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Rock Island 887 938
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Author:  rock island lines [ Mon Sep 29, 2014 7:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

After further reflection, I realized that the IRM coach dept and steam dept are completely separate, so it was a fallacy for me to reason that a coach project should be done instead of a steam project. The two departments don't share money and core staffing.

In any case, an operable #938 pulling vintage Al Capone cars would be a sight, and among the nation's most distinctive steam-powered train sets.

Author:  Bulby [ Mon Sep 29, 2014 9:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

It should also be pointed out that IRM's steam dept has several younger volunteers that will be able to do more and more as they gain experience and knowledge of the art of rebuilding, maintaining, and operating steam locomotives.

If and when 938 is restored to operation, it will be because of dedicated volunteers in the Steam dept. and donations by members and steam lovers from across the country. The engine is currently getting cosmetic work (including a fresh coat of paint on the tender and cab), and inspected for future operation. The locomotive will need substantial work to the tender body, and other unknown work. Without funding this locomotive will be put back outside and the cosmetic repairs deteriorate again.

If enough people donate to the 938's restricted fund, it will be placed in one of the new barns. This will protect the locomotive from the elements and keep it from deteriorating until time and funding is available for an operational restoration. If people want to see the 938 indoors and (someday) under steam, then donate to the fund for 938.

Otherwise, leave the armchair quarterbacking to football.

Author:  Les Beckman [ Fri Jan 30, 2015 2:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

rock island lines wrote:
Just to be devious, I've resurrected this ancient bobyar thread from 2005. :*)

On one of the Rock Island lists, the following message appeared a few days ago about #938:
Quote:
To: CRIP-RR@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2014 3:33 PM
Subject: [Rock] RI 938 steam

IRM is investigating the condition of 938 Pacific for future operation. Yes, that's right!!
We have hired two people to remove all boiler tubes and inspect the boiler. Further pictures and information will be on the IRM blog in coming weeks. Since the museum has 5 in-service commuter coaches it might be a logical progression. Think of the endless possibilities! What the museum needs now are more funds, of course, to help pay for this. We are also planning on storing this engine, if $ is available in its fund, in one of two new barns to be built next year. Please send a donation [$] and mark it RI 938 . Thank you





A recent posting of activities on restoring a Rock Island RS-1 on another thread got me to wondering about number 938. I checked the IRM blog and found out that the steam crew repainted the tender of the 4-6-2. Also, a report that the tubes were being removed, as per the above. No news however on whether the boiler inspection was done and what was found. Any news?

Les

Author:  Les Beckman [ Fri Feb 12, 2016 7:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

I notice that the new Fall-Winter 2015 issue of IRM's RAIL & WIRE carried a two page article by Philip Cwikowski of the work done on CRI&P number 938 over the summer of 2014. According to Mr. Cwikowski, in addition to the work on the tender, the sides of the cab were repainted black along with the sand dome and various piping. The driving wheels and running gear was stripped and primed and a small test patch of graphite base paint was applied to the smoke box. Mr. Cwikowski promises in his next report in R&W, he will advise of the progress on the 4-6-2 over the summer of 2015.

Looking forward to it!

Les

Author:  IC201 [ Sat Feb 13, 2016 5:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

Having just joined the forum, let me first say that my name is Christian Ellis. I volunteer at IRM with the Steam Department and have done some work on 938, mostly needle chipping on various parts of the engine. I don't want to steal Phil's thunder, but I can hint at some work done on 938 and perhaps a few other insights.

To begin, we did find that the tender belonged to #930 in 2014. In doing so, we wanted to verify that we actually did have #938, and did so. So, the engine is definitely 938 and the tender is definitely from 930. The tender was painted as was the cab exterior and the boiler tubes were removed in 2014. The engine's running gear was mostly painted in 2015. While needle chipping the driving wheel sets, we noted that each set is from a Pacific that isn’t 938, although I don’t recall the actual numbers offhand. One pic of the painted wheel sets and some of the running gear was posted by Mr. Nigel Bennett on the blog, available here: http://www2.irm.org/blogs/archives/1881 ... but-!.html

Mr. Beckman, I know your prior post is a year old, but I can say that the boiler inspection found no significant barriers to an operational restoration. This inspection, however, was only visual. We do not have UT data on the boiler, which would provide far more detail. I do not know if there is a plan to get said data. As of right now, there are no plans to return 938 to service.

