Friends Colorado Springs

A New Year - Jan. 7, 2012

2012-01-12T15:33:00.001-07:00

Out with the old, in with the new - side sill, that is. On New Year's eve day several hardy souls removed the east half of the north sill that had rotted from the water from an icebox in this corner. On the first work day of the new year the new sill was fitted in place.

In the photo on the left is a view of the northeast corner of the car showing the framing that was mortised into the top of the old sill, and the new piece on chairs next to the car. The photo on the right is looking in the opposite direction. The new piece and remaining good section of the original sill will be joined with a taper as shown, then glued with epoxy and bolted together.

In the photo on the left, Bob is cutting the taper into the original sill end. On the right, it was asked how many Friends it takes to change a sill? Craig's answer was "As many as we can get." It took a few tries to get all the mortises and notches to fit snugly, but the process went quite well.

It took some tweaking with saws and chisels to get all the pieces to fit together, but eventuall they did. Some of the tenons on the vertical framing had to be tapered to raise the new sill in place. The horizontal tenons were cut during removal of the old sill, and will be replaced with angle iron plates. In the photo on the right a clamp is holding the old and new pieces together temporarily.

Concurrently with the sill replacement Ray and John were replacing the horizontal tie rods. The side of the shelter had to be raised to remove the long rods, and things got rather interesting near the end of the process as a cold front went through and blew the fabric out and up. It shifted to the other side as well, but everthing came back together as we tightened the loose side back down. At the end of the day the vertical and horizontal tie rods had been passed through the new sill and were securrely tightened.

Up and Out - December 17, 2011

2011-12-29T12:19:00.004-07:00

There was a work session the Saturday after Thanksgiving which I missed, as we were visiting family in North Carolina. The day was devoted to raising the car in preparation for removing the rotted sill on the north side. The crew used hydraulic jacks, blocks of wood, and railroad ties to elevate the car three ties higher than it was, allowing for room to work and drop the old sill down from its attachments.

In the photo on the right, above, Craig is cutting a horizontal truss rod that goes through the old sill to be removed. Bob Kohler, who joined us recently, ponders the situation. Bob worked in the City yards next door to us, saw activity that interested him, and became involved after retirement.

There were long bolts through the 2x10 framing at the interior base which passed through the bad sill and had to be pulled up out of the sill. The vertical tie rods were loosened from below and pulled up as well. The horizontal tie rods were cut as they will be replaced anyway. We will have to roll up the structure sides and remove them to the south as the roundhouse building is adjacent to the north side.

The next step was to screw small pieces of wood into the under side of the sill to act as a shelf for the replacement piece in order to accurately mark the length as well as some of the holes, etc. for fastening. The new sill can be seen on the floor next to the north wall.

The last two photos show some work that Craig had done earlier on the moulding below the windows as well as the window frames. The long piece is now fastened in place. Spring clips have been made to retain the windows in the open or closed positions.

More oil - November 5, 2011

2011-12-05T14:28:00.001-07:00

Painting the framing with linseed oil continued on the first workday in November. On the left, Ray (on the ladder), Tom (standing), and George (sitting) were hard at work. On the right, above, Rich is doing the carlines overhead. This pretty much completes the oiling except for the underside of the floor framing which will be done after the car is raised.

The other activity happening concurrently with the oiling was installing the vertical truss rods. These were all replaced as many of the old ones were rusted. They extend from the top to the bottom sills through the vertical framing as seen in the photo on the left above. On the right above, the spacing every few feet is evident, as well as the top nuts securely tightened with historically correct square nuts.

Linseed oil, etc. Oct. 29, 2011

2011-12-03T15:36:00.001-07:00

The last work session in October saw the floor framing on the left, above that has been cleaned and treated with linseed oil. Note the door frame with the finished post on the right that is lacking on the left. Craig has made replacements shown on the right, above, since most were not usable.

The next photo shows the new sill that has been marked for the mortises. The vertical framing members next to it have tenons on the lower end that engage the sill. There also are mortise and tenon joints on the inside of the sill with the cross-framing, so the replacement process will be "interesting."

The next photo shows Craig drilling the mortise, and finally in the last photo, chiseling the final shape. This will have to be done many times over.

Open House, October 1, 2011

2011-11-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

The Trolley Museum and our Friends COS group had an open house on October 1. Car #470 was cleaned up and ready to show. The railroad logo was prominently displayed next to the car. Rich has his Friends T-shirt on and is ready to work.

