Pumpkins and sunshine at HVRM 10/22/11

Greetings -   After missing the last couple of Saturdays at Hoosier Valley, was greeted with some cool temps but abundant sunshine today.  Temps started in the mid-40' and ended in the mid-50's, but I think it made it up to the low 60's during the day.   This was the second of two "Pumpkin Train" days and I spent the day as car host on the three scheduled trains.  I heard that we had over 500 riders for the trains and sold a lot of pumpkins at the "patch".  Was on B&LE caboose 1989 for the 11:00 run, split time on the 1989 and EL caboose C345 on the 1:30 run and worked NKP open flat car # 1946 on the run at 4:30.  Lots of happy riders today and hopefully a good day for the coffers of HVRM.  I asked some of the folks where they had heard about the runs, and some said "the paper", others "on the radio" and some "from friends".  Most riders seemed to be "first timers".   Andy Hershman and Fred Boyer were in the cab of EL Alco 310 today, splitting the duties, with John DeGan conductor all day.  Car hosts included Randall Downs, Doug Kosloske, Bill Dauber, Tom McKee, Joe Baker and yours truly.  Elmer Mannen, Bob Jachim, Mark Knebel and Joe Kingsbury protected the crossings at times during the day and also helped in loading and unloading passengers.  Judy Boyer, Margrett Cook and Pat DeGan were kept very busy in the gift shop while Bob Barcus and Loretta Kosloske handled ticket sales and Loretta the pumpkin patch activites.  Others helped out too, including Louise Kingsbury and her daughter and grandaughter.     Because of the emphasis on members joining in to handle the days trains, other work was light today.   Joe K. was working on painting the NKP bay window caboose 471 in the west end of the shop in the morning.  One side has been completely done in the bright caboose red with light gray band across the top.  The other side has the light gray band finished, with about 2/3rds of the red paint done.  Both ends also have to be painted red.   Mark Knebel had finished painting the Pennsylvania Railroad 50' boxcar and it was decided that the car would be moved from the end of the caboose track over to the display track so that the complete train for passengers could be placed on the caboose track.  The operating crew got this done during the "lull" between the operation of the 1:30 and 4:30 trains.   John LaOrange, Dave Cook and Cory Bennett worked on fixing the leaking water line on the line leading to the ouside faucet behind the old Erie maintenance building.    I'm sure I have missed some of the folks who helped out today.  It's been a long day and I'm pretty tired as I type this tonight.   Hope everyone has a good week.   Les

Track Gang Rips Up Arlington Crossing on a 60 Degree Day 15 Oct 2011

Georgeous day at North Judson, in the 60's, breezy fall day, clear blue sky. Perfect for an outside
project.
 
I arrived al little before 10am, quiet around the depot as the only train of the day would
be at 1:30pm to La Crosse. All you could hear was the farm combines in the nearby
corn fields. Getting ready, I head down to the Arlington St crossing. Cory has made quick
work of the rotten timbers, as not one came out intact. A detailed inspection of the ties
revealed 8 needed replacing. A rail joint needed new bolts,  the sun warmed the rail
to close the gap, but will need the C&I track crew to drill out 3 bolt holes to finish the
rail joint. Eight new ties were put in in along with tamping and spiking.  The tourist train
past twice without a problem. The North Judson city street dept came down earlier in
the week and cut the pavement. Bing manned his Bobcat along with faithful dog companion
to keep Bing awake. John, Dave, Grandson Seth, Joe, Bob, Mark and Jason Jordan all manned
shovels thru the day.
 
Mark, during the week has repainted the PC boxcar into Tuscan Red PRR paint. Nice job.
Joe has been working on the NKP bay window caboose during the week getting it ready
for a new paint job.
 
The 1:30pm La Crosse train left a little off schedule, but had over 170 riders today.
Nice crowd.
 
Have a nice week, Les will be back next weekend, I will be gone on vacation.
 
Tom
 
http://hoosiervalleyrestorationpage.blogspot.com/
 
Link to HVRM Blog
 

Pumpkin Trains

 

Kudos to all the individual members and family members who worked so hard to make yesterday's Pumpkin Trains a great success.  There were over 407 riders with 276 pumpkins sold.  Smiling facing lugging pumpkins down the crowded platform was a wonderful sight to see!

