NRM Banner

April 25, 2022

Long days for weekend work.

This weekend was expected to be busy, but it went beyond just busy. It’s a long report, but it has to cover what went on. The mechanics spent the time working on the compressor, getting the bad fuel out, running new stuff through, and by the end of the day, we finally managed to get it back up and running. Once it was running, Ken and Neil finished off the other tire for the Trackmobile. We now have 2 new tires/tubes on the drive wheels, and are just waiting for 2 more for the front wheels. Before shutting the compressor down, a bit of sanding was done on the cab of 9173. Allan and Mike also got the second grab iron off the nose of 9173, as both were badly bent and will be either straightened or rebuilt. Patrick also spent some time working on the Plymouth, lubricating some points, and checking over the injectors and such. Rick was sanding down the side of the flanger to prep it for its next coat of paint. With the grass already starting to grow, we got one of the riding lawnmowers ready to go. Our loader was definitely put to good use once again. A very handy machine to have, with forks and a bucket, it can handle most of the work we need it for. Today was moving rail and ties, and even used it to line the turnout into the new track.
James Petroczi came down this weekend to get as much of the track work done as possible. Didn’t get quite as much done as I hoped today, but the lead is back in service, and the switch stand was installed on the west turnout (track ED17) and adjusted so it’s fully operational and ready for service. It was after 8pm when they packed up to head out.

Sunday James and Nick returned to work on the rest of the track. They did some work on our south track (what will be known as ED19) grinding a few rough joints. Then moved to the north track (ED17) and did some spiking and tie spacing before getting the south rail in place and spiked all the way down to the turnout. They worked into the dark (again), finishing somewhere around 9pm!! We seem to have a bit of a shortage of 100lb rail now, so need to try to get a few pieces so we can finish the job. The track looks good, and it won’t be long before we’ll be able to move between all 3 tracks. That will allow for some repositioning of equipment. Thanks to James and Nick for all the work this weekend, it’s really getting close to being finished and something we can properly use. And a really huge thanks to Neil and Ken Sr. for being out there for much longer than expected, (Neil was out there both days for almost 12hrs each day).
Today (Monday), Allan and Ken Jr. were at the shop for most of the day. Allan spent the time installing the external sheeting on the west wall window panel it looks good, and definitely cuts down the wind. It wasn’t easy getting that panel to fit properly either, required quite a bit of fiddling over the last few weeks. Ken worked on the flanger, painting the end platforms. The east platform now has a first coat, and some touch up work was done on the west end. The more progress that’s made on this car, the more exciting it is to think of how it’s going to look when it’s done. It won’t be long before our sign painter David will be able to add his skills to the look of the car. Thanks to James, Nick, and all our dedicated volunteers (Neil, Mike, Ken, Allan, Patrick, Rick and Ken) who came out to work on the many projects this weekend.

April 17, 2022

Saturday Work and AGM

Had a good group out today, worked on a few different things with multiple crews. Inside the shop Neil, Patrick and Jim worked on getting the compressor back up and running after having some bad fuel mess things up a bit. Still need to drain the bad diesel out of the tank, but at least everything has been cleaned out of the injectors.

Allan, Mike and Ken got the west wall window cover in place (3rd times a charm apparently). It still needs the outer skin, but this will definitely help cut down some of the wind that blows through that window.

West wall window panel in place.

Mike, Ken, Nolan and John worked on getting some of the track back in place, starting with the panel that was removed last week. It needs work still. Some new ties need to be put in place and the rail cut to fit, but it’s not a long piece. The ties were also laid out on the north track and will get rail next weekend. This tractor has definitely been a very useful piece of equipment, and can handle so much work at the shop.

Neil and Patrick also worked on the compressor for the Plymouth, taking pieces off to check measurements. Patrick has taken on the Plymouth as a project, and is starting with the compressor. The unit was heavily damaged and seized when we acquired the locomotive, and was disassembled for repairs that never happened. Patrick has already been researching the compressor, built by Quincy, and has taken the pieces home to work on reassembling it.

Today was also the Museum AGM. Thanks to our members who stuck around/came out for the meeting (Jim, Nolan, Mike, Ken, Allan, Neil, Patrick, John, Aaron, Glen, Russ, Bill and Ken). It went very well, and I thank everyone for continuing to support the existing board as we have worked so hard to keep things progressing forward through some very difficult times. Quite a bit was discussed at the meeting, and it’s leading into what will be a great year. We have a lot of work to do, but we’re heading in the right direction.