Respectfully,

Christian Ellis

PS: My words/opinions are mine and mine alone. I am not an official spokesperson for the Illinois Railway Museum. My views/opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Illinois Railway Museum, its volunteers, or any other organization with which I am affiliated.

Author:  Bulby [ Sat Feb 13, 2016 7:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

The main driver set on 938 is off 905 (which is in Duncan, OK). The #1 and #3 driver sets are from 896.

Author:  Paul-NC [ Sat Feb 13, 2016 8:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

Rock Island 905 is in Duncan, OK

http://chickasawcountry.com/culture-his ... -gift-shop


Paul

Author:  Les Beckman [ Sun Feb 14, 2016 2:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

IC201 wrote:
Having just joined the forum, let me first say that my name is Christian Ellis. I volunteer at IRM with the Steam Department and have done some work on 938, mostly needle chipping on various parts of the engine. I don't want to steal Phil's thunder, but I can hint at some work done on 938 and perhaps a few other insights.

To begin, we did find that the tender belonged to #930 in 2014. In doing so, we wanted to verify that we actually did have #938, and did so. So, the engine is definitely 938 and the tender is definitely from 930. The tender was painted as was the cab exterior and the boiler tubes were removed in 2014. The engine's running gear was mostly painted in 2015. While needle chipping the driving wheel sets, we noted that each set is from a Pacific that isn’t 938, although I don’t recall the actual numbers offhand. One pic of the painted wheel sets and some of the running gear was posted by Mr. Nigel Bennett on the blog, available here: http://www2.irm.org/blogs/archives/1881 ... but-!.html

Mr. Beckman, I know your prior post is a year old, but I can say that the boiler inspection found no significant barriers to an operational restoration. This inspection, however, was only visual. We do not have UT data on the boiler, which would provide far more detail. I do not know if there is a plan to get said data. As of right now, there are no plans to return 938 to service.

Respectfully,

Christian Ellis

PS: My words/opinions are mine and mine alone. I am not an official spokesperson for the Illinois Railway Museum. My views/opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Illinois Railway Museum, its volunteers, or any other organization with which I am affiliated.


Christian -

Thanks for the update.

Les

Author:  Les Beckman [ Sun Feb 14, 2016 2:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

Bulby wrote:
The main driver set on 938 is off 905 (which is in Duncan, OK). The #1 and #3 driver sets are from 896.


Bulby -

Interesting info. Thanks!

Les

Author:  IC201 [ Sun Aug 14, 2016 11:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

Here's an update on the cosmetic restoration of Rock Island 4-6-2 #938 by the Illinois Railway Museum Steam Team. I didn't think it warranted another thread given this one already existed.

The front of the engine has been needle chipped, wire brushed, primed and painted; the pilot, cow catcher, cylinder casting, etc. The running boards got this same treatment a few weeks ago. They're in a nice coat of black as well. The smokebox has been almost completely needle chipped. I spent a few hours today wire wheeling the smokebox front to prep it for a coat of primer. So it's getting there!

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The clay color is a little much, but it's a lot better than the rusty, dusty gray it had been before!

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Black looks a lot better, though.

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This was after the needle chipping and before the wire wheeling.

Shout out to Phil C., Ben M., Trevor P., Chris C. and all the other volunteers that have helped get the engine this far along! We hope to have her finished by the end of the operating season, or at the very latest by late October when 1630 has to come in for her winter maintenance. When finished 938 will be going into, so I was told today, Barn 9, so the paint job will not be wasted!