The Model A club showed up with a display of a variety of "A's", including passenger cars, trucks and even a few Model T's. They were scattered around the grounds so people would move around to the different displays. We had a couple next to our project. Attendence was good with a few hundred people passing through the gate.

Operation life saver had a display showing what happens in a car vs. train event. I was told that no one was in the car at the time of impact, but the driver had stopped on railroad tracks prior to the train's arrival. Sorry, I do not know why they decided to park there. Maybe they didn't have a penny.

Some work was accomplished in spite of the visitors. In the photo on the left above John and Craig are discussing the replacement of the rotted sill. The new one has been tapered where it will be joined to the good part of the existing one, in the view on the right.

Woodworking 9-17-2011

2011-11-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

Craig has been busy repairing framing and making other pieces.

Earlier photos of the west end of the car as it now is oriented show a cut-out to the right of the door in the photo on the left taken in November 2009. It appears as a darker vertical area to the right of the door. We assume it was done to accomodate moving a large object into or out of the car, e.g. a stove, etc. The framing in this region had been cut and partially repaired, so it was totally removed as in the photo on the right above, taken in April of this year.

We now have new framing around this part of the west door which appears as lighter wood in the photos. On the left above is a view from the outside of the car and on the right from the inside.

Window trim and sills have been made as in the photos above. Craig has been busy in his shop milling, mortising and notching to make everything fit as it was.

Summer day 7-30-2011

2011-11-02T10:28:00.001-06:00

These photos look pretty good with some in shorts and T-shirts, as I sit here on a November day with a blizzard winding down. Fortunately in Colorado there can be big changes day to day, and we are planning on another work day this Saturday.

But back to July.

The roof framing is shown from below and above in the photos above. The deteriorated members have been replaced, and appear lighter than the old ones. We have started to treat them with linseed oil, and eventually all of the framing will be coated with oil. We have had an ongoing discussion of nomenclature of these framing members regarding carlin/carline/carling vs. rafter. The Railway Car-Builder's Dictionary calls the upper longer pieces "carlines" and the shorter clerestory pieces "rafters." Anyone with other information on this is welcome to join the discussion.

The photo above shows the framing at the end of the car with the decking removed. Some new (lighter colored) rafters/carlins are visible.

Above is a view from the inside of the car end. It can be recalled from the earlier photos that there are storage cabinets at each car end under the center raised roof area. Craig has made a new frame for the cabinet at this end. Note the hole in the bottom center of the frame: this appparently is for a pull cord for an emergency warning or stop signal.

New window frames have been made by Craig, and one installed as in the photo to the right.

The vertical posts in the corner where the old icebox was located have been replaced. On the right, above, it can be seen where the post is (was) mortised into the sill that has rotted. There has been much discussion on the best way to remove and replace the sill, given the mortises and other fitting that must be done. More on this will be forthcoming.

What summer? 7-24-2011

2011-10-30T16:41:00.002-06:00

Work continued on 470 without me for most of the summer. Glen Hall kindly supplied some photos of progress during June and July. Work sessions in Chama and Antonito, as well as vacations, etc. resulted in some speed bumps as well.

By this time, the roof decking has been largely removed except for the car ends. Craig has fabricated new carlins to replace those that have deteriorated.

Rich is working to remove decking from the west end. Fortunately he is not afraid of heights. :-)

Tom continues with removal of what is left of the east end platform.

Vertical metal braces to support the roof structure have been placed since there is little else holding it at this point with removal of so much material.

This "Disposition Tracer" was found while dismantling one of the end roofs, I believe the west. It is dated 1939, when the D&RGW was using the car for maintenance of way as a diner-kitchen car.

Coach door hardware 5-7-11

2011-06-08T15:33:00.000-06:00

We are fortunate to have some of the original door and window hardware that remained in the coach. We have had a request for images to be made available of these, and here are several. Craig has built reproduction doors and window frames using original patterns that were existing in the car. He has mounted the hardware in one of the doors (we have only one set), and the photo above shows an almost face-on view with the door closed in the frame.

Here is a view from the edge of the frame, also with the door latched. I believe he scrounged a key from somewhere - I don't think it is original to the car.

This is a view of the edge of the door as it is open. The background is somewhat confusing, but the lock box is mortised into the door with two depths - a wide shallow mortise, and narrow deeper one.

This is view from the side of the door opposite the lock box. The mortises on the other side can be seen from here also.

Finally, a view of the frame with the door open and not in view. The latch also is mortised into the frame.

