On the Move

When the 319 is on the move, the brakes work, but it seemed to me they were a little sluggish to apply. So I decided to remove the triple valve for cleaning and inspection.

Here is the M-2-B triple valve sitting on the bench. This is the mechanical brain of the brake system; it monitors the pressure in the train line and decides when to apply the brakes and at what pressure.

And here it is with the top cover removed; there's a gasket, and you can see the top of the piston for the slide valve mechanism.

The slide valve itself is seen here; it has several ports for graduating the transfer of air between the various parts of the system. It may not be obvious, but the slide valve has two parts which slide relative to each other also. Basically it looked OK; I cleaned everything up and then lubricated it with graphite.

We have a brake test stand which could be used to test the triple valve, but I'm not sure how to use it, where all the correct parts are, and couldn't find an instruction manual. Where's Jeff Hakner when you need him?!?

So the 319 itself has to be the test stand. We have a good supply of the correct gaskets, so I replaced the gasket between the valve and the bracket, as seen here.

And here is the installed valve. It seems to work somewhat faster; I don't have a good way to time the process. I decided not to take the car out for a test trip since I was by myself; maybe next time.

Next, it's back to work on the windows. We still have eight of them to strip and repaint. Nobody could find the big pad sander the department used to have, so I used my own sander. I finished sanding down two frames; a partly done one is seen here.

Another thing that's on the move is the shop's old planer. We now have a newer and better one, so this one's for sale, as you can see from the label. Make Bob an offer!

And saving the best for last, the Schroeder Store is finally on the move! This building was most recently an antique store in downtown Union; the Museum acquired it in 1991 and moved it to its present location next to Spaulding Tower. The original plan was to have a string of buildings on the north side of the parking lot along the main line ROW. But in 1995 we were able to buy the Knut Olson farm and the IRM Master Plan changed. The store will now be along the new Main Street extension.

Here we see Nick Kallas (L) and Dave Diamond (R) busily excavating for the concrete foundation on which the store will sit.

I'll bet the Executive Director of MSI never has this much fun!

This will be the first permanent construction along Main Street, so it's quite a milestone!

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We Need a New Governor

Yes folks, we need a new governor. Our current governor has been wasteful and incompetent, as shown by several leaks. This puts an undue strain on the rest of the system, which can no longer be tolerated. So I say it's time for a change! First, however, we'll have to break the power of the union.

The governor, of course, regulates the air pressure in the main reservoir by turning the compressor on and off at preset values of pressure. With use, however, many of them start to leak air, and the 319's was leaking very badly. Fortunately, Bob Heinlein helped me locate a good candidate in storage, at the back of a shelf. We have a good number of these Type J governors, but most of them were already tagged as defective. We took one back to the shop and tested it on compressed air. It doesn't leak and was already set correctly, for 100/80.

Here's a Type J with the cover removed. The air portion is on the left; on the right are the electrical connections with a plunger (yellow arrow) which is pushed out rapidly when the air pressure exceeds the "off" setting. At the same time, a puff of air helps extinguish the arcs.

To the right is the far end of the air portion, showing the two adjustment cylinders for the on and off settings.

And here it is with the cover installed. By the end of the day, I was able to install the new one in the 319 and test it. It operated just as we had hoped, so this is another step forward. I'm afraid our ex-governor has been sentenced to life without parole in the dreaded "blue reefer," one of our maximum-security facilities.

I also drilled some holes to finish installing the handrails, and I attached the rope guard at the #1 end of the car.

We have been having problems with the controller at the #1 end of the 308, and also with the brake valve. I know what the problem is, but there's no way to fix it in a hurry. The blue cars are not running this weekend due to Diesel Days, but they will be the next two weekends. So the easiest way to avoid this problem was to switch positions of the two cars. I first retested the controllers, brakes, and whistles at the #2 ends of both cars, then switched them out. They should now be ready for continued service.

And while taking a break, I took some quick pictures of the current displays in the Art Train car in Yard 5. It's nicely set up with low level lighting, so these flash shots don't really show it very well.

A display about railway mail clerks.

Posters and other info about railroads in WWII.

Interurbans along the Fox River.

