Report HVRM 5-29-2011 Lots of Excitement in the Air and On the Ground

Greetings to All,
 
Certainly a day to remember at North Judson. I arrived and got to work sharpening
my lawnmower blades. Went over to the used brick pile and loaded 50 bricks in the
van for around the house. I heard the diesel returning from La Crosse with the
train, but did not hear the 765 whistle. Sure enough the diesel was pulling only the
last 5 passenger cars. It soon headed back north. People were leaving in droves,
vendors were packing up. I knew something was up, but decided to head down town
to eat. In the Wooden Nickel a horrific storm hit with very heavy rain and wind. Power
flickered a few times, but did not go out. Returning to HVRM, it was a ghost depot,
everyone was gone.
 
I had approached the depot and stopped to ask what was going on. Joe Kingsbury said
the train had derailed in La Crosse at IN 8 crossing. As the NKP 765 was coming into
town, the rails spread in the gauge. Andy Roscoe said that the engine derailed, but
was on the paved highway and went back on the track, but the next 5 cars were not
so lucky. EJ&E transfer caboose, NKP open air car, LIRR 2937, MKT open air car, and
the first Mid America coach had all gone off the rails. Two big truck wreckers were called
from Hamlet to help in the rerailing. I arrived to see 3 cars back on the rails and
2 to go yet, but should be easy as they sat on the paved highway crossing.
 
The C&I track crew was called to jack hammer the pavement where the rails spread.
A new steel bar was installed to pull the rail back in guage. Most likely rotten ties,
loose tie plates caused the problem.
 
As I left, NKP 765 was taking water from a La Crosse water hydrant. Electrical power
was out in La Crosse as a result of the storm, power poles on US 421 had snapped
and blocking the road north of town. John Schultz was called to cut power to the signal
gates that were most likely operating off of battery power.
 
Richard had repaired the hopper on the elevator earlier in the day.
 
NKP 356 RPO may still be moved from MRM, I heard that it may cost more now.
The wreckers cost 500 dollar an hour, a bargain vs Hulcher who wanted 10,000 just
to start the clock ticking.
 
No idea if NKP 765 will run on Monday. The owner of the Mid America car was on
location inspecting his cars. Felix Powell was also on site, directing his crew in fixing
the railroad. Many others helping were Cory, Dave, John, Les, Jason, Andy, Bob and the
NKP 765 crew. Many onlookers prevailed on the sidelines, getting entertainment
outside, with no power in the houses, it will be a long night in La Crosse till things
are normal again. It may be a long night in North Judson also.
 
Tom

Saturday 5/28/2011 HVRM, Soggy Day for Train Rides

Greetings to All,
 
Good an Bad news yesterday. Bad news first. NKP 765 injector was not working properly
and the first run of the day was substituted by C&I 818. Some quick work by the
FWRHS and a local machine shop fixed the part and by 1 PM the 765 was ready
to run. Some riders opted to change times, upgrade, or refunds. Bob Barcus had his
hands full trying to fill all the requests. The 765 performed flawless for the rest
of the day.
 
Good news is 331 riders had a good time on the train. Mosquitos were thick if you rode
the open air cars or the EJ&E transfer caboose, but the coaches were very nice to ride
in. La Crosse vendors did very well when the train pulled in.
 
The NKP 765 put on an impressive 2 runbys at La Crosse with smoke and steam
in the cool misty afternoon.
 
Steve Newland managed to get some the stair posts intalled between rain storms
on the new stairs leading to 2nd level Grasseli tower.
 
The hopper on the elevator gave out again, if not fixed, coal will have to be
dumped into the hopper and then shoveled into the elevator. A little more work
but easier than 5 gallon buckets. Richard will get it fixed.
 
On the way home last night it just poured buckets and lightning was unreal.
Hopefully the worst of the weather is over for the rest of the weekend.
 
Many HVRM members did numerous odd jobs in support of NKP 765. Car hosts,
flaggers at road crossings, ticket agents, gift shop workers, engineers, brakeman,
conductors, coal loaders, shovelers in the tender, the list goes on an on.
 
Have a safe Memorial day weekend.
 
