. electrical system for the signals.  Work has already been done to clear the trees from the line and repairs have begun.  We expect to be fully operational for the start of Winterfest.

The storm also delayed our start of preparations for Winterfest.  We had intended to switch the visitor center to change the layout of the cars within the building.  With the need to do work on the line, and the delay due to the snow on the ground, we have modified our plans to simplify the change up within the visitor center.  At the time of this writing, the cars are in position for Winterfest within the visitor center, much of the Winterfest decorations have been brought into the visitor center, and decorating has begun. 

We definitely need help the next two Saturday's setting up for Winterfest.  We only have two weekends left  before the start of Winterfest, and have a lot to do.  If you have time this coming Saturday, please consider coming down to help. 

Thanks to everyone who came out this past weekend to clear the line of trees and start repairing the problems on the line.  With the nature of the storm, we can be thankful that the damage wasn't much worse.

Galen

October 24, 2011

Hello Everyone

Well we had a very successful weekend for both Rails to the Darkside and Pumpkin Patch.  I don't have the numbers for Pumpkin patch for ridership, though the parking lot was very full for the event.  For Rails, we carried 462 people on Friday night and 737 people on Saturday night.  We had a great cast both nights. Saturday, we really challenged the inside cast since we sped up the tours to cut down on the wait time to enter the visitor center.  This coupled with bringing in larger groups of people has really helped keep the wait much shorter.  Scaring groups of up to 20 people in a group inside the visitor center is more of a challenge, but our cast is adapting and everyone seems to be having a great time.  

Thanks to everyone who have made the events successful.  Only one more weekend to go, and then we can start setting up for Winterfest. 

Work is progressing in the shop.  The type 5 was switched up this past weekend, and work has started on the car.  Seats are being removed to repair some heaving in the floor boards.  Also, wiring  replacement work on the heaters may be done while the seats are out.  Anyone interested in helping on this car, work is generally occuring every Saturday. 

Camillo is also working on the inside of the reading caboose, and I am guessing he would like help if anyone is interested in helping him. 

On Monday, October 31, Tim plans on switching the cars inside the visitor center in preparation for winterfest and also to help change up the display for next year.  Anyone interested in helping, please come on down. 

George has been working on preparing the small section house to be moved to the opposite side of the track.  This section house needs to be moved as part of the future track layout into the visitor center, and also provides the opportunity to get this building on a better foundation and more usable. 

As always, we can use your help at the museum.  There are projects happening all over the museum, and your help would aid in moving the projects along quicker.

Hope to see you at the museum.

Galen

October 22, 2011

Hello Everyone.

Well we are in the middle of the Halloween season, but that doesn't mean other work has stopped at the CT Trolley Museum.

We have switched the Type 5 back to the shop to allow work to continue on getting the motors straightened out on her.  We are also doing work on the air system, and contemplating putting a new canvas roof on her.  Once this work is completed, the type 5 will be able to enter the operating fleet in a good condition and be a very dependable car for operations.

836 has been operating very well since entering service. 

A question has been raised as to what we will be working on next after the Type 5.  The choices are either 1326 or 65.  Both cars need a significant amount of work, so we will need to choose one to work on.  We will be doing a full review of both cars to determine the condition of each, and making a decision based on that information and also on the cars other traits and usefullness to the museum.  Please feel free to let me know by posting a comment as to which car you would prefer to see worked on, and why. 

Its hard to believe that in 8 days, we will be dismantling Rails to the Darkside, and starting to set up for Christmas.  We hopefully will be in a good position to start unloading the trailers and starting setup for Winterfest on November 5.  If Christmas is your favorite holiday, what better way to really get a jump on the Holiday spirit. 

For anyone interested, on Monday, October 31, Tim plans on starting to do some switching into the visitor center to re-arrange the cars.  the intent is to move 840 into the visitor center and use her as a platform for a train layout along with 36.  This will allow for more cars to remain inside the visitor center and still provide the room for the train layous for winterfest.  The caboose and the Ponemah locomotive will also be switched around to provide better access to the caboose during Winterfest. 