Fred Ash worked on this until health problems occurred; Ray Bellock and Phil Stepek have been doing most of the work since then. John Cloos provided the interurban display, and others are in the works. They're doing a good job of providing some educational displays that look very professional. And the car is air conditioned, so what's not to like?

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Controller Inspection

IRM is now officially open for visitors on weekdays, although nothing is running and the barns are not open. And of course we don't charge admission under these circumstances. Still, there were several groups wandering around viewing the outdoor displays and enjoying the nice weather.

I started by putting a final interior coat on three 319 windows and their window shade tracks in the shop. I then turned to finishing (pretty much) inspection and lubrication on the 309, as I had brought out some Vaseline for the controllers and reversers. I still need to do the roof when I have a helper. But say, while we're here, let's take an educational look at how a controller works.

CONTROLLER STUDIES 101

This is a GE C-6 controller for type M control. Most GE models have the same general design. Note that the main drum is geared to the controller handle shaft, so it turns in the opposite direction. At the top, #1 is the reverser drum, with two contacts for forward and reverse, of course. It's mechanically interlocked to the main drum so you can't move the handle unless the reverse key is in forward or reverse, and you can't move the reverse key unless the handle is off. #2 is the spring which drives the throttle mechanism (#3). There are two sliding contacts, wired in series. The throttle can only be engaged by holding the throttle button down while the handle is moved from off to the first point. #4 is the gearing for the main drum. #5 is the star wheel which helps the motorman keep the controller in the correct position for each point. Below that is the main drum (#6) with all of the various contact fingers. The arc chute assembly has been opened, and is off to the right. Finally, #7 is the magnetic blow-out coil at the bottom of the controller.

The second picture shows the main drum advanced to about the third point.

As with all GE type M controllers, this controller switches 600 volts DC, unlike the Westinghouse electro-pneumatic system, where a dropping resistor reduces the voltage to the controller to perhaps 150V.

Any questions? OK, good. There will be a quiz on Wednesday.

I did some cleaning up in the 319. And I helped Joel for a while with the project of removing a spare bus jumper pin, which we need for the 460. We're making some progress, and we figured out what sort of custom-made tool we'll need for the job.

And while walking out to check on the 321, I found some vantage points overlooking the creek.

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309 Inspection, Cont.

Inspection on the 309 continued today, and with a few minor exceptions, everything is done. No problems were found, and the car should be ready for service beginning Memorial Day weekend. Al Reinschmidt helped with this, so it went pretty quickly.

Lubrication is always an annoying job. I seem to be a magnet for grease and dirt, but it's done for this year. Of course, we next need to do the 308, but at least it only has two motors, so there's less work.

After putting the 309 back in Barn 8, Al and I went over to look at the 319. As mentioned earlier, the buzzer cord was broken in two, because for some reason they had been using clothesline. After the rigors of inspection, this seemed like a fun thing to do, so we removed the old buzzer cord and installed a piece of the correct wire-core rope from one end of the car to the other. Attached to the cord in one vestibule there is a leather strap, held on with metal clips, which I'll need to replace, so I took it home. Charlie is still working on the 319's paint job. He's going back to work soon, but promises the 319 will be painted.

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The NYC S Motor

Want to see the inside of our New York Central S Motor? I know you do!

These locomotives were made famous by the many toy trains modelled after them in the early days by American Flyer, Ives, and others.

Here's one of the control positions, with a close-up. Notice the phone. "Hello, Central?"

You have to step down to enter the hoods at either end. Please watch your head! These contain the control system.











Here are the huge contactors and the reverser, located inside the hoods.

This is the original pantograph. It's tiny because it was designed to contact an overhead third rail, not wire, so very little vertical adjustment is needed. No dome cars could travel into Grand Central!

Finally, here's a third rail beam; each truck had two shoes next to each other. And here's the huge 2500 amp fuse box, with its mechanism for breaking the arc. I'm sure I wouldn't want to be nearby when a 2500 amp fuse blows!

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CA&E Car Wiring (Updated)

Joe Stupar asked about how the roof cables were wired. A picture is worth a thousand words. These diagrams essentially apply to all of the wood cars except the 36, which has only one electrical cabinet and a different interior lighting arrangement.