This is an example of the window hardware, basically a knob to aid in sliding the window up or down. Spring devices in the window track keep it in position, raised or lowered.

Gathering 5-5-11

2011-06-08T15:03:00.000-06:00

It has become time to think about raising the coach, and we needed cribbing to support it. Tom and I made a trip to Denver in early May to obtain a load of ties. The easy part was loading them on the trailer which was professionally accomplished by the folks at Kopper's.

While it was a little windy that day, it seemed unlikely that the load would blow off the trailer. Nevertheless, we secured the load with tie-downs, at least for the sake of cosmetics.

The rest of the day was not so easy. We stopped at Cliff's in the hills outside of Conifer to pick up the Lolley columns used in the construction of his house, a work in progress. It is a beautiful house on a beautiful site on a cliff, with gorgeous view of Pikes Peak off the deck. The columns were used to provide inside support for the concrete foundation as it was poured. They were robust, heavy, and long. and needed to be sectioned to remove them from the house. He has donated them to the Friends and they will find a home in the CRF in Antonito for some construction of additional storage space. I could not negotiate his driveway with the trailer, so we loaded the columns onto his truck and transfered them in the street.

Here we are loaded ready to go. My mileage going downhill to Conifer was spectacular. Fortunately, we had help unloading from the Community Service people at the Trolley Museum. The TM has been most generous in sharing these people with us as we need extra help, and we thank them.

End platform and roof removal 4-29-2011

2011-05-03T15:28:00.001-06:00

We are saddened by the death of Rosemary Sandell over the weekend. She was a delightful, upbeat, and hard working member of the Friends, and will be missed by all.

This was a cool, but not unpleasant day when we removed the west end platform framing which was cantilevered on to the sills running the length of the car. Glenn is recording measurements and will make drawings of the construction of the framing of the platform for future reference. In the photo on the right, above, some of the notches and mortises are visible in the framing.

It was a day for the sawsall as the photo on the left, above shows. The tie rods (6) were cut as well as the longitudinal beams that were bolted on to the end cross piece. Then the cantilevered beams were removed which involved getting down and dirty in the pit under the car to remove nuts and lag bolts. John and yours truly shared that privilege.

On the left, above, Ray actually caught me working, trying to remove a long bolt holding the beams together. Some were bent suggesting some force on the end platform at an earlier time. On the right, above, Ray has taken a break from roof removal to check our efforts. The platform structure has been removed from the car, although two of the beams can be seen hanging from the track brace below the car.

Laminating beam, etc. April 14-16 2011

2011-04-26T10:22:00.001-06:00

Several of us convened at Craig's workshop on April 14th and 15th to construct a laminated beam to replace the deteriorated portion of the lower north sill on 470. Craig found some very nice, (almost) 2" douglas fir in 12 foot lengths with straight grain and few knots. In the photo above on the left, George is receiving a piece from the planer, as well as a sawdust bath. The pieces were then laid out, with the first two joined with a lap joint end-to end. Subsequent pieces were cut so that the breaks were in different locations. It has been decided to replace 22 feet of the sill, so with a 24 foot beam there will be plenty of length to work with.

Glue was applied to each layer, and clamps applied at close intervals along the length of the beam. In the photo on the left, John is applying glue, while Tom, Craig, and George are supplying moral support. On the right, above, John is tightening one of many clamps used.

On the next day, Friday, another piece was glued on to one side of the beam to span the edges of the pieces that were glued together previously. The photo on the left, above, shows this with the clamps in place. Note the thinner piece in the center that was used to achieve a dimension close to what is needed. This was obtained by cutting a 2" piece on the bandsaw.
On Saturday, after clamp removal, the beam was run through the planer several times to get it down to the proper dimensions, and taken several blocks to the work site as shown on the right, above. It even looks quite straight. The sill that will be replaced is the lower one adjacent to the new beam. The vertical and horizontal framing members are mortised into the existing sill, so more work will need to be done on the new one before it is ready.

Craig has also been busy with other things. He has built new doors using the original hardware (cleaned up beautifully), with molding and sliding windows duplicated from the the old ones. He also has made arched carlines to replace bad ones as necessary in the roof structure.

Meanwhile, on our regular work session on Saturday, most of the west platform has been uncovered showing the framing structure. The platforms are cantilevered from the under carriage of the car, and were finished with tongue-and-groove decking that is quite deteriorated.

Bob and I continued cutting and threading tie rods to replace rusted ones. We finished this project on Saturday, and made some extras, as well as threading pieces for use in the future on other projects. Note the always handy roll of duct tape.

