Chicago Great Western Caboose #601

Over the past three years volunteers at the Illinois Railway Museum have worked to restore Chicago Great Western Caboose #601. I have created a website to provide further information about this project and the history of the car at this link.

Chicago Great Western Caboose #601.  Photo by Tom Cornillie.

On April 30 the museum's Freight Car Department and Track Department teamed up to replace a damaged wheel set on the car in order to facilitate further operations. Replacing a wheel set can often be a very arduous task, however by working together and using the Track Department's Burro Crane the work was completed smoothly without injury or incident.

I have just posted a major update explaining the process used to replace a damaged wheel set on the caboose. There are seven pages of photos and diagrams illustrating the process.

Work continued through may to repack the journal boxes and adjust the brake rigging. On Sunday, May 29th. the car made its first full post-rebuild run over the museum's 5-mile main-line. One bearing did heat to 79 F., and it was later pulled and examined for any faults.

The Freight Car Department wishes to thank all those who have contributed to the restoration as the new wheel set could not have been purchased without your support. We also wish to thank the volunteers of the museum's Track Department whose physical efforts and use of equipment made this job possible. One of the things that makes the Illinois Railway Museum special is the spirit of teamwork that makes the difference in successfully accomplishing projects.

Comments and questions may be sent to cgw_601@umich.edu.  The Freight Car Department appreciates financial donations to help complete the restoration. Please designate any donations as a restricted donation to the Freight Car Department on the check memo line and mail to: Illinois Railway Museum P.O. Box 427 Union, IL 60180

(Thomas C. Cornillie)

Request for Proposal: Glenwood Springs, Colorado Excursion/Dinner Train

A Request for a Proposal (RFP) is being sought from an experienced tourist excursion train operator to create and operate a Roaring Fork & Rio Grande excursion/dinner train tourist attraction between Glenwood Springs, Colorado and Carbondale, Colorado.

Rails and Trails (R&T), a group of interested citizens from the Roaring Fork Valley, offer the RFP. It should not be confused with the overly restrictive and misdirected RFP issued by the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) in February of 2005. The experience of the submitter is being sought in setting the response parameters. The offering is being submitted to the benefiting communities, not RFTA.

The historic 1887 Denver and Rio Grande railroad from Glenwood Springs to Carbondale operated into the early 1990's and is still operational for lightweight trains. This section of the railroad is under threat of being converted into a trail. Rails and Trails' goal is to facilitate creation of an operating excursion railroad on this section preserving the rails and benefiting the communities of Glenwood Springs and Carbondale.

Time is of an essence in responding. RFTA is open to lease proposals for the railroad from legitimate service operators. But is must decide in the immediate future, how a trail is to be routed within the right of way; i.e. on or parallel to the roadbed.

This RFP with the latest updates and supplemental information is posted on the website at this link.  The author may also be contatced at 970-544-1971, or via email at railsandtrails@ispwest.com.

(Kip Wheeler)