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Contactor Operation

Annual inspection work on the 309 provided a good opportunity to document and explain the operation of the contactors on this car. First, some history: the first successful multiple-unit operation was in Chicago, in 1898, using a system designed by Frank Sprague for the South Side Rapid Transit. Three years later, General Electric developed the first widely-used form of electomagnetic contactor control, known as Type M. Type M was a system which used a master controller to energize different high-voltage, low-current circuits which in turn activated large contactors under the car. These contactors were activated in combinations that routed motor current through different sets of resistance grids, thereby controlling motor speed and, hence, acceleration.

The first widely-used Type M system consisted of DB-15 contactors, DB-20 reversers and C-6 controllers designed in 1901 for the electrification of the large Manhattan Elevated system in New York. When the Aurora Elgin & Chicago (predecessor to the CA&E) was built a year later, the most modern MU system available for heavy electric equipment was the system developed for Manhattan. The AE&C wanted four GE 66 motors per car, though, and since the DB-15 contactors were only designed for two of these motors, the early AE&C cars were basically two two-motor cars back-to-back. Each car had two complete sets of contactors, reversers and grids. Car 309, though built five years later after the development of more modern Type M systems, was equipped with the earlier DB-15 contactors - probably because it was fitted with electric equipment at Wheaton Shops, which likely used whatever spare parts they had lying around.
Pictured above is one of the contactor boxes under car 309. Each of the two sets of contactors consists of 13 contactors, carried in three separate boxes. Shown above is the third box for the #1-end contactor set. In the background left is the second box, on which the cover is closed. DB-15 contactors had doors on the arc chutes that could be opened; the two contactors nearest the camera have their doors opened and the two further away have their doors closed. This was an unusual feature of the DB-15 not used on later contactor designs.
Here we see an individual contactor. The arc chute, which was designed to sheild the arc created when motor current was shut off from anything metal that might provide an electrical path to ground, has been painted with red insulating varnish. The contactor is closed by energizing a solenoid, behind the arc chute and next to the assembly frame (1), which raises the contactor arm (2) attached to the lower contactor tip (3) and brings it into contact with the upper tip (4). The motor current passes through whichever contactors are raised at the moment via heavy cables (5). To shut off the motors, power to the solenoid is cut, dropping the contactor arm and separating the contactor tips. The resulting arc is extinguishes safely with the help of a blow-out coil (6) and, on this design, "horns" on the contactor tips (7). During normal operation, the arc chute door (8) is closed to assist in containing the arc.

I also recorded a brief video demonstrating the components and operation of the DB-15 contactor, including interlocks. Interlocks are safeguards incorporated into the design as separate circuits that prevent various bad things from happening accidentally, like activating the reverser while motoring or energizing series and parallel circuits simultaneously.

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Our Spring Has Sprung

Today we finished inspection and lubrication on the 308, so it's ready for revenue service. Stan Wdowikowski helped a lot, so thanks! In the morning Stan and Charlie ran the 160 off the pit and onto the car line so I could put the 308 over the pit. Stan did the motors and and some of the truck work while I inspected the electrical systems and various other things. This included testing the air system and adjusting the slack adjusters on each truck. We then switched places, putting the 160 back on the pit and the 308 outside, so Gerry and Stan could finish inspection on the 160 while I did the remaining lubrication.

Here's the trailer truck on the 308; I was too busy to take many pictures.

One problem we already knew about was that the return spring inside the 308's brake cylinder was broken. After lubrication was done, I looked at our collection of spare brake cylinders, and opened one up that looked like it might have been from the 318. Fortunately, it turned out to be exactly the right size. It's 5" in diameter and about 24" long, as seen here. It pushes the piston back into the cylinder when the brakes are released. I cleaned off all the rust and dirt, but we certainly didn't have time to install it today. I ran the 308 back into Barn 8 about ten minutes before the first of several thunderstorms passed through. I believe we should be able to replace the spring in the barn; we won't need the pit. It's really nice when we have spare parts like this. You'd never find a spring this size at your local home center! By the way, the trucks have return springs also so there should be no problem with operating the car this way.

Here's the work product from the inspection. This is page 3 of 4. Every item has to be either initialled or crossed out if it's irrelevant. For instance, our cars don't have any door motors or MG (motor-generator) fans. Oops, we missed one, but our calibrated gauge is broken.