Details....

2011-04-06T15:08:00.000-06:00

We had a relatively small crew this day, but work proceeded on threading truss rods as well as removing roof decking and site clean-up. Each work session more construction details become apparent to us. On the left, above, a bolt head is visible on the face of the sill at the roof junction which appears to be a lag bolt. However, in the photo on the right, above, it can be seen that there are nuts on these bolts that have been inset into the roof support.

In the photo on the left, above, John is making some adjustments to wiring (temporary), while Glenn, our chronicler and resident structural engineer looks on. The wood stacked next to John consists of framing pieces that Craig has made to replace ones in that corner of the car as the lower (deteriorated) sill plate is replaced. On the right, above, it can be seen that the sill at the roof edge at the junction with the wall is bevelled on the inside to conform to the curvature of the ceiling so that there was a smooth transition between wall and ceiling.

Finally, at the end of the canopies, the framing members are dovetailed together as shown in the above photos. In addition, the side member is beveled to take the end fascia, also beveled to make a well detailed corner.

Misc. March 19,2011

2011-03-30T16:54:00.000-06:00

There are steel arch braces spaced periodically in the roof between wood arches as shown in the photo on the left, above, taken from within the car looking up. They have a vertical component within the framing between clerestory windows, then follow the curve of the roof below the windows and are fastened to the sill plate at the roof edge. The photo on the right shows the vertical portion with the exterior siding removed. (Single click on the photos to enlarge, back arrow in the browser to return to blog.)

This series of photos shows the arches with wood removed. On the left, above, the arch and vertical portion can be seen, and on the right part of the lower arch sandwiched between framing members extends out to the left in the photo.

The view on the right shows the lower arch from above. The steel is bolted in place at each end of the arch. Some remaining roof decking can be seen in the upper part of the photo.

Activities this day included stripping paint from the end panelling by Craig on the left, above. Some of the surface wood is usable, including the corner pieces which would be difficult to duplicate. We welcomed Tom back for the first time in a while, and he is removing fascia on the left, above.

Meanwhile, Bob and I continued threading truss rods to replace rusted ones. This machine makes it a pleasure compared to turning a die by hand. We are making extras to be used on another project as long as we are at it.

A final note: From photos John has pointed out that originally there was an emergency cord that went the length of the car, and was led through these openings at each end. There were brass rings in each opening, and a remaining one can be seen in the photo on the right, above. I don't believe it is known at this point just what function this cord had, i.e. an alarm of some sort or an actual emergency brake. Nevertheless, it probably wouldn't survive kids playing with it these days.

In absentia, March 5, 2011

2011-03-30T12:07:00.000-06:00

I missed this work session, but obtained photos from Glenn Hall, as well as taking a few the following week myself.

Planning has begun for beefing up the framing with steel, as well as obtaining trucks in order to operate the car on the rails. The photo on the left, above, shows the pivot point for the the truck in the bottom of the photo near the center as viewed from above. On the right, the pivot point is seen from below. Steel will be used to reinforce the floor beams as well as the superstructure (not historically correct, but necessary by current standards).

In the photo on the left, above, the beam just above the rail, and parallel to it is tied to the frame of the car, and cantilevered out of the end to support the end platform. On the right, above, Rich is working at removing this as it will be replaced. Most of the floor framing is going to stay, except for the lower sill at this end of the car on Rich's left. The plan is to replace this with a laminated beam that we will make, which will be spliced into the sill, replacing approsimately 1/3 of the length that has deteriorated.

Meanwhile, Craig was left with a pile of wood scraps from making new window frames, and had some time on a few snowy days, so constructed this model of the framing of 0252 (470) as it stands currently. It is beautifully done, and an accurate reproduction to scale. Great job, Craig.

Finally, Tom continued work on the steps into the pit. A future safety railing can be seen in the background to the left.

Varied tasks, Feb. 19, 2011

2011-02-25T15:33:00.001-07:00

Most of the vertical tie rods (see previous posts) are rusted and all are being replaced. Craig located the stock locally, but they needed to be cut to length and threaded. George, John, and Bob were busy at this last Saturday.

More of the roof decking was removed, and I believe most, if not all of the decking will be replaced. Some is in fair shape but probably not worth keeping. On the right above, the war council (John, Tom, Glenn, and Craig) is holding a pow-wow to plan further activities. Notice the plywood on the end platform of the car that Tom is standing on, and see below.

