Nostalgia & History > Highliners at IRM

Recent arrivals.   They are 1637 and 1645 (Bombardier), 1630 (last St. Louis), 1534 (St. Louis).

Coupler adapter & conventional air hose. 

These were handpicked from the remaining cars so the end of revenue service must be very near.  Does anyone know where the rest are being scrapped?

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WOW! IRM continues to lead as the big-time railroad museum.  Very impressive that they can (will be able to) handle a train of that size and power requirement.  When they run it probably every light in McHenry County will dim! :-)

Marty Bernard

I was told (by someone def in a position to know) that they may only keep two and use the others for parts but that this thinking was in flux so who knows.

Four comes closer to a realistic train (six cars is most common) than two.

Posted from iPhone

MartyBernard Wrote:
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> WOW! IRM continues to lead as the big-time
> railroad museum.  Very impressive that they can
> (will be able to) handle a train of that size and
> power requirement.  When they run it probably
> every light in McHenry County will dim! :-)
>
> Marty Bernard

IRM gets it. Although ancient steam locomotives and stuff are good no one living can relate to them. As the older population dies off (as they continue to do) there will be less people who had hands on experiences with older stuff. When you add some more modern yet retired stuff like these Highliners younger generations can say "Wow, I rode these things in service!" I was only at IRM once, in 2006. I visited the trolleybus barn there. They had a couple Dayton RTA E800 Flyer trolleybuses that were built in 1977 and retired in 1999. I had rode many miles under wire on them in regular service. Getting to see them living in a museum made me appreciate the museum movement more than I ever before then. It was almost like visitng with family you had not seen in a long time or something. I had a great time riding the Highliners on a Sunday in 1996 when the Sperry car was tied up in Bensenille. I even saw one still in orange at the end of the line but it was behind other cars so no pictures of it. I am glad that there are some of these in preservation now. They are over forty years old, they earned it.

Jim

IRM runs their electric trolley buses on summer weekends and with the completion of a turnaround loop at the northwest end replacing a wye, the operation is smoother than ever.  Two buses, one a large articulated, were plying the route yesterday.

20 years ago!  I'm still having a hard time believing it's time to retire these railcars.  It will be nice to see them back in the IC colors at IRM!

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I wonder if the fleet is now retired. Anyone see any in use these days?

Posted from iPhone

AFAIK, only a precious few running rush-hours only. Time grows EXTREMELY short to see them in service.

NZ

mp51w:  They will be staying in Metra colors for now, per someone involved.  Apparently, they don't want to backdate just externally which is only paint and a few mostly minor things and to do the interior requires quite a bit more.  Personally, I'd like to see the two St. Louis cars restored externally to as-built appearance which I always thought was pretty sharp even if not the best for safety with the black ends and tiny markers.  But that's just me.