 

The day started out with the repair of the Nickel Plate open-air car which was greatly appreciated with the beautiful weather.  The pumpkins were delivered and scattered throughout the grassy area for each of the trains.  The train crew, car hosts, flaggers, track crew, gift shop workers, ticket sellers and punchers all worked diligently throughout the day.  The clean-up crew at the end of the day made the depot and outdoor area ready for next weekend.

 

Thanks to one and all, whether you helped out for a few hours or all day!

Loretta

 

Loretta Kosloske

Marketing Specialist

Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum

North Judson, In  46366

 

marketing@hoosiervalley.org

219-395-0369 (cell)

219-996-6687 (home)

 

Pumkin Trains at HVRM on a WONDERFUL DAY 8 OCT 2011

Greetings to all Pumpkin Pickers
 
A great day Saturday 8 October was had by all at HVRM. Loretta confirmed that over 400
riders on the pumpkin trains and 275 pumpkins sold. Temps in the upper 70's, clear
blue skies, a perfect fall day. The local farmers were busy havesting corn and beans
up and down the C&I line.
 
Arriving at 8am, John LaOrange had the Erie 310 running an on the move. He moved
on down track 1 and hooked up to the NKP open air car, moving it to track 3. Cory and Dave
were ready with an air jack to lift the car up and change out the broken spring a truck.
Making quick work of lifting the weight off the truck, a track jack was positioned with a
steel rail joiner to lift the bolster taking the weight off the springs. A quick exchange
of springs and the jacks removed the car was set down on the bolster.  It had moved
slightly, but a nudge got the center pin lined up and centered. NKP open air car back in
service for the pumpkin trains and it was filled to capacity on the first run.
 
I missed the board meeting, but was short.
 
Joe Kingsbury has scaffolding set up in the west shop on both sides of the NKP bay window
caboose. It looks as if the roof has been cleaned of old flaking paint and a fresh coat
of primer and black paint has been put down. Sides of the car have been sanded and getting
ready for paint. Joe will make quick work on this project.
 
I moved to the the REA trailer and setup my scaffolding. Getting set up was quick and
grinding commenced on the sides. . After a quick cleanup of prior work, primer was
applied quickly. Things moved quickly and I completed the south side and moved to the
north side. Running out of paint, break time for lunch and resupply of a gallon of primer.
I finished up at approx 2:30 and broke down for departure. Had to be home by 3:30pm
for a sports school charter.
 
On the way out, I made a quick trip to the east end, where the track crew gang was busy
cleaning up the paving project of the C&I crossing on main street, hauling away debris
and getting the shoulders filled. A super paving job was done last week and now makes
the crossing smooth as glass. Next weekend Arlington Street crossing will be taken
apart for paving the following Monday.
 
Mark Kniebel has been working on the soon to be PRR boxcar during the week, and the
manlift was positioned at the west end of the car about 1/3 done.
 
Mostly everyone was helping with the Pumpkin trains, so no other work was performed
on Saturday.
 
Tom

A Super Saturday October 1st At HVRM

Greetings to all,
 
Just an absolute beautiful day that resulted in good weather versus the horrid wet, wild, windy
mood that existed all week long. Friday was the worst with wind whipping up 20 foot waves
on Lake Michigan with power outages everywhere in northwest Indiana. But the next 7 days
are good warm temps in the 70's.
 
Arriving at a late hour of 9:30am, much activity was already started. The Main Street
crossing was already under attack.....demolition is more the way things were going. Prior to my
arrival, the air compressor running the air ratchet tools had removed most of the big bolts
holding the planks down to the ties. Cory manning the backhoe was busy pulling up the crossing
planks in a manner allowing the payloader and Bob Cat with the forks tips to get under the
planks and take them to a pile across the road, stacking the planks in a neat pile. John L running
the payloader, Bing R using his skid loader, Joe K, Dave C, Mark K, busy clearing the ties of
debris and stones. Both the C&I main and siding were clear of planks by 11:30am. Time for
lunch.
 
