You May Have Red About This

Now that the IT meet is over, the main project is to get the 319 ready for revenue service in about three weeks. We need to do inspections, and there are a few minor things that need to be addressed, but the main task is to repaint the #1 vestibule.

I got a new can of red paint, which appears to match the exterior color very well. The guys at Diamond Paint in Des Plaines do a very meticulous job of paint matching. I basically spent all day painting. By the end of the day, I had finished about half of the compartment, as seen at right. The picture probably makes it look better than it really is; at least one more finish coat will be needed, since red generally does not cover very well in our experience. So the masking will be left in place. The dark spot in the upper left corner is where the flag box will be installed. I also started putting some primer on the floor, since I now have a quart of the pumpkin color for the floor of the vestibule. In any case, compare the exterior door on the left, which was sprayed with the rest of the car, with the new paint on the other surfaces. Nice match, isn't it? The old red paint in the vestibule is darker, and may be hard to cover.

I also collected all of the antimacassars from the 277, so I can work on getting them lettered.

In other news, work is progressing on the Schroeder store. Today the contractors nearly finished the east wall (L); the west and south walls are already done (R). It's looking good!