Tom

Friday HVRM 5-27-2011 Steam Day

Greetings to All,
 
NKP 765 arrived Thursday afternoon about 5 PM. All went went well for the movement to HVRM. Again a large crowd
on hand Friday to get things underway. Members of HVRM and Ft Wayne group rode the mixed train from NJ to
English Lake, over the very swollen Kankakee River. Much rain during the week made streams and rivers go to almost
flood stage. Hopefully the monsoons are over and tornados will hold for the weekend. C&I SD-9 818 has been chartered
to be used as backup engine for the tourist train plus switching of passenger equipment. Train consist for Friday,
EJ&E caboose, MKT open air car, LIRR coach, NKP open air car and Erie caboose. Two passenger cars that were
on the passing track of C&I were not used. Train time departure from NJ came and went an finally got underway at
4:30pm. Servicing of the 765 plus coaling was done. Coaling operations were terminated when a chain link on the
elevator chute gave way due to a large amount of coal in the chute and tore things up pretty good. Richard got the
link off and was taking it home to be rewelded. Should be like new by today. Enough coal was in the tender to
run till Sunday at least. After the ride, a wonderful dinner was had by all, barbeque pork, potato salad, cold slaw, cookies and
plenty of drinks.  Dinner was held outside, cold, only 59 degrees and mosquitoes were thick. NKP 765 simmered on the
service track. Few chasers were seen on the road next to the C&I, so no major accidents occured.
 
It was not a good day for the 4 passenger cars out of INDY. CSX decided to hold the passenger cars and not dispatch them
for shipment. It took a Norfolk Southern Vice President to call Jacksonville CSX to get the cars sent by special train up the
Marion branch to interchange with Claypool NS. A special NS engine/crew was called out to get the cars underway to
Thomaston IN interchange. They were to arrive at Thomaston by 9PM and be in La Crosse by midnite,
with the C&I engine 818 getting them to North Judson for operations today. When I left all was going well about 8pm.
A very special thanks to Norfolk Southern for helping out in this critical situation.
 
Other items noted. Lots of reserved parking spaces available, with handicap parking avail near the depot. Portapotties were about
the museum. Grasseli Tower had the concrete platform poured and dried with stairs leading up to the 2nd level. No handrails were
on yet, so no tours of Grasseli this weekend.
 
Many thanks to the HVRM support crew for the wonderful dinner again.
 
Everyone have a good safe Memorial Day weekend, drive safe, don't drink and drive, above all have fun.  Remember those
who have served for the USA and gave their lives for freedom
 
Tom, A proud Navy Veteran 

Saturday 5/15/2011

Greetings to all,
 
What a past week it has been. Over 90 degrees for 2 days then a drop in temp of over
50 degrees to low 40's. Rain, hail, wind seem to be the order of the day. But signs
of spring is in the landscape. Corn fields have planted, with some of the early corn
sprouted already. Looks good seeing those corn rows . Tree leaves are almost
all out and the lilacs are in full bloom. Grass is growing faster than I can mow the lawn.
Back of the house is over 8 inches tall since last mowing. I can't keep up. With gas prices,
I'm going to bring the horses to munch on it, get some good stinky fertilizer also. But a
general climb in temps this week will make it bearable again.
 
I arrived at HVRM to cars in the parking lot and then some. The cancer walk from the museum
to IN10 and back started early and with a train ride at the end. A very good turnout
and good workout for the LIRR 2937 coach. Everyone was quite happy to be inside the
coach. The new MKT open air car, was not in service, due to a brake test needing to
be done later in the day. The B&LE caboose had issues with brakes also and was not
used on the tourist train. It was a crowded first train, but everyone got a seat and
even the Erie caboose was filled.
 
I had arrived just prior to lunch in the kitchen car. Margret had sandwiches, sausages,
good meat/stock soup, fruit salad, an cake. Good turnout for lunch.
 
The GE locomotive was fired up for switching of freight equipment. Mark Staneks
JJ caboose needed to be pulled out for impending departure, it has been sold.
Boxcars were switched inside the shop area for later mechanical work for the NKP 765
photo freight later in the season.
 
Board director Andy has resigned and Steve Newland was appointed to fill the remaining
term. Steve will be in charge of buildings at HVRM.
 