As always, for anyone with time, we can use help for both Rails and Pumpkin Patch.  So far for both events, we have raised over $30,000.00 for the museum, and Rails will only be getting busier for tonight and the last weekend.

Take care, and hope to see you at the museum.

Galen

October 16, 2011

Hello Everyone

I had a typo in my last blog.  It should have read that 836 is now back in service.  It has been running well, and everyone seems excited to have it back in service.

Work over the last few weeks has centered around getting the trolley bus ready to move to Baltimore.  We made a deal to exchange one of the trolley buses for shipping of wheels from the west coast to the museum.  The trolley bus as of this writing is now in the parking lot, and should be loaded for shipment on Monday 10/17/11.

Rails to the Darkside is running well overall.  We have the usual hickups getting everyone coordinated and on the same page, but overall the crowds have been good, the cast has been fantastic, and people have given us good compliments as they leave the visitor center.

We are anxious to get the type 5 up to the shop to get work progressing.  John has already started some of the repairs on it where it sits in Woods barn.  It should get shifted to the shop in the next few weeks which will allow the truck to be pulled and the motor work to start.  We have one armature ready to be picked up at the motor shop.

As always, anyone who can help out with Rails to the Darkside or Pumpkin Patch, please consider it.  We are in need of additional motorman, and people for crowd control for Rails to the Darkside and for operations and helping inside the visitor center for Pumpkin Patch.

Hope to see you at the museum.

Galen

October 12, 2011

Well Pumpkin Patch and Rails to the Darkside are both off to a great start.  The weather was beautiful this past weekend.

836 is not back in service, and just in time for the events.  It is a great car capacity wise and a favorite of many.

1326 was removed from service due to some motor problems.  At this time, the concentration is going to be on getting the type 5 back into service, so 1326 will be out of service for a while.

It is a hectic time at the museum right now.  Anyone who can help with either Rails or Pumpkin patch, please call the office or come on down.  We can use the extra help, especially in operations.

Galen

October 3, 2011

Hello Everyone.

We are busy at the museum, with lots happening.

The "BIG" news is that 836 is back on its truck, and a successful test run was made this past Saturday.  I had the opportunity to move the car around the shop yard a little, and it was nice to be back at the controller of 836.  We have some maintenance work and other minor things to address (sticking governor and brake stand form sitting too long).  It will be a welcome addition back to the operating fleet.  thanks again to John, Pat and Chris for all their hard work and dedication to this project.

Work is continuing on Rails to the Darkside and Pumpkin Patch.  We are almost complete, which is good since the Press night is this Tuesday, and the events start on Friday.  Anyone interested in joining the cast of Rails or helping out with operations or for Pumpkin Patch, we need all the help we can get. 

We had two good days at the Big E promoting the museum and the upcoming special events.  We had great coverage by our volunteers for the event, and I thank everyone who came and helped out. 

We are now full swing into our busy season.  Please consider taking some time and coming down and helping out. 

See you soon at the museum.

Galen

September 27, 2011

Hello Everyone

Things are getting exciting at the museum.  We are in full swing on a number of projects and of course into our busiest part of the year.

The turning of the wheels on 836 are complete on the first axle, and now the truck just needs to be assembled and re-installed so we can test the car and return it to service.  A lot of work went into this project, and many thanks to Chris Chestnut and Pat McCann for all their hard work. 

Anyone who is interested in helping put the truck back together and re-install it under the car, please come to the museum this Saturday (10/1/11).  Hopefully if all goes well, the car may be able to be moved under its own power by the end of the day. 

We have been working hard to get Rails to the Darkside and the Pumpkin Patch area inside the visitor center set up.  Both of these events are critical for the success of the museum.  Anyone who is available, please consider helping out either in the setup of the events, or by helping during the events in operations.  During these two events, the museum makes approximately 1/3 of its income from operations for the year.

