Dear Pioneer,
It’s funny how preservation changes your view of the weather. When I was in service, I admit I didn’t think much about it as long as it didn’t affect the schedule. Rain and snow were fun to talk about if you wanted to chat up another engine at the station, but passengers would be at the platform regardless of the forecast. Everyone had someplace to be, after all. But at the museum, if there’s an event planned and the weather takes a turn, it can really throw a wrench into your plans.
Such was the case for our 9th Annual Members’ Day weekend. Saturday in particular was rough. There was supposed to be an outdoor steer roast and swap meet, but both were moved into the car barn on account of the rain and the cold. I suppose that’s one drawback of pushing the date to October; there are fewer nice days. Fortunately, picnic tables work just as well indoors as out, but some of our guests probably thought better of coming. Even so, I’m told that the swap meet was a big success, and they’re planning on doing another one next year for people interested in trading ‘railroadania’.
Anyone who couldn’t come on Saturday missed Indiana Railroad 65 running for the first time since 1973, which is a real shame for them! I’ve mentioned IR 65 before, she’s the mother of the whole museum, being our first car ever preserved. She’s seen the museum grow into what it is today and is the reason any of the rest of us are here at all.
When our original founder who helped preserve her passed away in 1973, IR 65 suffered some electrical damage and stopped operating regularly. It wasn’t until this year that the damage could be fixed so she could be the spotlight operating car for the final event of the year. It felt poetic, in a way! We’re all really happy for her and the guests loved seeing her again. Green Hornet was out as well, along with the usual roster of Illinois Terminal and North Shore cars, but IR 65 was indisputably the star of the show and made everyone’s rainy Saturday a little brighter.
Luckily, Steam Sunday was much clearer. Shay, Frisco, and Tuskegee were the leading ladies all day and as usual they made the work look effortless. They even let me take a few trips up the line! Despite the number of us running all day, all of our Zephyr trips were filled to capacity, and even the staff remarked on how popular our train has become in the last few years! We may have to take cues from your 505 and start offering concessions for our runs next year. Ceres is chiding me, saying not to make fun of dining cars, but I’m being serious – there were that many passengers!
Tuskegee 101 had the honor of pulling Ely as part of the Directors’ Special, a train put together to honor the museum directors. Unfortunately, all the directors were working the other trains that day! Only one could be cajoled into leaving his post and he had to be asked to change out of his dirty coveralls before being allowed onto the train, as Ely is kept meticulously clean and is very proud of that fact. Once the special guest was seated, other passengers were allowed on and were doted on hand and foot as an homage to Ely’s station as a private car. It was a fun bit of history brought to life.
For the final two trips of the day, the team thought it would be fun to link all the trains together on the back of Frisco. Together with her Q coaches, Tuskegee’s Lackawanna rake, an RPO, and private cars Ely and Inglehome, the total count came to nine – the longest train ever pulled at the IRM! Frisco’s train was so long, that when our last Zephyr run came along we had to do a saw-by.
She pulled into the siding just enough for us to come up alongside on the main line, then we stopped so she could switch onto the main line too behind us. We were able to continue once the last of her nine cars was pulled off the main line, and then we did that again on the way back. Usually saw-by’s are to be avoided in real railroad operations, but at a museum it’s just another way to show off how a real railroad sometimes operates.
Naturally, just like on a real railroad, there are sometimes problems. Our star of last Members’ Day, diesel crane C&WI 1900, was out and showing off when the boom accidentally dropped and caused a minor derailment. You’ll recall last year that 1900 rescued D.D. the diesel switcher when she derailed, but D.D. got the last laugh as our other crane, C&WI 1917 came out to re-rail 1900. Never a dull moment when you’re running that many engines at once, I suppose. Does your museum ever do special days like Members’ Day? It seems like each year our operations get bigger and better, and if the MSI were to do something like what we do here, I think your yard would shine as much as ours did!
Even though all that excitement was a month ago and things have wound down at the museum for the holidays, I’m still buzzing. I can already tell this winter is going to feel longer than usual. If your guides take any pictures of your Christmas celebrations, we would also love to see them! I know there were many snapshots taken of our steam engines (and perhaps a few of a certain streamlined engine as well…), so maybe we can make a trade of it?
Your friend,
Pilot