Meanwhile the train crew was getting things ready for the crowds that were to ride the
1:30pm train to La Crosse and Wade Tower with the Monon Historical group. The train
was spotted at the depot loading platform by 12:30pm. Many riders were boarding early
to get a good seat in the LIRR coach or the open air car. The chair lift car got a good work-out
today with a couple of wheel chairs and others who could not climb steps into the cars.
The train left close to 1:30pm but a couple of last minute items had to be taken care of,
getting a radio to the rear end, whose radio battery went dead at the last minute.
 
By 1:00pm, I had got my tools together, electric cord plugged in to the new outlet on the
east end of the kitchen car, manlift started, with some help from Joe K working the choke
and it started. Moved the manlift into position on the south side of the PC, soon to be PRR
boxcar for some grinding and priming. I got a good section of the side done before the
return of the train from La Crosse.
 
The crossing crew had the town street dept cutting a nice cut across Main street for a much
neater cut-in with the paving crew coming Tuesday of next week. Cleanup of the old asphalt
lasted the greater portion of the afternoon. All is ready for next week. Any bets on if someone
might try going over the tracks before Sunday morning. One of the track circuit wires was
broken and the crossing lights will flash till repaired, so that may help prevent an accidental
crossing.
 
The train returned from La Crosse at 4:34pm, everyone exited quickly and departed shortly
after, the train crew quickly locked all the cars, and put the train back on the caboose
track. Everyone was gone by 5pm.
 
Next week, most likely at 8am, board meeting, 3 trains running, and on the 15th, work
will commence on the Arlington street crossing, as only 1 train will be running that day.
 
Enjoy the fall weather this coming week, see you next Saturday.
 
