About Us
While not all passenger cars are under the care of the Passenger Car Department at the Illinois Railway Museum, at least 55 cars are maintained, improved, and often restored by us. Restoration is an ongoing thing but the main goal of the Passenger Car Department at this time is to get a roof over all passenger cars as quickly as possible to prevent further weather-related damage. This requires a great deal of planning, teamwork and funding.
Facilities and Equipment
Barn 3 currently houses the most passenger cars in any car barn at IRM, but not all of the passenger cars can fit into one barn. Within Barn 3 there are a few cars open for walking through while others are lighted but can only been seen through the windows while walking through Barn 3.
The Barn 4 workshop facilities are shared by all departments for woodworking and metal piece work. Large projects such as painting are completed inside or outside the individual cars while parked either inside or outside of Barn 3. The dedicated volunteers work on various projects usually in groups of two or more and often for decades at a time.
As passenger car projects require work outside of any barn, the Passenger Car Department volunteers depend on assistance from the Diesel Department volunteers to move the huge cars as needed.
llinois Railway Museum Railroad Passenger and Baggage Cars Roster
Volunteers
Railroad Coach Collection Curator and Passenger Car Department Head: Mike Baksic
Mike leads a group of highly motivated and dedicated volunteers which includes his father, Wayne Baksic. Phil Stepek is second in command and the friendly face in the beautiful Streamliner cars featured in our site header and made famous in Clint Eastwood’s film, “Flags of Our Fathers”.
Other Passenger Car Department volunteers include: Shelly Vanderschaegen, Bob Hunter, Ray Mormann, Andy Townsend, Roger Kramer, Ted Anderson, Jack Biesterfeld, Mark Hoffman, Chuck and Pauline Trabert. All of our department volunteers will be introduced on the site this year.
