News from the 261 Shop

It’s the end of February and the snow is melting – everywhere but here. Temps have started edging above freezing but outside work is still a challenge.

Alterations are progressing on the Superdome which is getting ready for another round-trip to Chicago in March. The lower room has been extensively modified to add food prep space and a new commercial dishwasher. The project removed an overhead duct space that was a real hazard to anyone coming down the steps into the room and added some overhead lighting. The finished room will be much more useful for organizing and serving meals on our excursions. Most of the carpeted space will be recovered with ceramic tile and some of the benches have been reworked.

In parallel with the Superdome, work is continuing on the extensive bathroom modifications on one of the clocker coaches. The new toilets will be relocated from the original toilet locations and the interior walls and electrical wiring will be reconfigured.

Finally, the truck rebuild that was begun before Christmas is nearing completion.

Our usual Spring work week should be around the first week in April; the exact dates will depend on the schedule of the out-of-town volunteers including Ed Selinsky, Robert Franzen and Don Crimmin. Typically the work week will center around completing projects on the locomotive. The grate bars and fingers were removed in the fall to allow for cleaning the side supports and the area around the mud ring. Additionally, the side supports will be moved slightly to give the grate fingers a bit more flexibility. In the past couple of years they have tended to stick occasionally and this should fix the problem. The firebox sheets were cleaned at the end of the season last year and no problems were found.

The June trip to Milwaukee is now posted on the home page and everyone at the shop is looking forward to an exciting week on the 261.