On the left, above, on the plywood platform, Glenn found what looks like a penny in these photos, but in fact is a WWII era ration token. It may be possible to make out the lettering "OPA" and the number "1" in the photo on the right. For those of you with less gray hair than most of us, these were used to obtain food during the wartime shortages when rationing was in effect. Glenn recalls counting these out, and said this was a meat token. This car was in maintenance-of-way service with the D&RG at this time, and was used as a REA office for a period as well. One can only speculate where the token came from, but presumably fell from above during the removal of material from the roof or end of the car.

Finally, Tom and I built steps into the pit for access to the underside of the car. These were built with "requisitioned" materials, but turned out quite nicely.

Several projects (January 29,2011)

2011-02-06T14:50:00.001-07:00

We had a large crew last Saturday, and worked in several different areas. Rosemary (left above) and others removed the metal roof covering which was a fairly messy job. Much of the roof decking is in decent shape, although there are areas that are badly deteriorated. The portion that has been removed on the right above was done to get access to remove the part of the sill plate that is going to be replaced. More on that later.

On the left, above, the decking looks pretty good in the near part of the photo, but not so good along the far edge. On the right, above, shows the detail on one of the corners. The joinery in general was well done when the car was built, but time has taken its toll.

Meanwhile, Craig and Ray are working on dismantling the west end of the car. There was a single piece of wood over the door and extending down each end about 1/4 of the way that was screwed in with covered screw holes. We had to go fishing for the screws to remove them. On the right, George and Rich removed the end platform and cleaned up the framing. Some large framing members will need replacing here.

We arrived on scene in the morning to find the south edge of the tent had come loose from the turnbuckles because of the strong winds experienced earlier. So the turnbuckles were securely fastened to the rail with blocks and bolts which hopefully will solve that problem. The east end of the tent also had been flapping in the wind, so the pipes in the pockets along the base were wedged under the rails here as well.

After completing the end cover on the west end last session there was no room for passage between the tent and the ramp from the trailer. Tom and I spent the morning shortening the ramp and adding treads. Tom is sorting on the platform, and Glenn and John are discussing strategy (watching trains?).

Last but certainly not least, Bob worked in the shop installing electrical service. We are obtaining power from the roundhouse, and will have 120/240 for power tools, as well as lighting and radiant heaters. More photos on this next time. I often get so involved in what I am doing that I forget to take pictures. Sorry, Bob.

Dried in (Jan. 15, 2011)

2011-01-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

The COS crew raised and secured the west end cover for our shelter for 0252, aka 470, last Saturday. The upper photo on the left shows the material in place, and pipe being fitted in the slot at the bottom. In the right photo, in the upper left corner, rope has been tied to a corner of the material prior to raising. The rope was then placed over the end hoop of the frame and tension applied to bring the material up and over the frame. Another person was on the outside center ladder to help raise and direct the material over the the frame.

The photo on the left shows the top cover brought over the end cover and secured with turnbuckles at each lower corner. There is a door on the west end for access for people, while on the east end there is a larger flap that can be raised (approx. 6x12 feet) for access.

The view on the right of the inside shows the room available for access to the car. There is considerable space above to provide for planned raising of the car and placement of dollies underneath in the future. The picture was taken with available light, and when there is sunshine the translucency of the fabric provides good light, at least on the south side. We also can get a fair amount of solar warming.

East end buttoned up

2010-12-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

It was a cool, but fortunately not very windy day to begin enclosing the ends of the shelter over our project. The east end was done first, by lifting the material up with ropes and ladders, as our rental compay is feeling the effects of the economy and unable to allow us to use the lift. The material was quite stiff from the cold, but we were able to work it up and into place with patience and persistance. At least as difficult was getting a good overlap of the top and side as it had shifted to the west and was hard to work with as well. By pulling, pushing and poking it came along, and the end result is seen on the right, above.

The ramp and boardwalk into the car on the west end required some modification as seen on the right. The rail is in place where the bottom of the end piece will be, but time, lack of daylight, and cold suggested that this will be continued next time. (Is that saw blade broken off?)

A Big Day 11-20-10

2010-11-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

Today we are raising the shelter cover that was delivered a few days ago. A great crew showed up to help from the local Friends, as well as some help from the Trolley folks.

After laying the cover out on the ground in accordion fashion, ropes were placed over the framing and attached to the cover. A crew of many was placed on the other side to pull the cover up over the top of the frame. One person was on the roof of the car to help with snags and keep things moving.