Just to make things more interesting, we need to finish getting the trolley bus ready to ship out of the museum by the middle of October.  Hopefully we can get a crew working on this project this Saturday also. 

We have a lot going on at the museum right now, and anyone with a few hours to spare, please consider stopping down at the museum this Saturday. 
Also, for Rails, we have the rehearsals coming up this Thursday at 6:00 P.M. and Saturday at 5:00 P.M.  for the cast, please try to make one of the rehearsals.  Generally we cover the same material during both rehearsals, so attendance at both is not required.  Also, we have an organizational meeting scheduled for 3;00 P.M. on Saturday.  Hopefully, this will be a quick meeting as most of the setup is complete.

Take care and I hope to see you Saturday.

Galen

September 19, 2011

Hello Everyone

It has been a very busy September at the museum, with work progressing on many fronts.

Rails to the Darkside setup is now in full swing.  We have a number of new things planned for this year, and expect the event to be better then ever.  Anyone interested in helping to either scare people, work in operations, or assist in another way, please contact the museum office at 860-627-6540, or email me at gbs2600@comcast.net

Work is progressing in the shop on a number of fronts. 

355: The compressor work is completed, and is ready to return to service.

836:  the wheels on one axle are almost completed.  While we keep running into issues, we are close to completion and once this axle is completed, it will be put back into the truck and under the car.  We expect the car to be running during at least part of the Halloween season.  There is still work to be done on other wheels under 836, but we will at least have taken care of the serious issue. 

169:  Work is progressing to get this car looking decent. 

The intent of the shop work at this point is to finish and return 836 to service, then pull the type 5 into the shop to go back through the motors and get this car on 4 motors and also address the air leaks and other minor problems with the car.  The type 5 has been largely restored, and once the motors and other issues are addressed, it should be a good dependable water tight car for operations.  After the type 5 is in operations, we plan on removing 1326 from service and addressing its motor issues and also go through the trucks and do a thorough job on the trucks.  1326 may at that point be out of service for a year or so to allow a thorough jobe on the car.  Other work may include substantial wiring work on the car. 

The hope is still to return 65 to service for our 75th anniversary in 2015.  In reviewing the work required on 65, it is aniticipated that one end of the car will need to be disassembled, the knees straightened, and reconstructed.  This is very similar to the work done in around 1990 on 1326.  Wiring work may also be required at the least from the motors to the controllers on both ends.  Interior restoration of the wood work etc. along with the remaining work on the roof will also be required.

840 is also a project to fit in. This may be done before 1326 in order ot provide another open car to use, and would allow us to not use 1850 as much.

Maintenance work on the operating fleet is the first priority, and will continue to be done as required. 

As can be seen, the major projects for the shop are planned out to at least 2015.  things are subject to change as new information becomes available, or as priorities of the museum change.  The shop can always use more help.  If you are interested in helping, please let me know at the above email address. 

We have a lot going on especially now that special event season is upon us.  Hope you have a chance to come on down and help out a little.

Galen

August 30, 2011

Hello everyone.

For those who are still without power, I hope you get it back very soon.

The museum survived the tropical storm Irene with some damage, but overall, we were very lucky.

A tree came down on the snack bar coach, but did not appear to do much of any damage to the coach.

We had a tree come down near woods barn which broke the high-line which supplies power to transformers along the line to power the signal system.  A few cross arms were damaged as part of this tree coming down also.

In addition the roof on the shop suffered minor damage to a cap piece, and a few panals on Woods barn were pealed off as part of the storm.

Overall, we appeared to have weathered this major storm in fairly good shape.

At the present time, work is progressing to insure that the line is safe to turn the 600 volts back on for power to the line, and to do work to get the signal system back up and running.  Once it is safe, we will open for business.

My heart goes out to our sister museum in branford that suffered the brunt of the storm.  I wish them the best of luck.  It sounds like they will be back up and running for the labor day weekend.

Galen 

August 22, 2011

Hello everyone.

We have had a lot going on at the museum through the last few weeks.