Christian Ellis

PS: Pictures used from the IRM Steam Team Facebook page. If so inclined, take a look here! There's some good stuff in my biased opinion. Although you will get the annoying pop up at the bottom of the screen, you shouldn't need to be a Facebook user to see it all. https://www.facebook.com/irmsteam

Author:  Les Beckman [ Mon Aug 15, 2016 12:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

Christian -

Thanks very much for the update. You guys really have old 938 looking good!


Les

Author:  IC201 [ Sun Nov 06, 2016 1:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

Summer work has, once again, wrapped up on Rock Island 4-6-2 #938 at the Illinois Railway Museum. The front of the engine was the focus this year, and work there took much more time than had been planned. But we were rewarded with a pretty significant improvement in the old Pacific's appearance.

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If you look closely you can see where the volunteer managing the project, Phil, took some UT readings at various spots on the boiler. Many of the readings on the shell were around the 3/4 in mark, which isn't bad considering! But the numbers on the firebox were far worse. IF we would ever consider returning her to steam, she would need significant firebox work.

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Here she is at the end of the day. We put the lights back on her specifically to get a few photos, and took them off again before the day's end. She'll be outside until late November, when work on Barn 9 concludes, and she will winter in Barn 9 this year.

Next year, we're looking at finishing the cosmetic on the engine. We'd hoped to have it done this year, but it was a busy summer for everyone at the museum. I know I didn't get there half as much as I wanted to, and the same can be said for a number of other volunteers in the shop. But such is life.

Christian Ellis

Author:  IC201 [ Mon Nov 06, 2017 8:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

I'm going to bring this thread back from oblivion instead of creating a new one. The IRM Steam Team has just about completed cosmetic work on Rock Island 4-6-2 #938. Aside from the cab and tender lettering/heralds, work has completed. A lot of hands have helped with this project over the years; I can't give them all a shout out, but thanks are definitely in order!

This project started as a "save what's left" endeavor, and became something more as the tubes were removed and the condition of the engine was documented in some detail. I'll summarize those findings here, briefly. The boiler is okay, but the wrapper sheet is thin and there are other spots that would need work. The smokebox needs work, as the lower 1/3 - 1/2 is pretty thin. The cab floor is shot, but the actual cab itself might be salvageable. Running gear is, from what I understand, tired. Valves need work, but are serviceable. The tender would likely need to be replaced, including the tree trunk currently serving as the rear truck spring (we have the correct spring somewhere). The trucks and frame might be good, but the rest of the tender is shot. The backhead is bare, and the appliances need work.

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The angles in the shop don't allow for great pictures, so this will have to do. And, as I'm currently marooned at home recovering from hip surgery, I'm not planning on getting down to the museum for a while to get pics of my own. Picture credit - Don Panek.

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The plan is to keep 938 indoors now that she's painted and looking better. So, if you would like to see her, Barn 9 will be the place to do so. Picture credit - Blake Bushue.

So, now that we know her general condition (summarized as fair-poor), I'll answer the question before it's asked. No, we are not considering 938 for operational restoration at this time. Now, if some Rock Island enthusiast donated anywhere between $800,000 or $1,000,000, that would change her status. But, given that she's a tired old lady, she'll likely remain as a static display.

Christian Ellis
IRM Steam Team

Author:  PMC [ Tue Nov 07, 2017 12:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rock Island 887 938

Regarding RI 887: it is still at the Wheels O' Time museum on the northwest side of Peoria, my dad saw it about a week ago when he was visiting his home area, at my suggestion. My dad is in his late seventies and doesn't use computers so there is no way he could send me a photo, and he isn't a rail buff so he couldn't say much about it, but it is still there, not under cover unfortunately.

The museum is mainly cars as the OP noted, with some rail equipment, farm tractors, Caterpillar stuff etc. My dad says a lot of the cars are 1950s Mercedes and the like donated by the Jumer family, which owns an upscale restaurant by that name. WOT is active, and are doing restorations on cars, old fire trucks etc, and though the volunteers are generally older I don't think 887 is in any danger.

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