Updates from IRM

From our sister blog, Hicks Car Works, have over recent months come several changes to the status of equipment in the IRM collection. First, the good news: Chicago & West Towns 141, shown above, has had most of its teething issues worked out and has been put into regular service. This was the first real "chicken coop" restoration done by IRM and following completion of major work in 2013 the car stayed in only occasional use for several years while the bugs were worked out.

There's also Fox River Electric 306, which was IRM's example of that trolley museum staple, the project abandoned mid-restoration. This suburban car was acquired by IRM in the mid-1980s in seriously deteriorated, albeit complete and operational, condition and was torn down for a complete rebuild. That effort ground to a halt around 1990 or so but has recently been resumed, with welding work and component reassembly efforts now underway.

Additionally, Amtrak 945, the museum's AEM7 passenger locomotive and one of the newer pieces of equipment at IRM, has been moved out of the shop and put on outdoor public display. This follows welding work necessitated by the replacement of some windows that were broken by vandals during transportation from the east coast.

Then there's the bad news. Chicago Aurora & Elgin 308 is out-of-service for the foreseeable future following a motor failure. This isn't the first time IRM has had a GE 66 blow up but it is expected to take some time before funds can be raised to rebuild the motor for continued service. In the meantime the museum has three other CA&E wood cars that will remain in regular service.

Finally, Wisconsin Electric Power L7 is also out-of-service with a failed air compressor. On most pieces of equipment this wouldn't be too catastrophic, but the L7 is one of only two pieces of equipment on the PNAERC list to sport a giant CP-19 air compressor. It sits in the cab and removing it for work is an involved process, so for the moment repair work is on the back burner.