We have begun the setup for Rails to the Darkside.  the walkway between the visitor center and  members road crossing was graded off and most of the posts were set for the walkway.  We have also built a wall to block off the view from this area to the front of the site using metal shelving units. 

Work has been continuing in the shop with one wheel now complete on 836's axle, and the second wheel started.  Once the second wheel is done, we will be reassembling the truck and testing 836.  We still have some flanges on other axles that are not the best, but we have addressed the worst flange in this round.  The plan is to put 836 back in service while we work on the Type 5 motors through the winter and into the spring.  Once the motors are completed for the type 5, then probably 1326 will come in for motor work.

Here are some pictures of the wheel work on 836.

This photo shows the completed wheel.  No more sharp flange. 

Work has begun on the second wheel.  We need to match the diameter of the other wheel.

Other work going on in the shop includes the compressor work for 355 .  It is tough to see, but the compressor is under the car.  some piping work is all that remains along with reinstallation of the running board brackets and boards.  Should see this car very soon unless we have more compressor problems.

For those who don't know him.  John Pellitier (pictured above) has been instrumental in keeping the cars running and making the repairs. 

For those looking to help out, we will be starting to set up Rails in earnest starting after the Labor Day weekend. 

Tim and Xian seem to always be up to something on the track.

Hope to see you at the museum soon.

Galen

July 24, 2011

Hello Everyone

Sorry I haven't updated this in a few weeks, it has been a very busy time.

A lot has been going on despite the weather being so hot lately.

Work on 65 has begun again.  On July 9, a few of us removed a lot of the parts that were stored inside the car and then removed seats etc. to make more room inside the car for working.  The car was also leveled, and further investigations made to determine the level of work that is planned on the car.  At this point, the expectation is to disassemble one end to address issues with settlement, doing at least some wire work on the ends along with restoring the interior wood work, and roof repairs and a new canvas.  I will be setting up another work session soon.

By the way, sorry for the black and white photos.  New camera.

Work has begun on the Mansfield caboose.  George, Xian and Tim have worked to remove the interior flooring, and roofing materials. 

Work has also begun on 451.  The car is now stored in Kelly barn, and will be painted.  This is an Eagle Scout project, and once I get a schedule we hope to get some more people involved to do some body repair work that is needed.  More to come soon. 

1326 received some much needed attention over the last few weeks with work done on the steps to better reinforce them, additional work on the bumper to provide a cleaner repair, and work on the window sill including scraping and painting, along with regular maintenance work.

You may wonder why one of the trolley buses is in such an unusual position.  We worked out a trade for shipping of trolley wheels in exchange for one of the trolley buses.  The bus will be leaving the property for another museum, and work is underway to get it moved to the parking lot for transport. 

Perhaps the most exciting news is that we have finally started the turning work on the wheels on 836 that will allow it to return to service.  In this picture is a summary of the work that needed to be done to allow this project to occur.  the gantry crane over the lathe was altered to allow it to fit, then set up over the lathe.  The tracing attachment was set up on the lathe including machining and welding the support for this attachment.  Work was also done to get the lathe running again including installation of a motor, and repair to the operating equipment.  On Saturday July 16, the first few cuts were made, and Pat was busy this past Saturday working on the project.  Thanks to Chris, Pat and John for all their hard efforts to get this project to the point it is at.

Work has continued on the restoration of the compressor for 355, and 355 was moved into the shop on July 23 to allow the compressor to be re-installed.  The expectation is to see the compressor installed this coming Saturday, so anyone interested in helping out on that project, we could use a few extra hands.  Once the compressor is installed, the running boards will need to be reinstalled on that portion of the car (the running boards are removed to remove the compressor).
Planning work is well underway for Rails to the Darkside, and some work is expected to be completed on the outside walk this coming Saturday.  We need to grade the walk, then install the posts and guide rope for the walk.  Anyone interested in helping out, please come on by.  We will probably spend a few hours working on getting the trolley bus ready to move also this coming Saturday also.