Want to get involved? We are always looking for new Members for work both on site, and off site at the other events we take part in throughout the year. For more information on how to join, drop us a message, or visit http://nfrm.ca/volunteer.php

April 9, 2022

April 9th Work Day

Well, can’t have a great day every time. What started as a good plan, unfortunately didn’t end up that way. We had a new member come out today, and we put him right to work. While Allan and Mike were working on removing the west wall window panel for refitting, Ken, Nolan, Neil and Patrick went out to start moving the ties out of the way so Clayton from Attar could move the track panel and turnout. The ties and track panel were removed easily enough, but the turnout was stubborn, and it got to the point where it just wasn’t practical to continue. Further attempts could have caused damage to equipment, or the track, or injury to someone, and we definitely don’t want that to happen. The turnout just wouldn’t move as much as we wanted. So, back to the drawing board on this one. Hoping we have enough rail to make it fit where it currently sits. Once all that was finished, some of the equipment was pulled outside for the first time this year. The Trackmobile is not yet in service, and is kind of in the way, but it was left coupled to the GE and shoved outside. 46 was pulled out as well to allow us to give the running gear a look over in the daylight. The locomotive was also oiled and moved around a bit as it hasn’t been moved for about 5 months. After lunch our new member was given the run down on the equipment, along with some planning on what needs to be done to what. All in all, not a bad day, just a bit of a bummer we couldn’t quite get things done.

So, thanks to Clayton and Attar Metals for the help, and to our members, Allan, Mike, Ken, Jim, Nolan, Neil, Patrick and Ken.

Patrick running the loader picking up some of the ties.
Nolan moving ties out of the way from under the turnout.
The Trackmobile, GE and 46 outside for the first time in 2022.

April 4, 2022

NRM weekend

Just 4 members out this past Saturday for a few hrs. First thing that had to be done was to remove part of the roll up door cover, which was snagged by the door when we were opening it. This was not unexpected as it has needed some work for a while, but it has now been removed and will be replaced sometime this year.

Once that was taken care of, we spent the time outside working on the track. We are going to be making some major changes out in the yard very shortly and in order to do the work, we have remove a 30ft panel of track between the 2 turnouts. The bolts/bars were removed, along with any spikes that would interfere, so the panel is ready for removal, hopefully this coming weekend. Once the panel is out, the ground will be leveled, and the west turnout will be moved up into its place. This is being done for a few reasons, with the first being what we hope will be a much better line to the north track of the shop. The panel being removed may end up in the north track, or may be used as part of the tail track after the turnout. This work will allow us to finally go between all 3 shop tracks, and move equipment around for display and work purposes. John and Mike worked on removing the bolts while Ken and Ken picked up the track materials for storage.

Mike working on removing one of the bolts in a track joint.

On Sunday Mike and Ken went to the Collectibles show in Ancaster to pick up 2 items donated by Ann and Dave Huskinson, owners of Clearview Station Bed & Breakfast in Creemore, where you can stay in a 1940 Ontario Northland Caboose. The Museum picked up a diesel bell (currently stored for future use), and a train schedule board, which is a new item the collection. Thanks to Ann & Dave for donating these items to the Museum.

Just over a month away from opening weekend now, and we’re hoping things will really start picking up at the shop. Any decent weather during the week will see members out working, and this Saturday has quite a bit of work planned, including track work and work on the CN Flanger, 56323.

March 27, 2022

Busy at the end of March.

Waited until today to make the weekend report as there’s been quite a bit happening. Saturday was a shorter day, but there were 8 of us out, working on the windows on the west wall. The wind hits this end of the building hard, and Allan made up a panel to fit into the wide open area of the windows, behind the cab of CN 9173. This will really keep the west wind out. We managed to get the panel in place, but there is one spot that prevented it from fitting exactly as planned. Still, it’s in place, and there’s definitely a difference. It will be adjusted this week. Allan has also been working on the cab of 9173, cleaning up the back where the rest of the body was cut off. Also on Saturday we picked up a small donation from a local family. We gained 2 railway crossing lights and 2 bells, a couple of small CNR oil cans, and the new item to the collection, a C&O Ry oil can.
On Sunday, members went to Beamsville to pick up a TH&B caboose stove. This item will be moved into X-759, our |TH&B Boarding Car, and will be a much better representation than the current stove that is on temporary display. We also checked out the stove owners (under construction) O scale layout.
Thanks to our volunteers that came out Saturday, Ken, Neil, Mike, John, Allan, Jim, Nolan, John, and Ken, and the crew on Sunday (which was more than we needed, but worked out great), Ken, Mike, Allan, John, Evan, Mitch, and Ken.

March 17, 2022

Good weather brings more progress

The weather has finally improved enough to get some much needed work done. On March 16 CN 9173 and INCo 8 had some sanding done to clean up more of the rough rust spots. Once the oxidation was cleaned up, the bright yellow came through on INCo 8. On March 17th, Ken and Neil spent some time at the shop working on CN Flanger 56323, managing to get a first coat of the final colour on the car, and it’s looking pretty good. The new paint goes on and covers well. This paint was recommended to us from our friends at the https://albertarailwaymuseum.com/ as they have used it on many pieces of their equipment. If it can stand up to Alberta winters, than it should be just fine for our needs.

Really pleased that we were able to get the first coat of paint on the car. Still a fair amount of work to be done with the paint, but a few good weather days, and some extra help, and this car will have the main body painted fairly quickly. Once the main paint is done, the lettering/number will be applied. The cupola windows are the final pieces of the restoration, and are currently being rebuilt by Alan at his home shop.

