Greetings,
Hope everyone is enjoying the mild weather in the midwest, cool nights,
warm days, low humidity. Weather has been unpredicatable for showers.
Yesterday here in La Porte it hailed, rained buckets, lightning an thunder,
North Judson, nada, zip, none, just some dark clouds an heard thunder
in the distance. Saw one lightning strike an I broke for lunch yesterday.
I took the backroads home this afternoon, an the corn an beans needs
some rain, a little on the wilted side. Tomorrow night is the big predicted
storm, so batten down the hatches.
Speaking of batten, I have been down to HVRM everyday last week working on
the payloader garage. Replacing wood, putting new boards on, replacing
batten with scraps of old. Hey once it painted you will not tell the difference
10 feet away. Thursday was my only day I did not work. I have finished
the west wall, east wall, but have wood to replace yet, north wall is 1/2 completed
with some wood replacement and the south wall, the big door is requiring quite
a bit of work. Its always in the sun, so its hot. That will be done in small increments.
The week has been a beehive of activity at the museum. Cory and Richard have
worked on the tie tamper to fix an oil leak somewhere in the system. Richard has
been using the John Deere and newly donated and working sprayer system to
spray overgrown brush along the right of way. Today I saw Richard and
Sparky using the hose sprayer to get some trees sprayed. Seem to work quite
well. Mark has been in after his mail route to cut brush along the C&I route brushing
up against the tourist train. Cory assisted a couple of evenings. Joe Kingsbury
put up new HVRM signs on the NKP open air car on Friday, with the help of Louise.
A semi load of new ties were delivered last Saturday to the museum early in the
day. Quickly unloaded an stacked down by the PRR boxcar.
Joe Baker installed new lights in the Illinois Central caboose, bought from
Morgan Township school for an amazing very low price, taken out were the
old long tubed lights. These lights will brighten things up considerably when
the artifacts go back into the caboose.
The tower crew, Steve Newland, Steve Hendrics and Fred Boyer were busy up
in the tower painting an replacing pipes. A power problem for the signals
and in the tower was experienced today. Seems a switch on the signal cabinet
was turned off. Once turned on all the signals were back in operation.
Train crew, engineer was Doug, Conductor Bob Barcus, a couple of trainees
were also working today. Loretta was in the depot. Margret provided lunch today
with bushels of sweet corn, and cucumbers, along with noodles & meat balls.
A cake was provided by a guest lady engineer from the morning.
The air compresser was pulled down to IN 10 park area to spike ties that were
inserted last week. Mark, David, John LaOrange and Sparky rounded out the crew.
The task was completed by 3pm.
The tourist train was cut short on its runs to English Lake and La Crosse due to
a problem of alignment in the track north of Arlington St. Wednesday I heard
a train whistle close to the museum, but thought nothing of it, until I told Mark
later. He said an engine an caboose came down to replace 2 ties on the curve,
when the track was lifted up by the track jacks, it pulled other ties up out of the
ballast got the tracks out of specs. A steel rod was placed between the 2 rails
to pull the track back into guage. But it noted by the C&I all was well for operations,
but it was decided to let someone else check out the track first either by the city
or the museum. So runs were made on the 1 mile Erie line today, making for a
short ride. No count of passengers was given today.
The LIRR passenger car was moved to the shop area track for work on it next
week. The short open air car was moved back to the shop area also.
Things wrapped up quickly today, an by 4pm the depot was locked an everyone
on their way home. A nice day, but sort of hot in the sun
Only 2 weeks till school starts for La Porte and surrounding schools. Please
be careful in the morning an watch for walkers on the streets that normally
are not out. School busses will be out picking up children also, please remember
to stop when the red overheads are flashing an the STOP is extended out on the
left side of the bus. Safety is parmount in getting children to schools
Have a good week
Tom HVRM
Hope everyone is enjoying the mild weather in the midwest, cool nights,
warm days, low humidity. Weather has been unpredicatable for showers.
Yesterday here in La Porte it hailed, rained buckets, lightning an thunder,
North Judson, nada, zip, none, just some dark clouds an heard thunder
in the distance. Saw one lightning strike an I broke for lunch yesterday.
I took the backroads home this afternoon, an the corn an beans needs
some rain, a little on the wilted side. Tomorrow night is the big predicted
storm, so batten down the hatches.
Speaking of batten, I have been down to HVRM everyday last week working on
the payloader garage. Replacing wood, putting new boards on, replacing
batten with scraps of old. Hey once it painted you will not tell the difference
10 feet away. Thursday was my only day I did not work. I have finished
the west wall, east wall, but have wood to replace yet, north wall is 1/2 completed
with some wood replacement and the south wall, the big door is requiring quite
a bit of work. Its always in the sun, so its hot. That will be done in small increments.
The week has been a beehive of activity at the museum. Cory and Richard have
worked on the tie tamper to fix an oil leak somewhere in the system. Richard has
been using the John Deere and newly donated and working sprayer system to
spray overgrown brush along the right of way. Today I saw Richard and
Sparky using the hose sprayer to get some trees sprayed. Seem to work quite
well. Mark has been in after his mail route to cut brush along the C&I route brushing
up against the tourist train. Cory assisted a couple of evenings. Joe Kingsbury
put up new HVRM signs on the NKP open air car on Friday, with the help of Louise.
A semi load of new ties were delivered last Saturday to the museum early in the
day. Quickly unloaded an stacked down by the PRR boxcar.
Joe Baker installed new lights in the Illinois Central caboose, bought from
Morgan Township school for an amazing very low price, taken out were the
old long tubed lights. These lights will brighten things up considerably when
the artifacts go back into the caboose.
The tower crew, Steve Newland, Steve Hendrics and Fred Boyer were busy up
in the tower painting an replacing pipes. A power problem for the signals
and in the tower was experienced today. Seems a switch on the signal cabinet
was turned off. Once turned on all the signals were back in operation.
Train crew, engineer was Doug, Conductor Bob Barcus, a couple of trainees
were also working today. Loretta was in the depot. Margret provided lunch today
with bushels of sweet corn, and cucumbers, along with noodles & meat balls.
A cake was provided by a guest lady engineer from the morning.
The air compresser was pulled down to IN 10 park area to spike ties that were
inserted last week. Mark, David, John LaOrange and Sparky rounded out the crew.
The task was completed by 3pm.
The tourist train was cut short on its runs to English Lake and La Crosse due to
a problem of alignment in the track north of Arlington St. Wednesday I heard
a train whistle close to the museum, but thought nothing of it, until I told Mark
later. He said an engine an caboose came down to replace 2 ties on the curve,
when the track was lifted up by the track jacks, it pulled other ties up out of the
ballast got the tracks out of specs. A steel rod was placed between the 2 rails
to pull the track back into guage. But it noted by the C&I all was well for operations,
but it was decided to let someone else check out the track first either by the city
or the museum. So runs were made on the 1 mile Erie line today, making for a
short ride. No count of passengers was given today.
The LIRR passenger car was moved to the shop area track for work on it next
week. The short open air car was moved back to the shop area also.
Things wrapped up quickly today, an by 4pm the depot was locked an everyone
on their way home. A nice day, but sort of hot in the sun
Only 2 weeks till school starts for La Porte and surrounding schools. Please
be careful in the morning an watch for walkers on the streets that normally
are not out. School busses will be out picking up children also, please remember
to stop when the red overheads are flashing an the STOP is extended out on the
left side of the bus. Safety is parmount in getting children to schools
Have a good week
Tom HVRM
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