As you can see, it has been a busy period at the museum.  We can certainly use help now that we are starting to get into the fall and winter special events.  Hope to see you soon.

Galen

July 5, 2011

Hello Everyone

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday weekend. 

We were able to accomplish a few things this past weekend. 

Work continued on the compressor for 355.  Over the past two weeks, the armature and field coils for the compressor were baked to thoroughly dry them out.  Once dry, the tested out well, and work has been done on the banding for both.  Also, the fields had new leads installed. The case is  being worked on with much cleaning being done.  Thanks to John Pelletier and Chris Chestnut for working on this project.

Work is continuing on the setup of the lathe for 836's wheels.  A lot of machining of parts has been completed, and it is hoped that testing will begin this coming weekend.  Pat McCann has been very busy making up the parts with the help of Chris Chestnut.  Pat has also been taking the opportunity to help teach some of our younger members, so many thanks to Pat for his efforts. 

A number of months back, we made a deal to trade one of the electric buses to the Baltimore trolley museum for shipping of trolley wheels from the west coast.  We had two sets (16 wheels) on the west coast for many years that we purchased.  Now the wheels are at the museum and available for use.  We have begun the task of getting the bus moved.  The first step is to load it onto the tag along trailer to move to the parking lot where it will be loaded onto a trailer for shipment.  At this time, the front of the bus has been jacked up and the tag along trailer moved under the front axle.  The next step will be to jack up the rear of the bus to finish loading.  Thanks to Jim Miller and Brian for helping me get it that far.  Also, thanks to Bill Wall from Branford and Bill Pollman from Seashore for their help in trying to get tires on the bus.  Unfortunately, that idea didn't work out the way we had hoped.

I announced a few weeks back the desire to start working regularly on car #65.  This Saturday (July 9) will be the first day of work.  Anyone interested in helping out, please stop on in.  Work will be starting by 9:00 A.M., with the first steps being to get the car cleaned out and the seats removed to allow work on the interior woodwork to commence.  Anyone with experience with woodwork, we also need to work on the roof of the car. 

I expect a lot to be happening at the museum this coming weekend.  Come on down and we can get you helping out in the shop, or on 65.

Galen

June 21, 2011

Hello Everyone

We had a good weekend this past weekend with work getting accomplished throughout the museum.  In the shop on Saturday, it was a mixed bag.  Work was interupted to fix motor leads on both 4 and 1850.  Both cars were repaired and returned to service.  2 different compressors were brought in to the shop for servicing.  One of the two will be used for 355. 

Work continued on the lathe setup with most of the tracing attachment now mounted on the lathe.  Welding was done on the mounting base.  We are now so close to finally starting to turn the wheels for 836. 

A while back we agreed to give one of the electric trolley buses to another museum in exchange for shipping trolley car wheels (16 new wheels) from the west coast to us.  Work started on getting the bus raised up to mount the tires on which will allow the bus to be loaded on a trailer and moved out of the museum.  We still have two other trolley buses, with one presently in the collection and the second for parts.

65 has been sitting in the visitor center for some time with very intermittent work occuring on her.  In order to help expedite this project, and at the same time get our restoration program back on track, I am taking on 65 as a project.  My hope is to get as many people involved in the project that I can.  While 65 will not be a complete restoration project, we will be restoring the interior of the car to look as good as we can reasonably accomplish.  The remaining interior woodwork that has not been refinished will be, the seats bases cleaned up and painted, seats recovered in new rattan, etc.   
I am going to be scheduling work days for this project (roughly once every 3-4 weeks), with the first day being Saturday July 9, 2011.  I will be at the museum by 8:00 A.M., and plan a number of projects for that day.  We have woodwork to do on the roof still, along with the removal of the interior seats, which will allow us room to work on the interior woodwork.  While we certainly want this car in service for our 75th anniversary in 2015, I am optimistic we will have the car in service well before then.  I will be going through my email lists to contact people who have expressed interest in working on the car previously, but please, if you are interested  contact the museum office and let us know, or email me.  I will be compiling an email list of people to help keep everyone up to date on work. 