March 7, 2022

Niagara Model Railway Show

What a great return of the Niagara Model Railway Show on Sunday March 6th, with over 400 people coming out to the show. There was a line up before the show started, and by noon, we had already surpassed our previous show. We sold out of chili and hot dogs (after lunch, thankfully), which is actually a first. Our table count increased before the show opened as vendors showed up and realized they had more stuff than they had table space. The show was well and truly sold out. We could fit about 10 more tables in, but we do like having a few layouts for display, so people can see what the possibilities are. We had a lot of returning vendors, but quite a few new ones as well, and over half of the vendors are already booked back in for the October show. There were 3 operating layouts at the show, N, HO, and Lego.

A big thanks to everyone who came out to the show, your attendance was a big boost for the Museum. Thanks to our many new and returning vendors from across Ontario. We hope you all had a great show and we look forward to seeing you in October.

These shows couldn’t be possible without our amazing Museum volunteers. A lot of time and effort goes into making these shows possible. This one was put together in about a month. In that time, we have to find vendors, and get as much information out about the show that we can, to get people through the door. Ken and Ken deal with the majority of the vendors, be it phone, email, etc. Mike was also helping with the vendors before the show. Glen, Aaron, and Jim were looking after the Museum table while John, Rick and Chuck looked after the door. Nolan spent his time looking after his Lego train display. Our kitchen crew, Melody, Jane, Susan and Deanna make sure that our vendors and guests are served good food during the day.

Overall, this was definitely the show that we were hoping for. A good turnout, happy visitors and vendors, and great boost for the Museum. A great start for our 25th Anniversary season! For more information on how to become involved with the Museum, visit our information page at http://nfrm.ca/volunteer.php. You can also keep track of our events onsite and off site on our Facebook page, or at our events page at http://nfrm.ca/events.php.

March 2, 2022

Upcoming work

With most of the focus on the upcoming train show on March 6th, there won’t be much happening until after the show. On Saturday, Feb 26th, Neil torqued all the nuts on the head of the Vulcan and installed the new spark plugs.. Allan was out on Sunday and installed one of the side plates on the flanger carbody, and prepped the one on the other side for installation.

As has been mentioned before, there are a lot of projects being worked on, and planned for completion as soon as the weather allows. Much of this work involves painting equipment. The work includes painting and lettering on Flanger 56323, which is at the point where this work can now be performed. Our GE 25tonner will have a new paint scheme and coat of paint, a variation of the old CN green/yellow. The Whiting Trackmobile will be returned to service for display/demonstration, and the cab of CN 9173, which has been receiving a lot of attention, will also get a coat of paint. One of the biggest projects will be outside the shop as we work to complete the trackwork in our yard. One turnout will be moved, which will allow for a better line on the north track. This is a fairly big job, and we are planning to start the prep work as soon as we can in April. There are still other projects planned, but these are the biggest ones that are really being pushed before the 25th Anniversary.

The Museum is always looking for new members/volunteers to come out and help, on site or off. Members don’t neccesarily need to get dirty working on projects. We can always use help with promotions off site at different shows, and also cataloging of artifacts.

March 1, 2022

Niagara Model Railway Show

We are in the final days leading up to the return of the Niagara Model Railway Show this coming Sunday, March 6th. The show runs from 10am to 3pm at the Merritton Community Centre at 7 Park Ave in St. Catharines. We are pleased to welcome 45 vendors from across Ontario, some new, and some returning. Show guess can expect to find model trains in many scales, from N to G, along with N scale, HO, and Lego layouts. Admission is $5. Food, drinks and snacks are also available.

Masks are 100% mandatory, and must be worn at all times. Other restrictions have been removed.

www.nfrm.ca/nfmrs.php

February 21, 2022

Productive Family Day weekend

Despite Saturday being yet another cold day, the rest of the weekend turned out great. Not much went on Saturday, just some planning, discussing work projects for the spring. Allan was out on Sunday working on the Flanger, and managed to get all the fascia boards up on the north side of the Flanger. We are currently working on getting the proper paint colour and will be painting the car as soon as the weather allows. The rebuild of CN 56323 has been a lengthy one, but the work has gone much smoother, and faster with Allan working on it. The roof will need some significant work, but that will likely wait until the fall, after RailDays. We look forward to seeing the project completed.

Ken was out on Family day, taking advantage of the 10 degree weather to work on the cab of CN 9173. Things tend to start a lot easier when it’s not freezing cold out, especially the compressor. Working with the needle scaler and air sander, the cab nose lost the remainder of the CN noodle, and the old flaking paint. The cab is planned to have a new coat of paint, again, as soon as the weather permits. Still trying to figure out how we’re going to fix the huge dents in the nose from a previous move. We believe the grab irons were ripped out of the nose when someone tried to life the 17ton cab by them. The cab will be restored to the Orange/black paint scheme it wore when in service on the steel trains.

And as a final note, we are extremely pleased to report that the Niagara Model Railway Show is SOLD OUT!! This was far more than was expected, and we hope to get a lot of people through the door to support our vendors. The show is just 2 weeks away on Sunday, March 6th.

« Newer PostsOlder Posts »