A bit of a respite from the weather at Hoosier Valley 11/29/14

Greetings!

Weather for this weekend actually predicted to be slightly above normal!  Actually had sun in the morning with

temps in the low 50's.  Clouded up in the afternoon and had gusty winds all day.

Steve Henrichs had Grasselli Tower open so I went up to check on what was going on.  Found Chris Zahrt and

his family getting the "nickel tour".  Chris and his dad Fred, have been long time members of the museum and

have helped on many projects through the years.  Chris used to come as a young man and has since gone on

to Purdue and been involved in a number of steam locomotive projects.  Currently studying for his Masters.  He

came to visit and also to accept the 2014 David P. Morgan best authored article award given out by the Railroad

& Locomotive Historical Society which was given to him in a small ceremony by a representative of the R&LHS.

Congrats to Chris!

Decided to take advantage of the decent late Fall weather by doing some additional painting on coach 899.  Had

to run over to Norwayne and purchase another gallon of Pullman Green paint.  While doing the painting, I could

hear Cory Bennett and Mark Knebel cutting some of the previously felled wood from the old Erie Railroad wye area,

into furnace size chunks.  These will be used for the new wood furnace being built for the West Annex of the Shop.

I managed to get over to the Shop before I went home and got the attached photo of the furnace.  Not sure who

was doing the work on the furnace today but I saw John De Gan walking down that way so he may have had a hand

in it.

Skip Benge of Deedsville, Indiana stopped by the museum this afternoon.  Skip donated the locomotive number

plate off of Chesapeake & Ohio K2 class 2-8-2 #1165.  I was able to secure a photo of this engine leading a double

header out of Peru, Indiana back in 1942 from Malcolm D. McCarter.  Mac made an 8 x 10 and an 11 x 14 print

of a photo originally take by Bill Swartz.  Skip's Dad worked as a fireman for the C&O and when the C&O of Indiana

was dieselized, he was able to get the number plate off of the 1165 as it sat in the "boneyard" in Peru and just before

it was shipped out to be scrapped.  We gave one of the two prints to Skip and the other one will be displayed with the

number plate off of the C&O Mike.  It was good to hear that Mac is still making prints from his extensive railroad

subject collection.  He tells me that he recently turned 91 years young!

As I was applying paint to the 899, John La Orange walked past me with a large bucket and a long narrow wood board

of about 10 feet in length.  Curious, I watched him walk down to Nickel Plate Road baggage car #344.  He stood next to

the car and placed the bucket upside down on the end of board and then lifted it up onto the roof of NKP 344, attempting

to get it onto a white stack on the baggage cars roof.  After a few attempts, he was successful!  Well done John!   On the

way back, he told me that he had been in the 344 earlier in the day and the inside was still dry, EXCEPT for the open

stack where a stove had probably once sat, and for a little bit of leakage around one of the baggage cars doors.  He was

surprised that the interior was basically dry.  That's good to know as the outside of the car is starting to show deterioration

which eventually will need to be addressed.  There are many parts for the 2789 in that car.

Others at the museum today included Bob Albert, Bob Jachim, Steve Newland, Tom Royce and probably some others

I missed.   Bob Barcus worked in the gift shop in the depot.  Next Saturday will be the first of our Santa trains!  Help would

certainly be appreciated.  Contact Loretta Kosloske.

Have a good week everyone!

Les

     

End of Season at HVRM 11-15-2014

Greetings to all,
 
End of a successful train season, with Christmas trains in December still gaining
riders, it has been a long season. Many thanks to all involved in making this happen.
From traincrews to depot workers, all deserve a pat on the back for a job well done.
 
Saturday dawned cold an dreary, perfect time  for some track work, but more on that
later. Board meeting started at 8 am in the depot with a wide range of topics, but
nothing really to report on. Immediately after the meeting the Erie 310 was started
for some final switching of the season. The 2789 tender was uncoupled an pulled outdoors
to spend the duration of winter, needed to make room for the tie tamper. GE 11 was pulled
outside an the tie tamper was started to move over to the 2789 track. With that completed,
the 310 pushed #11 back inside an pushed the tool car past the winter curtain to the
backshop. GE 11 was spotted over the pit an 310 was uncoupled an pulled forward
a couple of feet, shut down an the water drained from the coolant system.
 
A number of leftover new ties were brought down to the connector track to the C&I
switch. These ties were not used in crossing replacement an Cory had marked some
ties needed for replacement. 10 ties were inserted into the line an spiked. 3 ties were
straightened, not needing replacing. It seems only like yesterday when these ties
were put down, 132 pound rail put for car storage. Time goes fast when you
get older. New clean ballast was brought down an dumped for tamping later.
 
Joe Baker did some electrical work for outside lighting. Cameras will be purchased
to view the storage areas for theft of steel soon. Scrap metal will soon be put into
dumpster for recycling. Joe Kingsbury returned the welder from getting it fixed, an
started on welding in  the tool car's floor. Les & Betty Beckman during the
past week did painting on his passenger  car. Les is in New Orleans this week working
on  Habitat for Humanity housing. Rode the City of New Orleans down an will return
the same way next weekend. Have a good trip. Steve Newland put up the bathroom
walls in Grasselli tower, an put a non-working toilet in for display. Bob Jacqim took
items out of the china cabinet for transfer to the new cabinet.
 
I left early, was getting cold outside. Not much else new around HVRM. Membership
meeting next Saturday at 1pm Central time in the depot.
 
Tom Travis
 
 
 

Slow Day at North Judson 11-1-2014

 Well fall has arrived with a vengeance to NW Indiana Friday, snow, wind, cold, brutal
weather, just making it a horrid day. Saturday woke up to ice on the deck an a temp
of only 23 degrees. Slow going getting started.
 
Arrived at HVRM to see the Erie 310 an 2 cabooses on the main line in front of the
depot waiting for the next guest engineer. Had a total of 6 drivers today. This is the
final day of the year for this program. The 310 will be drained till its needed again.
 
Crossing Mulberry Street, I saw the crossing was replaced with asphalt. Thursday
it was tore out an North Judson donated asphalt to fix the crossing. Much better than
it was.
 
The work crew was in side the shop building working on the soon to be wood burner
stove. It was up righted an legs were being welded on the bottom, with more to
be done later on.
 
Steve Newland worked on downspouts on Grasselli tower.
 
Not much else to report. Board meeting next Saturday  morning at 8am in the depot.
 
Tom Travis