Also, planning has begun on Rails to the Darkside.  We can always use more help, particularly more adults in the visitor center.  If you are interested in helping out, please contact either myself or the office. 

Take care and enjoy the warm weather.

Galen

June 12, 2011

Hello Everyone

Well we have had a very productive week this past week, with a lot being accomplished at the museum

1850 was switched out of Woods barn and brought up to the shop, gone over and is now back in Kelly barn and in service.  To make room for 451 back in Kelly barn, the Type 5 was switched to Woods barn.  We have one motor over at the motor shop for the Type 5, with the expectation of going through and having all the motors shopped so that the car will be 100%.

We also moved a couple of air compressors into the shop.  One of the compressors will be for 355, which developed additional problems after we had the armature shopped for her. 

4 was moved into the shop in order to go through her completely, and also to remove her line switch for repair.  We should see 4 back in service soon.

Work is progressing on the mount for the tracing tool attachment for the lathe. 

The temporary track was completed this week, and 0206 was moved under cover of the train shed next to 1739. 

Work is progressing on making the compromise joint bars for the Kelly yard track.

All in all, a very productive week at the museum.

This coming week, we will be doing work in the shop on 4 including routine maintenance, and work on the line switch.  Also, work will be done on 355 compressor.  I'm sure other projects will be underway this coming Saturday also.

Also, on June 18th, Larry will be holding a meeting regarding the day of caring.  Anyone interested in helping out that day, it is a great way to get a lot of labor to get a project done.  Last year, we did a lot of landscape work around the visitor center including the front paver section along with a number of other projects.  If you are interested, please come on down for the meeting. 

I will be working to organize the work efforts on 65.  My hope is to have 1-2 Saturday's a month work party on the car.  Initially I will need the help of wood workers/carpenters who have some experience.  There is still work to do on the roof fitting in wood for repairs.  We are still working out the extents of the project, but there will be a lot of other work to do with refinishing of wood on the inside of the car, paint touch up, seat repairs and recovering of the seats, seat frame scraping and repainting etc.  Anyone interested in helping out perhaps one Saturday a month, please contact me and I will put you on an email contact list for letting you know when work will occur.  Work will continue to occur within the visitor center, and while we need to make certain concessions in order to accomodate the public when we are open, I plan on using the project as an educational tool for the public. 

Thanks to everyone who came down to the museum this past Saturday on such a wet day and especially to those who worked in the mud and rain to get so much accomplished.

Galen

June 5, 2011

Hello Everyone.

Well we were able to accomplish a few things yesterday at the museum

1739 is now under the train shed, and the track was moved over to allow completion of the track to moved 0206 under next.

451 is now back in service, with the brakes working much better then before.  Some body work has been completed and some work on the doors has also been done. 

Pat is progressing on the  machining work for the mount for the tracing tool for the big lathe that will allow us to complete 836's wheels.  It looks like possibly as early as next weekend, the mount for the lathe will be ready to weld togeather and install.  We are all anxiously waiting for that first cut on the wheels. 

355 unfortunately has developed additional problems with her compressor.  It appears that there are additional issues with the armature.  The plans now are to service one of the spare compressors and install it until such time that we can fully rebuild the origonal style of compressor for 355.

This coming weekend, it is hoped to finish the track and move 0206 under cover.  Once this is done, we will be putting even more emphasis on work on the trolley cars that are presently in operation.  Work this coming weekend on trolleys will include work on 355 and her compressor.  We also hope to move 1850 back to Kelly Barn and switch it with the Type 5.  Once 1850 is serviced, she can also be put back into active service

We also had our first Rails to the Darkside meeting this Saturday.  We have some good discussions, and have some really imaginative new ideas that we hope to have for this years event. 

Anyone who is interested in helping out, please contact either myself or the museum office.  We have accomplished much already this year, but have a lot more to get done.

Galen