West shop door had Cory, John, Richard and Dave pouring concrete for a barrier to keep
critters out and inside dry. Space was left for later rail laying and a slight angle for water to
shed to the outside. Will keep the wicked west wind down to a minimum in the shop.
Over 1.5 cubic yards was poured, by mixing 80 pound bags, one at a time in the mixer,
and pouring into the form. Over 50 bags were used. Leftover concrete was stored
in the east shop for Grasseli tower stair landing, to be poured soon. The pad needs to
be poured prior to installation of the ladder step leading up to the 2nd story. Les installed
eave troughs about the upstairs door to Grasseli to keep water off the platform.
Steve was on the manlift fixing corner boards on the SW corner.
 
Much activity in the shop in the afternoon, with Todd, Kyle, Jason, Mitch and a couple of
others working on mechanical issues on the Wabash, NKP, C&NW boxcars.
 
Les was working in D&RGW 899 passenger car counting frames needed for replacement of
broken windows and inspecting frames that are just rotted out.
 
Matt the signalman was working on signals, doing some updating.
 
Last week on the tourist train run, boys were noted throwing rocks at the train outside
of town. Authorities were notified and they were apprehended. Details unknown.
The vandals that broke windows an damaged equipment, has been turned over to
Starke county prosecutors for replacement money. No word on what the status of
that is yet either. No idea why the vandalism has just started this year, HVRM was
been unscathed for prior years.
 
Check out the HVRM website for updates on NKP 765, schedules, etc. Members days
with 765 is May 27th departing at 4pm, with dinner after. Come on out with a guest
an enjoy 765. You need to be a member of HVRM to participate. Three truck loads of
coal have arrived at the museum. Richard's elevator is also on site and some items
repaired. So those who like shoveling, now is the time to get dirty. Remember those
eye goggles. I heard 5 passenger cars are to arrive soon.
 
I will not be at HVRM next saturday. Going to Dayton OH for the biggest Hamvention
in the US. Not that I have any money to spend, I enjoy the looking at all the junk in
the parking lot and new radios inside the building.
This  is my year to win a prize.
 
Everyone have a good week, drive safe, watch out for the school busses loading and
unloading school children, its getting close to end of the year and more kids are
outside playing and not watching traffic.
 
Tom

Dismal day for Mom's at HVRM 5-7-11

Hello!   The day started out at 59 degrees and intermittent drizzle, harder showers and even some thunder, prevented much more than a 5 degree rise in the temp.   Train crew consisted of John DeGan and Andy Hershman in the cab, with each getting some throttle time.  Others in the crew included Doug Kosloske as conductor, a natty Joe Kingsbury working in LIRR 2937, Randall Downs manning the NKP 1946 open flat car and Joe Baker doing some apprentice brakeman work. Bill Dauber and Bruce Emmons also helped out.   Jon Schmidt had his ATV out, and was spraying for weeds.  Hope not a lot of this got washed away.   Cory Bennett and John LaOrange went down to the east end at Main Street and did some tamping.   Fred Boyer and I worked up on the second floor of Grasselli Tower cleaning nails and screws from old boards that we will be using in the rebuilding of the tower.   Steve Newland tried to get some outside boards replaced but it seemed as every time he started, the rain drove him inside.  He did manage to get one board on the southwest corner replaced before he finally through in the towel for the day.    Bob Barcus, Pat DeGan and Loretta Kosloske worked the gift shop with Loretta doling out the carnations to the Mom's riding on this special day.   I noticed that Andy had done some patching of holes on the side of NKP 15979, the boxcar that is currently being painted and lettered.   Bob Jachim had trimmed the wood door on the Mulberry Street watchman's crossing shanty and it now works nicely.  Mark Knebel pointed out to me that it needs a new coat of paint.   Fred and I decided to ride the 2:45 train to LaCrosse to see how the Long Island coach ran.  The car rode very nice.  Fred and I were both impressed.  As the train arrived back in North Judson, the sun broke out.  Too late!      Have a good week everbody.   Les

