Blogging: Is It Something You Want to Try?

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

• The best blogging techniques.
• How to get traffic to your blog.
• How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

Trainfest in Milwaukee, WI - November 10th

Two weeks ago already, Chuck and I spent a few hours roaming around Trainfest in the Wisconsin Exposition Center at State Fair Park. We go every year to see the layouts and new displays, view historical booths, and visit with our growing number of railfan friends.

There weren't a lot of people in attendance when we arrived on Saturday morning around 9:30 AM but before we left at 12:30 PM, the place was pretty lively. We like to go early and get a parking spot a couple of blocks away from the paid parking area when the weather is nice. And it was really nice on Saturday, November 10th.

It's great to see all the children having fun and watching the trains intently. The layouts are impressive enough for adults but the kids just love some of them. The Lego setup is always a favorite of the youngsters.

I've finally uploaded two clips to YouTube from our 3 hour visit to Trainfest and hope you enjoy them.

Trainfest 2007 Clip #1

Trainfest 2007 Clip #2

Throttle Time at Monticello Railway Museum on November 4, 2007

Things never turn out the way we expect them to and Throttle Time at Monticello Railway Museum was just another example of this. Don't get me wrong... it was great fun for Chuck and he seemed happy to have the opportunity to operate the Illinois Central 8733 which is a 1980 EMD built GP-11 diesel locomotive currently in the MRyM collection. But it wasn't the Milwaukee Road NW-2 #1649 that he really wanted to get his hands on and that was a disappointment for me because this was my present to Chuck.

It was a beautiful day to be at Monticello Railway Museum
just outside Monticello, Illinois on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007.

When I spoke to the museum representative on October 30th, he was very clear that there had been problems with the #1649 but he was pretty sure it would be in operation by Sunday, November 4th. The problems continued and so we were left with the IC #8733 for our Throttle Time adventure. It's just Murphy's Law in effect as usual.

Gorgeous Milwaukee Road NW-2 #1649 sits in the barn on Nov. 4th.

We arrived shortly after 9:00 AM as we had been told to report by 9:30 AM for Chuck's scheduled Throttle Time at 10:30 AM. No one else was at the museum when we got there so we roamed around near the depot and took a few images of the rolling stock and each other.

First to arrive at Monticello Railway Museum 11/04/07.

The wig-wag on the south end of the main museum parking lot.

Looking southeast toward the museum barns and yard.

Chuck on the platform to the east of the railway museum depot.

Me in a Milwaukee Road sweatshirt standing north
of the platform by the walk-through display cars.

Here's the ride for our Throttle Time run: IC #8733 EMD GP-11.

Chuck at the controls of the Illinois Central #8733.

The video I captured during Chuck's Throttle Time operation has been broken down into 7 clips and is being uploaded to my YouTube. As of right now there are 5 clips available. The rest will be up soon. Other videos will follow of our roam around the museum grounds.

After Chuck's time was up one of the museum crew took our picture on the front end of the #8733.

Happy railfans after completing Throttle Time.
It was so windy my hat blew off!

Chuck bought a few trinkets in the museum gift shop and then we headed over to the barns to see the Milwaukee Road NW-2 #1649 sitting inside as depicted above. We toured the yard and the viewed equipment inside and out. Although the museum was closed for the season we were able to roam around at will since we had participated in Throttle Time.

Chuck walking near the Monticello Railway Museum barns.

The caboose train to the west of the barns.

The 1916 Alco 0-6-0 Switcher #191 sits outside the barns.

More equipment sits outside in the small museum rail yard.

So much of their rolling stock is in excellent condition.

Soo Line caboose #99110 with recent lettering.

And the Soo Line caboose #99110 has a screen door.

A beautiful Milwaukee Road boxcar looking good
even with my finger in the image. Sorry about that!

So another great weekend trip from our home near Milwaukee has concluded. We started out with a drive to IRM to drop off a CD for a fellow volunteer and then headed to Rochelle, IL to meet up with our good friends Chuck and Jane.

It was another 2 hours or so down to Monticello where we stayed at a Best Western very near the museum. On Sunday it was just short of a four hour drive home by the toll-way around Chicago. We listened in astonishment to the Green Bay Packers' victory over the Kansas City Chiefs; what incredible luck they had! All in all, it was a very good weekend.