Tom Travis 

Lazy days of summer not quite over at HVRM 9-24-11

Folks -   Well, the calendar told us the Autumn started this week.  But despite a forecast of rain and possible storms and maybe even hail, we got a sunny day in the mid-60's at HVRM today!   Tom Travis brought down a wood stove and managed to talk a few of "the boys" into giving him a hand unloading it.  Tom says its now in the center aisle of the original Shop building.   I got to Hoosier Valley at 9:00 a.m., too late to help Tom unload the stove.  What could be interpreted as smart planning on my part was really just a case of being too lazy this morning to get an early start.  So upon arrival in North Judson, I unloaded some items for the NKP kitchen car.   It was good to see Bob Jachim up and around and cutting down weeds in one of the flower beds.  Bob had some minor surgery the week before last.   Plans to start on the Main Street road crossing rebuild, were apparently put on hold for the weekend.  A number of folks planning on working on the project, were not at the museum this day.  I had ideas to take a motor car out to Wade Tower and do some cleaning up around the structure, but again the C&I had covered hopper car parked on the main line between the La Crosse wye and Wade, so no way to get there.  Speaking of covered hoppers, the C&I had about 20 of them parked just east of Main Street on their old Cheapeake & Ohio line, apparently stored awaiting the fall harvest to come in to the elevators.  Some of the local farmers have just started harvesting corn.   Tom and I finally hooked up and since I had some plumbing items to unload at the old Erie Railroad storage building, Tom took the bull by the horns and started some cleaning up including emptying the overflowing garbage can.  We managed to make a good spot for the new plumbing arrival, and made the old items a heck of a lot neater!  Elmer Mannen had Metra (ex-ICRR) Highliner # 1502 open and we joined him to see what he was doing.  There is some desire to turn at least a portion of this car into extra seating for the kitchen car.  We left Elmer to his calculations and  then headed down to the old NKP wooden double sheathed tool car # X50110.  We managed to get into the car and look it over.  This car needs a lot of work, and there is a big question as to whether a restoration will ever be attempted.  I pointed out to Tom that, earlier in the year during a very heavy rainfall, the car remained dry except for a couple of holes in the side of the roof where the old tarp donated by Tom McKee and put on for protection, had finally just rotted away.  After we were done, it was time for coffee and doughnuts!   The 11:00 train departed on time, with some riders.  The recertification of engineers continued for those who could not be at the museum last Saturday.  The train was made up of B&LE caboose 1989, EJ&E handicap car (transfer caboose) 184, the MKT open flat car 13833, LIRR coach 2937 and EL bay window caboose C345, with EL Alco 310 pushing out and then pulling back to the museum.   Pat DeGan manned the gift shop in the depot with Loretta Kosloske selling tickets.  Loretta also was guest engineer, running the 310 after the 11:00 train returned.    At lunch, I put up the new flag on our pole since it now appeared that the rain forecast for the day, wasn't going to materialize.  Then after lunch, Tom decided that we should ride EJ&E # 184 on the 1:30 p.m. train and he pulled out two chairs (a directors chair for him and a folding chair for me) and we sat on the platform and enjoyed the beautiful early fall day.  A very nice ride.  The only other passengers rode in the Bessemer caboose.  Tom pointed out the brush that he had cut around milepost marker 217 on a recent Saturday.  A nice job.  Tom said that after our arrival back at the museum, he was going to call it a day since his shoulder was bothering him.  l felt I should try to do something at least, and as we pulled past the Shop, I noticed that the red indicator board on the turnout had faded to an almost brown color.  Here is something I could do with the rest of this lazy day.  So, after deboarding I eventually wandered back to the Erie building and found a can of bright red paint, a brush and a paint stick.  Packed it all up and drove over to the Shop, walking to the west side of the Shop where the switch was located.  Waited for the 2:45 train to La Crosse to run through the switch before I started on the red portion of the target.  Apparently the train load was very light, because instead of taking all of the cars mentioned previously, the train was made up of only 310 and the B&LE caboose.  After they headed west, I opened the can, stirred the paint and with a bit of dilligent work, the two sides of the banner were soon finished.  Looked good!   Had to go around to the front of the Shop and decided to check those turnouts out there.  One looked okay.  Another didn't.  More paint!  Continued walking east, paint can and brush in hand.  Some indicators are green and yellow.  No paint for these.  Another turnout east of Mulberry Street.  Done!  Continued east, passing the Erie building and found a high switchstand throw necessitating walking back to the Erie building for scrapper, wire brush and most importantly, a ladder.  As I worked on this one, Bing Risley came up and we talked a bit.  Bing said  that he had just come back from giving Mark Knebel and John LaOrange a hand with track work out past State Route 10.  Finished that switchstand and continued walking east.  Bing asked about the ladder and I replied that the next switch throw was low and I would put the ladder back upon my return.  The next indicator soon bore a new coat of red.  There were a few more down on the east end near Main Street.  Red indicators?  The first two proved yellow and green, but what about the very last one?  The one that had recently had new switch ties put in and which is the very first turnout that the museum installed after the move to North Judson in the late 1980's?  As I walked over to the side, it looked green and yellow!  But no, not yellow, just a VERY faded red.  This turnout has a very high target; one I would need the ladder for.  A long walk back to the switch I had left the ladder by, and then an  even longer walk back to the Erie building after I was finished.  And that is a wood ladder that is very heavy.  I would also be at the east end of the museum with my car back at the west end at the Shop.  Decided since I would have to eventually walk back to the Shop anyway, I might as well do it now and then come back with the car, picking up the ladder on the way.  When I finally got back to the east end switch, with car and ladder, there was some scrapping and wire brushing before all four sections of the indicator was painted.  Steve Newland gave me a wave from his pickup as I worked.  By this time, I heard the 310 blowing for the crossings as it made its way back toward the depot.   Finished up.  Much better!  There were some of these targets that would need green paint too, but that was going to be for another day!    As I put the ladder back at the Erie building, I saw Mark and asked him how they had done on track work.  He said that the managed to get all of the ties that were put in last week, spiked down.  I don't believe that they had the compressor running, so these were probably put in the old-fashioned way; just driving them home!   Managed to get everything packed away and signed out at 5:00.  A lazy day had turned out quite well after all.   Have a good week everyone.  Enjoy the autumn weather.   Les

