Bill and others;
Thanks very much for the information. It sounds as though restoring 637
will be quite a project, even cosmetically. I wish that I lived closer
to IRM, as I'm reasonably capable with tools, and enjoy that sort of
thing. Perhaps a weekend here or there might be feasible, but with my
children so heavily involved with school activities it is difficult to
find enough discretionary time as it is. Regretably, I'm not at the
point where I could make a commitment to such a project.
My primary interest in 637 comes back to modeling projects and my desire
to have as much detail as possible on the Nickel Plate Products K-2's
that I'm modifying. Close-up detail photographs of the cab, various
fittings, brake gear, springs, piping, etc. are what I was hoping to
come up with. It sounds as though a field trip to IRM would be worthwhile.
I appreciate the assistance and extend a huge pat on the back to the
guys who've taken their turn thus far to preserve and restore so many
pieces of U.S. railroad history.
Best regards, Rob Adams
Phil Stepek wrote:
> with applause to the lengthy and fair report here, I can add a request
> for anyone with the interest to care for ANY piece of equipment to
> make themselves known to the museum.
> Each department has its own group of volunteers and we all could use
> more ...help and money....
> even a slow effort is better than none at all. specialized skills are
> not needed. Everyone starts easy and "backs into" the project. But
> first, it has to be something that YOU want to do, otherwise is does
> not satisfy.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From:
> To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com <mailto:CBQ%40yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: 8/7/2006 9:55:57 AM
> Subject: [CBQ] Re: Status/Access to CB&Q K-2 #637 at IRM
>
> Rob,
>
> The last time I saw it (about two years ago), it was stored inside,
> but little if anything has been done to it since it arrived from it's
> former location in an Aurora, IL park. When it left the park, it was
> in very poor condition. As I recall, the boiler was pretty well
> stripped of most details except the major fittings such as domes and
> stack. The boiler face may have also been off.
>
> There is an IRM Yahoo groups which may be able to supply more current
> information. Like all IRM equipment, each piece needs to have a
> "champion" and necessary funding (donations) in order to be located
> in the museum or to be restored. Many pieces await such champions. It
> seems a strange way to run an organization, but that is the way they
> have done it for years; and for those pieces that have been restored,
> it has worked very well. It is a labor of love and a very slow
> process. Some equipment never gets restored and a few, (mostly wood
> freight cars) have deteriorated so much that the only recourse is to
> scrap the piece. Fortunately, not many pieces have gone that route.
>
> To it's credit, the museum has built many storage buildings and has
> tried to get as many pieces under cover as possible. They have also
> surveyed their fleet to determine those in most need and have made
> major efforts to stabilize those pieces in serious condition that can
> not be placed under cover. By museum rules, for a piece of equipment
> to be placed under cover when space is available, money has to be
> raised to "buy" a piece of track for it to rest on. Once purchased,
> the piece stays under cover, but additional funds need to be in place
> specifically for that piece in order for it to be considered for
> restoration. Then, manpower and interest have to be available for
> work to proceed. For steam locomotives, that work is slow. Diesels
> seem to be easiest to restore, (they just completed a multiple year
> restoration of a Q diesel switcher). Trollies are the next easiest
> to restore, then steam locomotives. Keep in mind that once restored,
> diesels and trollies are much easier to keep in working order than is
> steam. Some steam may only be cosmetically restored because they
> don't lend themselves to operation on the museum railroad. The N&W
> 2-8-8-2 or even the Q hudson are good examples.
>
> The three Q steam locomotives at the museum, (637, 2-8-2 #4963 and
> hudson #3007) are thankfully all under cover. However, all three are
> pretty much in an "as received" state last time I saw them. None of
> them look very good, they are not in good positions for photos and
> they are not complete as they stand. Many other steam locomotives are
> the same way. The museum tends to run smaller locomotives (the Frisco
> 2-10-0 is the largest run so far). There has been no steam operation
> for the last two years because no locomotive is serviceable. They
> have been working on a U. P. 2-8-0 for some time and, I believe, it
> is nearing completion and may be the next locomotive to operate.
>
> If someone has several million dollars that they would like to donate
> or designate for specific projects, they museum could sure use it. If
> I ever won lotto, that is what I would do with some of the money!
> BTW, in recent years, the museum has been dealing with a new problem.
> Their once remote site is not remote anymore. The public is
> encroaching and more government (county) oversight is occurring.
>
> Sorry for the long post. You may know all of this already, but I
> simply wanted to let you know why the 637 is not in pristine condition.
>
> Bill Barber
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
--
Rob Adams
Wellman, IA
steamera@netins.net
Modeling CB&Q, CRI&P and Wabash operations in Keokuk, IA,
the Wabash Bluffs, IL to Keokuk branch,
and the CB&Q's Keokuk & Western branch, circa 1938
<http://www.KeokukandWesternRR.com>
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