The big news for today is that the 36 now has trolley poles. It looks much better, like a motor car should. There was a choice between installing the poles in the barn and doing it on the pit lead outside, and a combination of the damp weather and the hassle involved in getting the car over to the pit lead and back meant that the decision was taken in favor of the barn.
Unfortunately these bases have no latches, so they need to be held in the more-or-less down position with wood blocks as wedges. So a long, but not too long, piece of pipe is placed in the base and pushed down against the springs until the correct blocks drop into place. If you're lucky. The other nice thing about doing this in the barn is that there's nobody around to watch things go wrong, offer unwanted advice, or make snide comments. (Not that my fellow volunteers ever do such things, but there's always a first time.) When the base is blocked correctly, the pole can be inserted and clamped into place. By the way, of course the power to the barn is carefully locked out first! And I should mention that this project couldn't have been completed without the help of Rod Turner and Joel Ahrendt.
After that was complete, the weather had improved a little, and I was able to switch the cars around for revenue service. The old reliables, 308 and 309, should be running this Sunday for the Vintage Transport Extravaganza, and the train was made up and checked.
It will look like this. Who among us doesn't like antique automobiles too? This is, they say, the largest antique car show in Illinois each year, so don't miss it! By the way, we still need two trainmen for Sunday, so sign up now while you still can.