That old snake-in-the-grass at HVRM 9/17/11

Greetings!   After 3 days where the temps did not get up to 60 degrees, old Mother Nature told us today that summer ain't quite over yet as we had a beautiful sunny day with temps in the low 70's!  Hurrah!   Started out the day at 8:00 a.m. by attending the general membership bi-monthly business meeting.  A number of things discussed including the FRA inspection of GE # 11; Mid-America Railcar's proposal to bring passenger equipment to HVRM; the lease of Mike Koehler's Long Island commuter coach # 2937; the monetary results of NKP 2-8-4 # 765's visit earlier this year; tie replacement; the Erie Monterey depot, NKP RPO # 356 and various other items.  Too much to recap here.  I direct your attention to Mark Knebel's Secretary page in the upcoming museum newsletter for further info.   After the meeting, I had hoped to go out to Wade Tower and do some general cleanup, hopefully using a motorcar to make the trip.  Unfortunately. I was told that the C&I had four covered hoppers parked east of Wade which would prevent getting the putt-putt out there.  There doesn't seem to be any way to drive to the location.  Elmer Mannen did tell me that they had run out to the tower last week on the trip to La Crosse and decided that they could unload the folks from the Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society who will be visiting Hoosier Valley and riding the train out to Wade at the beginning of October.   Tom Travis and I looked over Penn Central boxcar #153177, which Mark and Joe Baker had worked on during this last week as we prepare to eventually reletter it as Pennsylvania Railroad # 607627.  The car had one side almost completely primed with only the narrow ladder area to the roof not finished.  Tom decided to do some grinding to remove rust and flaking paint on the other side of the car, but was not able to get the manlift to start.  So he decided to go down and work on tie replacement on the east end of the museum, but put up our new flag before he left.  It is good to see the flag flying over the depot and museum.   Meanwhile, I searched for Steve Newland who told me the "secret" to starting the manlift and I was able to finally get it going.  Decided that since it was now running, I would remove the light rust and paint the remaining portion of that one side of the car, which I spent the morning doing.     Meanwhile, the passenger train schedule began with the museums engineers undergoing recertification during the operations.  Not sure of the passenger count for the day, but all three runs had a fair amount of people.  Randall Downs, Bill Dauber and Joe Kinsbury, were carhosts today.  John DeGan, Elmer, Doug Kosloske, Jason Annen and Fred Boyer were in the cab and some of the guys also acted as conductors.  I may have missed some of these guys.     I broke for lunch, in the NKP kitchen car.  Many goodies although I confined myself to soup and the smoked sausage/cabbage combo.  Good!   Margett Cook and Pat DeGan worked in the depot gift shop today while Loretta Kosloske sold tickets.   After lunch, I decided to head out to check on the tie replacement gang who started again replacing ties between SR 10 and CR 250W, near the old highway rest stop.  This is now the parking area for the Erie Monterey Trail.  Tom said he was glad I showed up as he was getting tired and decided to head back to work on the PC boxcar now that the manlift was going.  I took over for him, pushing the little railroad hand cart as Cory Bennett on the backhoe, Dave Cook and Mark, put in new ties under rail joints, replacing those that the Erie had put in years ago, all of which were in pretty horrible shape.  Mark pointed out to me a little brown and white banded snake that had slithered out from under one of the ties they were working on and which made its way into the crack of another tie a little further up the line.  Is that one of the poisonous ones that make Indiana their home?  Probably not, but I made sure I kept my eye on the little critter the whole time we were in the vicinity of that particular tie!   Mark pointed out an Erie tie that had a date nail of 57 (for 1957) and another one for 39.  I was able to dig out the 57 nail and gave it to Mark, but we left the other one in the tie, which was still in pretty remarkable condition for being put in by the Erie in 1939.  As Cory said, they must have made a good batch of creosote that year!  The quality of the wood, might have had something to do with it too.   Cory, Mark and Dave eventually ran out of replacement ties, and we then went back and put tie plates under as many of the replacements as we could.  Still have to spike them, but that is for another day!   After we picked up the tools and the hand cart and put it in Mark's pickup, I headed back to the museum where I found that Tom had cleaned a nice patch of the PC (PRR) boxcar.  We were both pretty tired by this time, so took a little break for water and cookies in the kitchen car.  Finally, we realized we had to get some paint on the cleaned area otherwise it would rust with the rain due to hit the area Sunday night.   Managed to get that done.  About this time, the train from La Crosse was heard coming in so we called it a day.    I'm pretty tired right now.  Lots of physical activity today.  Will be plenty sore tomorrow!   Hope everyone has a great week.  Enjoy what's left of summer!   Les