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.

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.