New Year at Hoosier Valley, January 2, 2016

Greetings -

Understandably, on the day after New Years Day, the attendance at the museum was light today.  Seems like we were all going in slow motion.  Still, there was activity!

I tried to repair the O gauge U.S. Army kitchen car that is displayed in the museum's gift shop, but whomever dropped it, damaged it pretty severely.  Parts are needed to make repairs, or perhaps a new O gauge car could take its place.  Anyone got one just laying around?

Cory used the Payloader to move some items around the property.

Bob Jachim and I discussed the possibility of making new cab windows for the Kanawha.  Bob asked me if the slots for these sliding windows were still in place in the 2789's cab and I climbed up and checked and determined that yes, they were.  If we can get the drawings for the windows, this might be a future winter project!  

Bob Albert continues to work on the displays for Illinois Central caboose # 9914.  Some of the results are pictured here:

Photo 1 shows a reproduction of the builders plate for ALCO built Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 # 713, with photos of the Berkshire displayed below the builders plate.

The second photo displays the number plate off of Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-2 # 1165 with some action photos of the Mikado show below the number plate.

The third photo shows the number plate off of SLSF Baldwin diesel switcher # 232 with photos of the diesel in both of the paint schemes it wore when in service for the Frisco.

The next shot shows Bob trimming some explanation tags that he made up and which Bob Barcus had laminated earlier in the museums gift shop.

And the fifth photo shows Mr. Albert tacking one of the information tags up under the number plate for the St. Louis-San Francisco diesel.

And there was some other things going on around the museum today too:

Steve Henrichs is shown in sixth photo applying green paint to the lockers that will eventually be moved up to the second floor of Grasselli Tower.

The 7th photo shows Bob Albert and Bob Jachim discussing what needs to be done for the restoration of the donated "Governor's desk" which will eventually go into the depot. 

The final picture shows Fred Boyer applying foam insulation sheets into the floor of C&EI tool car # A-1054.

So, although we were probably all still had the "holiday doldrums" today, things still got done!  And now as we move into 2016, my wish is that everyone has a wonderful, very healthy and most prosperous New Year!

Les