Bob,
I was wondering what the status of Engine #428 is. The web site has not been updated in a loooooong time and I may get to make a trip to Illinois next year.

I was hoping to see this engine run.

Thanks,

JD

Work continues on that 2-8-0, and I am sure you know the long list of items needing to be done to get an engine under fire. While I am not in the Steam Dept, we are still on 'speaking terms' and in fact one of my winter projects is a new icebox/ cooler which gets mounted on the tender.

In a more essential vein, a lot is being done on the tender including new truck springs, tender body side and slope sheets, and the wheelsets are out at a shop right now.

The new tubes, new rear tube sheet, superheaters and heavy boiler work is done alng with new smokebox extension, new cylinder head, grates and ashpans, and a 1001 other items. Major appliances are being rehung and installed on the boiler including power reverse, bell, headlight, injectors, etc so it it starting to fairly bristle with stuff. The rebuilt cab body is about ready to be remounted so it will be looking more like a locomotive and less like a kit.

Our steam dept head, Tom Schneider is doing a wonderful job along with a substantial and hard working crew. It will run when it is ready, but next summer maybe be a little optimistic with the other work that group has on its plate. But maybe plans are in order to see a test fire in the box and smoke over the stack in a year or so.

Apologies for the website but as with any volunteer effort someone has to take the pics and write the copy and then we need the computer guru to upload it, make it look pretty and get it on line. A lot of our volunteers literally run their life around 'museum service' and there is always more needing doing and less time to do it.

Bob Kutella

Bob,

Since you are a lot closer to the IRM than I am, I will ask about the Michigan Electric 28? It's reports are also way outdated on the web site.

In fact any traction you would care to comment on would be most welcome!

Ted Miles

What an invitation!!! Comment on anything traction at IRM - wow.

First to your specific question on the ME 28. Work continues with new steel and hot riveting recently completed on the rear end platform including step wells and traps. Wood posts on the inside are being fitted and only last Sunday the car was pulled out into the daylight for closer examination of various items and layers of paint.

Other very active traction work includes the D 13 dump motor from Milwaukee, swapping trucks and hanging underbody equipment on North Shore 213, end rebuilding of Lake Shore 810, lots of work on the Cleveland PCC, continuing repairs and restoration of the three wood CA&E cars including newly made white oak train doors, painting and lettering of the cab of CCW 300, lots of work on the 4000 el cars, North Shore 749 cab and controller work, the very in depth and long term project for the West Towns 141, MG set repairs on the IRR 65, and my project on the Sand Springs 68 which should be operational for the first time in 49 years with about another week of work.

Of course that is not much info but a lot is going on in the electric car dept as well as all the other areas of IRM. Rather than use up all the space on this board you should consider visiting :

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/IRMlist/

It has a lot of late news and sometimes heated discussion, not an official IRM site. From time to time Frank Hicks posts more detailed progress reports there.

Apologies to any projects I skipped in the above quick list.

Bob Kutella