A prince of a day at HVRM 4-30-11

Greetings!   Arrived at the museum at 10:00 a.m. after considering staying home because of my 4th cold this winter/spring.  This is getting old!   After signing in, I walked over to the depot where Corey Bennett was doing some trackwork on the G gauge layout.   Mark Knebel asked Loretta Kosloske to watch the platform while the engine crew using Alco 310 brought the Kanawha's tender down to the Shop area.  Bob Jachim was flagging Mulberry Street for this backup move.   I was supposed to help Tom Travis get the side door off of the Railway Express Agency trailer, but I did not realize that he was already at the museum.  Tom told me later that the door gave him fits, but he was finally able to remove it and drop it on the ground.   I talked to Bob Jachim and he gave me the window frame for the 899 passenger car.  This was a project that Bob had started for me before the vandalism occurred last month.  I was able to put the new frame into one of the car windows and it fit very well.  Bob also gave me a quote from Norwayne Lumber to make additional frames as necessary, and install regular window glass in them.  Bob suggested that I check to see if the new frame would fit a couple of other windows on the car.   Joe Kingsbury reported that MKT flat car 13833 was not used on the Easter Bunny train last Saturday, because the car was not yet quite finished.  But this week, the roof was finished and the missing air brake was installed.  The car should be ready for train next week for Mothers Day.   Corey, Dave Cook and Mark Knebel were working on the Purdue crane which did not start this morning due to a dead battery.  The battery was replaced and the crane was back in operation in the afternoon.   Randall Downs came over and looked at the 899 and then walked over to see if lunch had arrived.  It had!   There were 3 Guest Engineers today at the museum, so the engine crew on the 310 was very busy.   I finally connected at lunch with Tom and he asked me to give him a hand trying to get the rear door up on the REA trailer.  This is a 7 panel sectional door made out of heavy plywood with the springs no longer in evidence.  The two of us could not lift that door!  So, Tom went and got a track jack and we started in on it, very slowly.  It took us close to two hours to finally get the door up against the ceiling.  Hopefully it will stay there a while.  We also moved the side door that Tom had removed in the morning, up into the trailer itself, where Tom will start in on the rebuild.   Todd and Kyle Flanigan were working on cleaning up the mess on the track in front of the east door of the Shop in the morning.  Later in the afternoon, the generator on LIRR 2937 was fired up, but the was no air conditioning coming out of the cars vents. I am not sure that the problem was fixed because after I finished helping Tom, I went down to the 899 where I tried to remove another window to see if the new frame would also fit.  After much work, I finally gave up on the first window I tried.  But I tried another window and successfully got the old window frame out.  The new frame also fit this window.   Todd told me that the stencils for the two boxcars that are going to be painted, have been cut.  Which is good news.  Mark Knebel had the NKP 15979 painted, and it looks fine.  So, the lettering will now have to be applied.   Someone pointed out that we had received 3 truckloads of coal from Ohio for 765 operations.   Joe Baker put some light green paint on Grasselli Tower at the section that Steve Newland repaired and primed last week.  Tower is looking good, but still needs the steps to the second floor finished.  Hopefully that will be done by Memorial Day weekend.     The cool morning turned nice in the afternoon after the sun had come out and the temp got up to 69 degrees.  Hopefully, Spring is here this time!   Locked up everything I worked on and departed the museum just after 5:00 p.m.   Enjoy your week folks!     Les

Easter Saturday HVRM April 24, 2011

What a glorious day at HVRM. Temps in the 70's, clear skys, brisk wind.
Overall turnout for the Easter trains numbered around 340 or so for 2 trains.
One train at 11:30am to English lake, then back to North Judson then to North
Judson park on IN10 for the egg hunt. Good time was had by everyone.
Same again at 1:30pm. The American Legion provided food to all the passengers
and did quite well.
 
Cory, Dave, Richard worked on the CAT back hoe tractor. Drained hydraulic fluid
that had water in the system, seemed to fix the problem. Changed buckets with
some difficulty, but after 30 minutes had it attached. A couple of problems were
noted and fixed, a fuel leak and valve cover gasket was leaking oil.
 
I worked on grinding on the REA trailer. I got all three sides close to done.
It was nice inside the shop, with a breeze blowing thru.
 
Steve was working on Grasseli tower, got boards replaced on west end and
primed.
 
LIRR 2937 looked good in new paint and windows. Heat seemed to work okay,
but the AC has some issues I heard. Did not go inside, but passengers seemed
to be enjoying the ride. Train included NKP caboose, EJ&E handicap car, NKP
open air car, and LIRR coach and B&LE caboose.
 
Things wrapped up fairly quick after the last train and mostly everyone
was gone by 4:30pm.