Monticello Railway Museum Throttle Time

Chuck and I visited the Monticello Railway Museum in Monticello, IL during the summer of 2007 and learned about an event they have every spring and fall called Throttle Time. During these few days of the off-season, interested railfans can come and learn how to operate one of the museum locomotives under the direct supervision of a MRM engineer.

The cost is only $100 donated to the museum and for an additional $23 I get to ride along so I can film Chuck as he learns and then operates the Milwaukee Road NW-2 #1649 this coming Sunday. This is going to be another fun weekend for us as we start off with Saturday in Rochelle at Railroad Park visiting with our Dixon, IL friends who are meeting us there. Then we plan to spend the night close by so we can be at the Monticello Railway Museum by no later than 9:30 AM.

It is necessary to arrive an hour before Chuck's scheduled Throttle Time so he can watch and learn how to operate the locomotive before he takes control. Of course I will report back with all the details, images, and video.

Get out there and watch some trains this weekend! It's going to be good weather around our area of the Midwest.

Terror on the Railroad Last Day is October 31, 2007

The last day to enjoy Terror on the Railroad at the Illinois Railway Museum in 2007 is Wednesday, October 31, 2007. This event is not recommended for children under the age of 13 years but it depends on the child. Some teenagers have been too scared to go through the railcars parked near the steam barn known as the Train of Chills or ride the museum mainline on the Screamliner. It's fun to be scared sometimes as long as we know we are safe so maybe a reminder that this is all in fun and the actors are not going to hurt anyone will be reassuring for those who are really afraid.

Below is a short clip I put together to give you a taste of what the event was like for me when I was there on October 20th.



Take someone warm to cling to and have a fun and safe time!

Illinois Railway Museum Presents Terror on the Railroad

The Illinois Railway Museum near Union is doing something new and freakish this year. For the month of October a new event has come to haunt us all...

As of this post there are only three more opportunities for you to check out this newest local fright fest at the Illinois Railway Museum but you can get all the details online.

Chuck and I are not the sort of people who typically attend Halloween haunted houses but because we both volunteer at IRM and we love the idea of using otherwise unused rolling stock for something fun at the museum, we made an exception and went through Terror on the Railroad after working last Saturday, October 20, 2007.

By the time we got in line at around 6:45 PM there were already over 100 people there! So be advised this is a popular event even though it's new. Come early and plan to wait for your turn to be scared! We were in our car heading out the gate at just after 9:00 PM so it took two and a quarter hours for us to make it through the Train of Chills and the Screamliner.

We weren't in a huge hurry though so I think you can be safe if you plan on spending two hours there for your $10 admission fee. At least one hour of that time will be spent waiting for the trolley or the train but the volunteers at IRM are working hard to make sure everyone is as comfortable as possible and, above all, safe.

I was able to visit with the actors prior to the start of the evening's festivities on Saturday and captured a few images to share here. The event coordinator is Jennifer Kolanowski who is also the museum store manager. She has put together an amazing crew of volunteers from both the regular museum volunteers and the local communities.

Of the actors I met, one was still in high school, several had just graduated in 2007, and a couple were in college but all were from Marengo, Crystal Lake, and Woodstock. Jennifer told me a group of 30 kids from the Honor Society in Huntley were going to be there to do community service volunteering later that evening. It's wonderful to see a strong volunteer spirit in the local youth around Union. And it looks like a real blast for them!

As the first crew of volunteers were putting on their make-up I was able to take a few pictures and talk to the kids. The diner was used as their make-up room and then they could go outside to wait for the cover of darkness to scuttle off to their scary assignments. There were many others I did not have an opportunity to meet but they all did a great job of scaring me!

Jennifer Kolanowski applies make-up to an actor.

Kim Durkin, a 2007 Marengo graduate in her costume.

Will Senneke attends McHenry County College while Matt
Jakymiw is a student at Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Nick Andersen, Class of 2007 at Marengo,
holds Nenshouhi ready to rip into some fun.

Known here as Gorilla Man, Tim Richardson
is a 2003 graduate of Crystal Lake South.

Abby Heidenreich attends Woodstock High School.

Brianna Simmons, Marengo Class of 2006, poses
with graduation classmate Kevin Meneely.

Cathy Walters told me her job was to
hide in a doorway and scare people!

If you get the chance to get out to the Illinois Railway Museum over the last three days of the event I don't think you will be disappointed in the performance of these fine actors. But what you may not realize is that they also helped to construct the interior scenes in the Train of Chills and decorated the Screamliner just to help you get your annual dose of Halloween gore.

