Rock Island transfer caboose restoration

Frank Hicks · **Posted:** Wed May 23, 2007 8:42 am

The Freight Car Department at IRM is making a lot of visible progress on the museum's transfer caboose, CRI&P 19135. Within the past two weeks all of the rotted siding on one side of the car has been removed and replaced and work is now underway to reinstall the interior walls as well as new door frames. For those interested in viewing photos of the work, see the below link (note that there are three pages of photos in the album):

http://www.irm.org/gallery/CRIP19135-RESTORATION

Enjoy!

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

Frank -

Great news! And nice work! Now you guys need a Rock Island diesel to haul the 19135 around.

Les

Bob Kutella · **Posted:** Wed May 23, 2007 6:51 pm

Les, We have a Rock Island 4-6-2 pacific! - - -

Bob Kutella

Thomas Travis · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 4:39 pm **Posts:** 78

Frank,

Nice restoration job on the RI caboose, how about bringing your crew
down to HVRM some Saturday and help me and Les on the tank car.
Les does a nice job painting too. Will look nice on the freight train
when we are done.

Tom Travis HVRM Restoration

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

Bob Kutella wrote:

Les, We have a Rock Island 4-6-2 pacific! - - -

Bob Kutella

Bob -

Now this is REALLY great news; that the restoration of the CRI&P transfer caboose #19135 is leading to the restoration of Rock Island 4-6-2 #938 so that the caboose has a genuine RI locomotive to pull it around the museum grounds. Fantastic!

Les

Bob Kutella · **Posted:** Thu May 24, 2007 5:57 am

Les,
We are proceeding on the caboose restoration, and have the locomotive for a matched set sometime in the future. But no funding or committment is there yet to work on the locomotive. We also have several of the Rock Island commuter coaches restored for passenger equipment, and a restored single sheath 50 foot RI Automobile car.

Back to the caboose. The wood decking is in poor shape and we have a donor who will match any new funds donated to allow purchase of new wood for the two decks. RYPN members can HELP make this happen.

All the work so far has been funded and we also have a very significant donation on hand to allow the finished car to go inside the next IRM barn. So this restoration will not sit outdoors and quickly deteriorate.

Bob Kutella

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

Bob Kutella wrote:

Les,
We are proceeding on the caboose restoration, and have the locomotive for a matched set sometime in the future. But no funding or committment is there yet to work on the locomotive. We also have several of the Rock Island commuter coaches restored for passenger equipment, and a restored single sheath 50 foot RI Automobile car.

Bob Kutella

Bob -

I know that YOU know that I was ribbing you on the "restoration" of CRI&P 4-6-2 #938, but since some other readers of RyPN may not realize that, I so state it now. Seriously though, Rock Island steam was probably all off of the property by the time the railroad started making up the "privy on a flat car" transfer cabooses like the 19135. So really the only "authentic" Rock Island locomotive to pull the 19135 would be a diesel. I believe there are some ex-Rock Island diesels still in existance though; any thought of IRM trying to acquire one?

Les

Bob Kutella · **Posted:** Thu May 24, 2007 5:12 pm

Of course this caboose conversion was done circa 1964, so you are correct. You never know when you might acquire something new, something you gotta have, something you cannot pass up, something where funding and support exists. But nothing cooking today, in that kitchen.

Bob Kutella