Education Through Demonstration

As part of a major investment in our demonstration railroad, The Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric Company Railroad, the Museum contracted with Volkmann Railroad Builders to replace 500 regular ties, replace 46 switch ties, and smooth out or surface 2000 feet of track north and south of Wards Bridge.

Acting Roadmaster Fred Lonnes reports that Today's task of raising/surfacing the track approaching Wards Bridge started. 

Shown in these picture is the initial part of the work, the south side approach to Wards bridge.  New rock was dropped and the tamping machine put it under the ties.  The amount of rock needed was significant as the distance that needed to be raised to meat the bridge level was more that meets the eye.  Each approach is around 750 to 1000 feet.  Some spots needed to be lifted 8 to 10 inches.

The original estimate for ballast needed was woefully inadequate.  Thanks to Jeff Bennett, additional ballast was picked up from the quarry and delivered to the Museum site. 

Tomorrow the Contractor will be addressing the north side of the bridge.

 After this is done we will need to clean up/dress the area to top off the cribs and shoulders.

Thee is applying the first coat of canvas paint to CA&E Car 458's roof canvas.

Fred Lonnes is installing a derail device on to the most used barn lead to provide and extra layer of safety for volunteers inside.

Connor Ladley is working on sanding one of dozens of window ratchet boards. He ended up getting them all done after several hours

Yes I think that I see Fred L smiling! He is obviously pleased with the paint work transpiring in 458. Being Fred is the main project consultant/manager on this restoration, we lean quite heavily on him for knowledge and assistance…. Mike is standing by waiting for Jeff to make a mess… lol

Joe C is restoring the ceiling mounted mahogany bases for the ceiling dome lights in 316

Joe, Tom, and John and all working different stations to keep cranking out panels for 316. Stripping, sanding, repairing, and cleaning each on is a massive undertaking. Good thing we have so many helping hands!

Chief Car Officer Jeff Bennett was assisting James Tarbet in some group switch repairs on 715 when he was called away for some very important business.

Jeff’s daughter Rylee arrived and wanted some high school pics with dad at the trolley museum. Rylee Bennett has volunteered for years at the museum.

Here was have Rylee and company, Alex on the left and Triston on the right, with proud papa in the back. 

Thee has set up a comfy work platform for the many many hours of tar removal ahead

A panoramic pic was snapped by Chief Car Officer Jeff Bennett to give you the understanding of just how many windows there are to address.

Joe C and Mike and shuffling some panels that were able to be removed out to John where he is working at the bench

The lightening arrestor for 316 had completely disintegrated from age and rot. Joe C is making an new box for the replacement component.

CA&E 316 was built in 1913 with two oval windows about mid car. One side was removed and boarded over during it’s service life. Joe C. has taken on the task of recreating the window opening on the west side where it was removed. An oval stained glass window is being replicated by an outside vendor currently.

Manny has been knocking out many different wood stripping and prepping jobs. The last couple weekends have kept him busy with arm rests.

Look carefully here… April and it’s snowing like crazy. Joe and Jeff had to snap a selfie with the huge snowflakes in the background.

So on to the roof of 316. A project that we were not going to even start until many other things on this restoration fell into place…. Well things are moving along well with all the other projects, so upstairs we go.

During the final years of the 43 years CA&E 316 was in service for the Chicago Aurora & Elgin interurban electric railroad, layers and layers of roofing tar was slathered on any leak that arose. This was to avoid the expense of reroofing the car.

Many of the leaks emanated from the upper stained glass panels and ventilators. Knowing that in some places there would be 2-3 inches of tar that had to be hand removed from the mahogany and stained glass panels, this task has been a daunting one. 

Thee and Jeff worked together to devise a plan to remove some of the panels so they could be serviced on the bench. The rest of the upper window structure that can not be removed will be hand stripped….. ugh

Kyle was able to use the propane fired furnace to safely heat the interior of CA&E 458 to finish painting the main cabin ceiling.

So pretty!

And speaking of painting, Fred B. and Thee are mixing up 12 gallons of canvas paint for the first coat on 458.

Fred-The Mad Scientist at work!

458’s body has been completely masked and plastic covered so the coming roof paint work doesn’t spill over onto the car

With all the different projects and groups working together, we are doing our best to continue cleaning and organizing things. Below Mike and Thee are putting away a CA&E control stand that was left along the wall by 316. 

Continuing efforts are underway to maximize the efficiency of the space we have. The back two corners of the barn are where we have our tools, machines, and supplies. We are organizing things back here to allow for some much better working arrangements.

Here’s just a few of the shining faces that make things happen around here.

Left to right, top then bottom;
Mike G. Big Ben, Jeff
Andre, Joe C. Thee

Hey look! It’s Big Ben!

We all love to see Ben, cuz he just shows up outta the blue and says, “what needs doin”. Just like all of us in the car department, Ben will do anything needed, and today that was unscrewing the clamps from the discarded canvas pieces of 458, so they can be stored for the next roof.

Joe C. has been working hard on getting the west exterior side of CA&E 316 cleared of car siding that will not be needed once the stained glass arches are in, and Mike G. has been his faithful sidekick. Here Mike is making one of about a hundred trips to the dumpster. 

Here it can be seen that all the filler panels and letter boards are off of 316 to make room for the arched stained glass windows.

View from the other end of the car with all un-needed stuff removed.

With many things moving quickly on CA&E 316, EVERY piece and panel that needs to have the ugly paint removed to let the lovely mahogany show, is being addressed.

Not an easy or quick process! Here we have Thee painstakingly getting into every nook and cranny with picks and pointed scrapers to assure the stained glass panels are perfect. There are 14 interior arches and and 14 exterior! In the background Andre is running back and forth for tools to do some light electrical, and Mike G. is just out of range, picking up after Jeff, no doubt!

The winter that just won’t go away! Jeff, Thee, and John are all lined up in front of a heater, bundled up and stripping paint like crazy.

With the last of the canvas clamps off 458, James Tarbet lends a hand to clean up some discarded trimmings.

Well Kyle snuck in somehow and got the walls top coated with our new standard paint, Imron.  As of typing the message, Jeff Bennett was told that Kyle is on site top coating the ceiling today! 

The interior is looking beautiful.  Stay tuned closely for the ceiling pics, as Jeff is sure Kyle will be done with it before the next time the camera visits.

A couple last shots of the canvas work. Fred Biederman has more experience in canvas roofing than Chief Car Officer, Jeff Bennett.  This assertion from Jeff himself.  The car department has been leaning on Fred B. for quite a bit for knowledge.

Here he is helping to get a tough corner to lay flat.

And he was successful! 

If Mother Nature is kind enough to give a bit of warmth during the next work session, the first coat of canvas paint will be applied.