Not even gonna pretend I got this going yesterday...and my Fridays aren't looking less chaotic in the near term. None the Less. Rick's pictures last week spurred me to remember I hadn't posted these yet. The week before mother's day, the Museum held an open house for members conductor or higher. they asked to keep the social media posting to a minimum, so only a few pics. First, the boiler shop as we come up from the pedestrian tunnel. My partner in crime for this adventure. Can't tour an EPA superfund site without a helmet.
Behind the boiler shop is the transfer table and Erecting hall. Famous from the pictures of the GRIP program from the late 80s. Now it's filled with assorted museum items including The Amtrak F40, the Santa Fe F7 and a few other items that are out here when not on display. It is a huge building. Almost every bay has something in it. This is a Winton 201 the engine that begat the EMD 567 and every EMD diesel until the 265H and now the 1010. They found thhis and it's twin sittung in a scrap yard in the bay area.
A few notes on the museum. The museum does not own the Boiler shop or the Erecting hall. They had a memo of understanding with UP that they would get them, but when the rest of the property was sold, that information was not baked into the sale. So, They are trying to buy the 2 buildings from the new owner and it has taken years and years. The intention was to turn the boiler shop into a full Steam/diesel repair shop. The kind of thing that currently only exists in 2 locations east of the mississippi. They have acquired much equipment to do this, but many of the larger pieces require custom foundation work which they can't/won't do until they own the buildings, so it all sits. When UP sold the property the Boilershop was in rough shape with many small leaks. Over a decade later and now with the incredible rains this winter/spring, it now barely qualifies as having a roof at all. The erecting hall is much better off, So the equipment in active use that can be moved will be. The rest is being tarped and fretted over. In either case, this means There's no space in the shops for those aforementioned engines sitting outside along the river.
After a quarter century of southern facing sun exposure at the old Houston Railroad Museum, one of the name boards on the New Braunfels started to chip and flake off. Now that the car is in service again outside of Austin, a little touch up was required. The local grocery store had this on sale. After a little touch up. Now to get the roof repainted.
This is a different adaptation.... Never thought about nail polish for restoring a 1:1 railroad item!
Caught this 'brown worm' coming westbound on the Milw tracks just east of Terry, MT. I-94 is in the background and these tracks go under it then on the open - skewed truss they cross over the old NP main. All santa fe now... And this guy is eastbound just west of Shirley siding after fixing a broken knuckle on the mainline.
A Automotive paint pens cost a whole lot more for a whole lot less. The little brush on the nail polish cap worked great. Some day we will get some vinyl letters cut for it, but until then.
UP 8710 leads a westbound grain train in FtWorth with UP 5699 working as DPU. 5/19/17 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
UP 8710 sure looks a bit faded. Those repainted panels probably make it more obvious, but.... Perhaps getting closer to a day when they repaint? Or, I wonder how much longer might they keep her?