After the rain started, and what seemed like half an hour to clean all the grease and dirt from my hands and arms, I painted a couple of parts from the 277 and sorted parts. We're hoping to do the 309 next week.

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How To Build a Flat Car

From the Hicks Car Works archives, here are the specifications for our standard 40' flat car. No date is given. Operators are standing by to take your call, so order one today!

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More Roof Work

Today I did a lot more work clearing off the section of the 277's roof that needs to be rebuilt. To the right we see nearly all of the tongue and groove roof boards removed. Several of the carlines are in bad shape and need to be sistered. About half of them have wood bolted to steel, and the others are just wood. You may be able to see how bad a couple of them are, due to a combination of fire and rot. I now have all the dimensions I need to purchase new wood for the carlines and roof boards. In the distance, there is a sheet of plywood which I lifted onto the roof to serve as a platform from which to work. It was cold and damp outside, but up on the roof it's not too bad. Max's new lights give off heat as well as light.

After that was done, I received three sets of brand new harps for use on the 308 and 309 (so we still need one more) thanks to Bob Bruneau. The current trolley shoes are worn out, and welding them up did not help much, so we would like to change them to the style used on the North Shore cars with inserts that can easily be changed. These shoes are relatively maintenance-free. The new harp castings need some machining to fit together properly, but this should not be too hard.

I decided to start by removing one trolley pole and rebuilding it. I was unable to loosen the bolts on the 308; this has me worried. In any case, after a while I gave up and removed a pole from the 309, helped by Stan W. and Joe Stupar. I ground off the rivet that holds the harp to the pole. It still would not come loose, so Rich Block fired up the torch and heated it; it then could be removed easily. Here we have a couple of pictures of what a harp looks like when not attached to a pole. These parts were donated to Bob Heinlein for use on the 4000's. Thanks to Rich and Bob for their help. I also wire-wheeled the ends of the pole for better electrical conductivity when it is reassembled. All in all, a productive day.

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FAQ on Canvas Roofs

This is a summary of information on the installation and repair of canvas roofs. You are invited to send in additional information or questions -- either send me a private email or use the comments feature. If you have other suggestions or your experience has been different, please let us know!

Scope: This assumes you want to install a more-or-less authentic canvas roof job. Of course, other materials can be used, starting with the old reliable tar paper. Newer and more permanent materials such as rubber membranes are outside my experience, but they could be added if someone wants to submit sufficient information.

1. What sort of preparation is needed?

The underlying structure (usually wood) should be in good condition, of course. Make sure it is smooth with no sharp edges, nail pops, or other projections. Run a belt sander over it. It should probably be painted as for any exterior surface, although the railroads generally did not paint the roof boards. If a leak develops in the canvas, you don't want the roof itself to start to rot. It's much easier to patch the canvas than the underlying wood!

Replace all tack molding. Do not try to reuse old tack molding - the biggest problem I've encountered with otherwise good roof jobs is that old tack molding starts to rot out, then the edges of the canvas are flapping loose. It's then very difficult to replace, although it can be done.

Apart from the curved ends of the car, tack molding is usually simple to make. Poplar is a good choice since it is a relatively soft 'hardwood', is straight and even grained and holds tacks well. Other woods, such as basswood are a similar character, and regionally other choices may be available and make sense. The new tack molding should be primed and painted two coats before final installation and covering with canvas to help shed water and prolong its life. The tack molding profile should include a drip edge or drip lip. Generally you will want to reproduce the old molding design. Do not choose a wood like southern yellow pine, plain or treated, since this has coarse grain and will tend to split with a row of tacks applied.

2. What materials do I use?

Canvas: Standard untreated canvas can be used, usually #8 cotton duck. Since it is not available in wide enough widths for a railroad car, a seam is necessary. By far the best solution is to have the two pieces sewn together by a professional. You can have tacked seams but they are much less satisfactory (pictures).

(L) A professionally sewn seam.

(R) A tacked seam.