If you are one who loves to get scared or simply grossed out - you don't want to miss this!

The Milwaukee Road X5000 Dynomomter Car Video

Here's a video comprised of short segments from the work done on the Milwaukee Road X5000 Dynomometer Car at the Illinois Railway Museum on October 13, 2007 by Warren Newhauser Jr. and Chuck Trabert. Water-proofing the roof was the goal and the men feel they accomplished their mission.

Illinois Railway Museum Work Day

Saturday, October 13, 2007 was a long work day at the Illinois Railway Museum for Chuck and I. We arrived there at 9:00 AM and waited briefly for Warren Newhauser to get there so he and Chuck could get to work water-proofing the roof on the Milwaukee Road X5000 Dynomometer Car.

Although the X5000 is located near Barn 10 on the "back 40", we were able to drive our cars to an area close by. Warren and Chuck unloaded their tools and climbed up on the roof of the X5000 to begin water-proofing.

Chuck Trabert inspects the roof of the X5000 as Warren Newhauser, Junior
prepares to load tools into buckets to be raised up by rope to the work area.
Photos by Pauline Trabert

Warren's father, the late Warren Newhauser, Sr. worked on the Milwaukee Road X5000 Dynomometer Car and this a major reason why Warren Jr. is dedicated to preserving this one of a kind car. Once the MRHA barn is designated at the Illinois Railway Museum, the X5000 will be protected from the weather year round and enjoy occasional track time for events featuring Milwaukee Road equipment.

Both Warren and Chuck are members of the Milwaukee Road Historical Association and have been planning this work day since the MRHA convention in June of this year.

Chuck's grandfather, George Trabert spent 34 years with the Milwaukee Road, so family history is key to many individuals working to preserve the Milwaukee Road archives and rolling stock.

Working on top of the Dynomometer Car was made easier by the many hand-holds of protruding pipes, vents, and other equipment that were also the access points of the water leakage. Warren's past attempt to stop the leaks proved his methods were heading in the right direction. Heavy rains in McHenry County this year indicated more roof work was required, although the major leaks had been remedied previously.

The men work on opposite sides of the roof in an effort to stop all leaks.

All potential points of water leaks were treated to a vigorous program of sealing and patching on Saturday, 10/13/07. The men worked from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM taking only a short break for a simple lunch on top of the X5000.

Warren Newhauser, Jr. on the left with Chuck Trabert on top
of the Milwaukee Road X5000 Dynomometer Car having lunch.

Warren hopes to put together a team of volunteers in the spring of 2008 to sandblast the car, repair surface problems, apply primer and finish coats of paint, and re-do the lettering and heralds on the X5000 in an effort to preserve this unique piece of Milwaukee Road history.

As for me, I started out with Warren and Chuck at the Dynomometer Car then went to Barn 4 to meet with Bob Kutella to hear more about the 3rd Annual Arn Fest held at the Illinois Railway Museum on Oct 5, 6, and 7 while Chuck and I were in Duluth.

Arn Fest is a meeting of folks from all across the continental USA interested in old woodworking machines. Bob told me their motto was something like: If it doesn't have any iron (arn) in it - it's too new! There were about 66 people in attendance this year which is double the number of the first Arn Fest held in 2005. The Illinois Railway museum has so far been the only host of the event. More information about Arn Fest and the Old Woodworking Machines group can be found at their forum, which is open to new registrations for those interested in old woodworking machines.

Activities included a swap meet in the parking lot where members brought old woodworking machines they wanted to exchange or barter for other pieces; clinics, demos, and sand casting of brass pieces for museum rolling stock too. Repair and maintenance of some of the museum's shop machines and donation of two new grinders for the IRM were the frosting on the cake.

This Delta professional grinder was donated to the
Illinois Railway Museum during the 2007 Arn Fest
and will be used for restoration of museum pieces.

Then I got a news update from Frank Sirinek about the Chicago & West Towns 141 restoration project. Later I spoke with Ed Waytula and Eric Lorenz about their progress with the Cleveland Transit System 4223 PCC car. Next I met and talked with Michael Baksic who is the curator for the Railroad Coach Department at the Illinois Railway Museum. He updated me on current work in the passenger cars including the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific 2555, the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific 2602, and the Chicago & North Western 7700.

