It has been a while since we last posted an update on the caboose restoration and repainting project so let’s get right into it.

With all the assorted efforts going on Barb Bennett take some time to reorganize and clean up in the car barn.  Jeff Bennett photo

It is June 26^th and Mike Gilles is using an electric UV paint stripper on one of the side doors to the caboose in the back of the car barn.   Jeff Bennett photo

Joe Caliendo and Thee VanPaseuth smile for the camera next to Thee’s work on replacing a side panel on one corner of the car.   Jeff Bennett photo

John is welding in the area of the patch while his brother Thee is drilling a hole for another faux rivet.  Joseph Hazinski photo

Working on the west side, John is getting ready to weld while Thee wire wheels the aluminum window frame next to the conductor’s desk.  Thee is working from a rolling scaffold which came from the CA&E Wheaton shops.  This view was possible because 304 was out being run for Rails To Victory.   Jeff Bennett photo

It’s July 4^th and the plated over window next to the stove fuel tank has been opened up and is waiting for an aluminum window frame to be installed.   Joseph Hazinski photo

The day before, July 3^rd, Fred Lonnes and Jeff Bennett installed refurbished Emergency and Service portions to the air brake system.  The air reservoir got new gaskets and a new mechanical slack adjuster were all applied followed by a successful air brake test.   Joseph Hazinski photo

The next weekend finds Thee grinding the edges of one of the many metal patches applied to the roof.   Jeff Bennett photo

If you look closely one can see some of the patches and metal patch material which was welded over large rust holes in the roof.   Jeff Bennett photo

To do the patching, all the roof walk grating was removed so every hole could be patched or weld repaired.  The roof has not looked like this since the caboose was built in 1959.   Jeff Bennett photo

With face and hearing protection, James Tarbet is using a wire cup brush wheel to remove all the paint around all the details of the south end platform on July 18^th.   Joseph Hazinski photo

This view was possible because 20 was in service.  Jeff Bennett is applying paint remover to the deck and step treads while our painter has taken a break from priming the roof and cupola.   Joseph Hazinski photo

Jeff is feathering the edges around the patch on the north west corner of the caboose.   Mike Gilles photo

Our professional painter Kyle Kunzer is putting down the first coat of red paint on the roof of the cupola.   Joseph Hazinski photo

On July 25^th, Jeff is spraying the special white primer as Thee has just finished up installing the new aluminum window frame on the east side of the car.   Mike Gilles photo

Kyle is spraying the first red coat on one of the primed side doors.  Three coats eventually were put on both wooden doors which will receive a lot of wear being opened and closed.  Joseph Hazinski photo

The roof walks await installation after Kyle took them to his shop for blasting, priming and painting.    Joseph Hazinski photo

Here is the opening for the window that is to be added to the west side of the car.  A cut out will have to be made in the interior wall which was left intact while the red was sprayed on this outside.    Joseph Hazinski photo

Thee is grinding to top of the bracket which once supported a walkway around the cupola.   Joseph Hazinski photo

Brother John is welding the ledge portion to one of the three original brackets.   Joseph Hazinski photo

Here John is welding another one of the brackets while Jeff leans out of the cupola to hold a piece of metal to keep it square.    Joseph Hazinski photo

This is the walkway Jeff and John fabricated.  The grating is welded to the L iron for secure footing.   Joseph Hazinski photo

Jeff is finishing up the welding of the walkway to the brackets and the roof.   Joseph Hazinski photo

And this is what the installed walkway looks like and the end of another productive day.   Joseph Hazinski photo

It is August 1^st and we see the east side in white primer.  The west side had been primed and painted earlier in July.   Joseph Hazinski photo

On the south end, Jeff is spraying gray primer on the underside of the roof hangover.  Gray was used because our paint supplier ran out of white primer.   Joseph Hazinski photo

Meanwhile on the north end Kyle is applying the red finish coat.   Joseph Hazinski photo

Later in the day we see the east side which is now completely red.   Joseph Hazinski photo

Kyle is working the red into and around the stove fuel filler area as he works to complete the painting of the north end wall.   Joseph Hazinski photo

Here we see the first of two ladder guards in place.  Kyle took it back to his shop for blasting and painting before John and Thee could fabricate the second one.  The guards are to prevent trespassers from climbing up on the roof and coming in contact with live trolley wire.   Joseph Hazinski photo

Just before car 20 returns to the barn we have a view of 9648 with its red east side.   Joseph Hazinski photo

I missed a weekend at the museum when all the exterior red spraying was completed.  On August 14^th the caboose was pulled out of the barn by L-202 for inspection in the sunlight to find defects in the paint.  It was promptly returned and Jeff did the touch ups.   Mike Gilles photo

On August 15^th the exterior painting was complete as work starts to move towards finishing the interior.   Joseph Hazinski photo

Here is an interior view of the window opening that was added to the west side of the car.   Joseph Hazinski photo

It is the end of another weekend as the lights are turned off on the south end of the car.  If you look carefully, you can see the white lengths of the hand brake chain.  This was a practice of the Illinois Central so it could be easily seen that a hand brake was off.  Many tasks remain but the punch list is getting shorter.  One thing that is clear, 9648 is really red!   Joseph Hazinski photo