Dear Pioneer,
It would never have occurred to me to call you of all engines a hayseed! We considered the earliest Zephyrs – and you in particular – much more cosmopolitan than those of us who came later. I remember you mentioning that you spent most of your service life on smaller routes, but you seem so worldly all the same.
Happily, D.D. recovered quite well from her Member’s Day debut. As a matter of fact, my letter-writer tells me that she and 1900 have become fast friends after the whole thing. I think it was just a lot of excitement all at once for an engine not used to being the center of attention.
1900 is a big crane designed for lifting whole engines, and D.D. is so small that when she arrived last year she was driven in on the flatbed of a truck. It was definitely a “performance” in the sense that using 1900 to rerail her was probably excessive, but the visitors absolutely loved it! Part of being a museum of operational equipment is getting to see us do our thing, which includes cranes and shunters. In that way, we’re all performing a little bit every day I suppose!
What was it like being a show engine? I’d be curious to hear from you and 999 about it, since most of the time our “performances” just look like standard operating procedure. I can’t imagine what being on a movie set or in a railroad showcase would be like, so I’d love to hear if you all had any stories.
As always, the end of summer means it’s slowed down quite a bit over here. This is just fine, as it gives our guys time to do the less glamorous work out of the public eye. We’ve acquired a good stock of materials for the tracks thanks to the Commonwealth Edison Company (the namesake of several of our engines!) taking out all their track at the plant this year and offering to donate it to us, provided we did all the hard work of course, haha. As much as our guys pride themselves on being able to handle most jobs with museum equipment, they wanted to get the rails moved before the weather turned. They rented five semi trailers to get it all hauled out here in just two weeks! Next step is the ties and spikes. This should keep us in trackage for a good while. The tractors and trucks on the property certainly haven’t wanted for jobs to do, even as the operating season comes to a close.
Meanwhile, Green Hornet’s enjoying a nice cozy spot in the newest carbarn on account of her restoration being such a resounding success. None of us begrudge her the spot, since she brought in so many eager visitors during the summer and even did a special run late last month for higher-ups from the RTA and CTA who came out to enjoy our roster of operational Chicago equipment. Our elevated cars and Surface Lines engines did a great job of course, but Green Hornet was the belle of the ball, so-to-speak. Apparently the transit officials were so impressed with her that they shared their compliments with the staff and crew after the ride!
These kinds of visits improve the museum’s relationship with possible donors, so it’s important to show off a good restoration like Hornet’s to prove that the IRM is a good home for retiring engines and cars. It’s flaunting for a good cause! Very Burlington.
As for the Goddesses and myself, we’re hoping for a quiet winter and a chance to show off ourselves next year. Restoration is an ongoing process. Venus called it ‘Sisyphean’. She would know, I suppose!
Your friend,
Pilot