I had the good fortune to meet Shelly Vanderschaegen while speaking with Mike Baksic. She is a delightful young woman who has had a hand in reupholstering many seats for rail cars at the Illinois Railway Museum and has done a wonderful job with the interior of the "Ely" also known as the Nevada Northern 10. She has been volunteering at IRM for about 10 years now.

I ran into Shelly again later in the day and had the opportunity to go inside this beautiful car. In addition to sewing the curtains, cleaning, doing minor repair work, installing new carpeting, and polishing the woodwork, Shelly also made the elegant evening gown for the mannequin who graces the dining area of the car. Shelly's aunt styled the beautiful wig.

Shelly told me she doesn't work with patterns and made the dress based on a 1" by 1" photo she has. You can see the dress in an image from Phil Stepek in the IRM photo gallery. The curtains have been redone since this photo was taken in a lovely burgundy brocade, and the carpet has been replaced with a nearly identical pattern.

From approximately 3:45 PM to 6:00 PM I watched and filmed Warren and Chuck at work on the Dynomometer Car then helped pack up their tools and clean the work area before we all left. It was a long but rewarding work day at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Soo Line Steam Locomotive 2719 Excursion 10/6/07

Another amazing three-day weekend!

Friday, October 5, 2007

Chuck and I left our home near Milwaukee about ten minutes before 4:00 AM on Friday, October 5, 2007 and drove to Duluth Minnesota. Our goal was to be at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in time to see the #2719 4-6-2 steam train leave at 10:30 AM for the Friday Two Harbors excursion to take photos and video. I am happy to report we made it on time, arriving at just about 10:15 AM as the last passengers were boarding.

#2719 about to leave on Friday, 10/5/07.

#2719 backs out of the depot siding to switch to the mainline on 10/5/07.

After we checked into our room at the Holiday Inn we went out to tour Duluth via their excellent Skywalk System.

On the way to the Depot from the Holiday Inn Center to visit the Lake Superior Railroad Museum through the Skywalk System.

On Friday evening we dined in the Radisson Hotel Harborview revolving 'Top of the Harbor' restaurant. The food was outstanding and a talented three piece band went from table to table to play everyone's favorite tunes. The view at night in the wind and rain was just great and we were able to get there without stepping outside at all. We highly recommend this restaurant any time you are in Duluth!

Saturday, October 6, 2007

On Saturday we rode the Lake Superior Railroad Museum round-trip excursion on the North Shore Scenic Railroad behind the Pacific 4-6-2 #2179 from Duluth to Two Harbors, followed by their elegant dinner train.

We rode in the Budd car with no empty seats on the train on 10/6/07!

Chuck is seen in the baggage car while still at the depot. It was chilly and very wet all weekend; too cold to stay in the open car for long.

Looking out the window at Lake Superior as we leave Duluth on the North Shore Scenic Railroad.

Weather is not an issue for Chuck who is happy as long as he's on a train!

A big thrill for us was having Patrick Dorin as our car host. Here he is signing his book we purchased in the Lake Superior Railroad Museum
gift shop after our excursion to Two Harbors had detrained in Duluth.

North Shore Scenic Railroad Elegant Dinner Train

Chuck with our table companion Jamie Longe from Kenora, ON, Canada.

Jamie's bride of one month, Sarah sitting next to me in the dining car.

Our dinner was from the New Scenic Cafe located at 5461 North Shore Drive, Duluth, MN 55804. The menu was as follows:

The first course was a corn tamale with a beautiful
presentation and spicy chocolate mole sauce.

The second course was a delicious salad.

The entrée was seared elk over wild rice. Yum!

Dessert was a homemade berry pie with a crust to die for.

Ken Buehler, the Executive Director of the North Shore
Scenic Railroad is a very witty and entertaining host.

Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad
Sunday, October 7, 2007

On Sunday we rode the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad during their last scheduled day of the season to view "Duluth's most scenic excursion" along the St. Louis River. Later we shopped at the Superior Antique & Art Depot in Superior, WI until they closed after 5 PM, then we headed home arriving near 1:00 AM on Monday.

One of two coach cars on the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad.

The observation area of one of the coach cars has many very
comfortable arm chairs and a door leading to the open car.

It was warmer on Sunday 10/7/07 so we spent a lot of the trip
along the St. Louis River outside in the open air car on the LS&MRR.

It's a lot of fun to travel on three-day weekends when the destination is within 6-8 hours from home. Take a look at what's in your area and get out there and enjoy some trains!