Paint: Special canvas paint is produced. Our local source is APCO Paints in Schaumburg. The product is custom mixed to your color in small batches and is largely linseed oil based. After applying, the free linseed oil polymerizes and forms a sort of waterproof membrane with the canvas weave which still remains somewhat flexible. Rags used to wipe up spills or during cleaning, with this wet product, should be disposed of carefully since heat will be generated and spontaneous combustion is a risk.
Underlayment: Various materials have been suggested for a layer under the canvas to prevent it from rubbing on the wood. Felt roofing paper, butcher paper, and fiberglass mats have all been tried, but our experience has been that it doesn't make any difference. If the wooden surface is in good condition, the canvas should last just fine.

3. How should the canvas be installed?

The first step is to thoroughly soak the canvas, usually by rolling it out on the grass and soaking it with a garden hose. This washes out any sizing and makes it expand a little. Then the wet canvas can be rolled out onto the roof and stretched. The canvas should be clamped every two or three feet and stretched with weights (such as tie plates), bungee cords, or whatever you have on hand. Let it dry for a week. Then wet the canvas again and try to stretch it some more, if possible.

Another tip for canvas roofs which require a lot of stretching over compound curves: If there are wrinkles or puckers that cannot be pulled out with stretching and tacking, the finished canvas before painting can be dampened and a household iron can be used to shrink those wrinkles and flatten them out. On a lot of roof curvature, it may seem that you will never get a flat seam on the tack molding. Tack temporarily every foot or so around the car end. Then split that difference and tack and continue reducing the gap by half, pushing and laying the folds flatter and flatter. By the time it is all tacked and set, use the 'wet and iron' trick to shrink or reduce those folds and eventually they will be less noticeable after painting and the finished job.

Then when dry, start tacking. The canvas should be cut about 2" too long and folded back under itself, so the tacks go through two layers. Usually there are two rows of tacks in a staggered pattern. Standard #8 or #10 carpet tacks are used. Because the canvas paint is very thin, at least three coats will be required.

Installing saddles and other appliances on top of the new canvas is specific to each project. They must all be caulked in place. Anything that sits on the canvas should be carefully shaped so the load is evenly distributed. On the IT, the saddles sit on a thick piece of leather to act as a cushion. That's probably a good idea.

4. What about maintenance?

If the car is stored inside and not operated in the rain, little or no maintenance is required. In any case, the roof should of course be inspected periodically for damage. A good installation should last indefinitely under these conditions.

When the car is stored outside, the roof should be washed down and repainted once every two or three years. Depending on the conditions, a useful life should be ten to fifteen years. Indoor storage should be arranged if at all possible.

You can walk on the canvas, although you should use the running boards whenever possible, and of course only with soft-soled shoes without cleats, etc.

5. How can the roof be repaired?

Small areas damaged by accidents can be patched in the obvious fashion by tacking on small pieces of canvas caulked in place and painted. These need to be inspected periodically, especially when stored outside.

Bob Kutella contributed many valuable suggestions to this article. Most of it was learned by experience at IRM; our knowledge base is due to a number of experts including Bob Bruneau and Frank Sirinek.

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Brake Cylinder Work

On Sunday, the big project was disassembling and inspecting the 308's brake cylinder, which had started leaking towards the end of the year. A bad packing cup was the suspect, and it did turn out that this was a problem; the torn packing cup was replaced with one from stock. A couple of other minor issues were discovered, including a return spring that will have to be replaced and a worn guide ring, which we will address over the winter and/or upon inspection in May. I wasn't able to help out due to illness but an all-star cast consisting of Richard Schauer and visitors Jeff Hakner from Branford and Nick Tomkavage from Seashore completed the work on the brake cylinder. Several others from IRM helped with switching chores as well. Thanks to everyone for their time and effort!

Randy adds: My thanks also to those who helped, particularly our visiting experts! When I arrived on Monday morning, the 308 was still over the pit, so I was able to take these pictures of the brake cylinder to show how the brake rigging works. You can't see that much of the cylinder itself when it's assembled.

(L) The piston end of the cylinder, with the live lever in red, the tie rod in yellow, and the top rods (which go to the trucks) in blue. When air is applied to the cylinder, the piston is pushed out, and the live lever is torqued against the tie rod to pull the top rod in, away from the truck, setting the brakes. (R) A view from the other end. The dead lever (in black) is attached to the "dead" end of the cylinder; when the piston is pushed out, the tie rod pulls on the dead lever to pull on the top rod (in blue) at this end, and each truck receives the same amount of braking force. Simple, isn't it?

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