The process went quite smoothly. At one point we had to pull at an angle to better center the cover on the frame. Yours truly was on the end in the left photo above. The bottom sides of the cover were then anchored to the rail on the ground with rachet straps.

A framing member was fastened at each end with blocks that will be used to raise and lower the end flaps for access and ventilation. One end also has a three foot door for personnel access.

We took the opportunity to remove the rubber roof cover from the car, with the cover in place and all the help anxious to move on. Below are photos showing the cover being rolled off (not easy because it was heavy, and glued down). The roof is covered with metal that was soldered together, but now is rusted and coming loose. The clerestory windows have been coverd with plywood.

Notice the wooden wedges that were placed to protect the vents on the roof.

Back to 470 (0252) 11-6-10

2010-11-26T11:23:00.002-07:00

Today we started dismantling the ends of the car. These are views of the east end before starting. The photo on the right below shows a detail of the lower corner, with screw holes that have been countersunk and filled with well-fitting wood plugs. These are present elsewhere as well, as in the panels above the tongue-in-groove covering most of the end of the car.

Above are the "after" photos showing the framing at the car end. Note the countersunk screw holes in the upper panels that were filled and painted over. The number "9" is from a former life, but subsequent to service as a sleeper car. The framing around the door is fairly complex. Also reproducing the rounded trim will be a challenge.

Meanwhile, Tom has been crawling around in the pit contemplating the dollies that are planned for supporting the car during rebuilding. There are no trucks available at this time for running on narrow gauge track. It is hoped that eventually these can be obtained.

OB Demo at TRAIN Convention 11-3-10

2010-11-25T11:06:00.001-07:00

We were asked to do a demo of OB for the attendees at the Tourist Railway convention in Alamosa on November 3, 2010. They rode the train from Alamosa arriving in Antonito in the morning, watched the piledriver in operation, rode the C&T narrow gauge, then took the standard gauge back to Alamosa.

On the left, above, the piles have been tapered for driving. On the right, the locomotive and piledriver are in position for operation. A pile was driven next to the track in Antonito to mark a future path to the CRF from the parking lot.

We are grateful for the locomotive crew for their help in providing steam and air for the operation. Special plumbing was needed to attach the steam line of OB to the boiler of the locomotive. Air was used to blow out the lines and the donkey engine in OB after completion of the operation, to prevent rust.

Please see the youtube link below for a video summary of the TRAIN convention visit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_KBL6kuenw&feature=sub

Back to the sill 10-30-10

2010-11-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

Today was devoted to continuing to isolate the deteriorated part of the sill. The truss bar will have to be cut in about the location of the C-clamp on the left, above. Before cutting, however, a come-along was placed with some traction to keep the floor from shifting.

On the left, above, the bar has been cut and dropped down about a foot. The next task will be to remove the nut rusted on the end. In spite of plenty of WD-40 and effort, no movement occurred.

It was left to Bob and the torch to finish the job. Everything went well. We had plenty of water and a fire extinguisher on hand just in case. The truss end was removed to free the sill, and will be welded together and replaced after repairs to the sill have been accomplished.

Meanwhile, the electricians have been at work. We have tapped into the electrical panel in the roundhouse and run an underground line to the wood shop. The panel in the shop is shown in the photo on the right. Lights and power for the tools should be forthcoming soon.

OB repairs 10-9-10

2010-11-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

The decking under the hoist house of OB was deteriorating and was replaced this weekend. It was replaced during the recent restoration, but was one of the first things done, over 10 years ago. Also, the underside had not been treated properly. The old decking had been removed prior to this weekend (right photo). The new material was made from rough lumber, and had to be cut to lap together.

It was primed and painted on all sides before installation, and hopefully will last a long time. Keeping OB in the CRF in Antonito also will help.

We have been asked to demonstrate OB at the Tourist Railway convention in November, and would like to have it ready to go in good shape.

Sill replacement 9-18-10

2010-11-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

Today effort was devoted to isolating the sill on the corner of the car under the dripping icebox. On the right the deterioration of the wood is evident. Approximately the 6 or so feet of the wood on this end is unsound, and the decision was made to splice in a piece to replace the bad part. The hardware had to be removed, but was rusted.

On the left, above, a truss rod is shown in the floor framing extending from the left into the opposite sill on the right of the photo. The rod was cut and pulled out to the right.

The sill is mortised into the floor framing as well as the vertical framing for the wall, so it cannot be easily removed by dropping it down or pulling it to the outside.

This end of the car is being braced in anticipation of cutting the sill at point where it is sound for removal. The metal truss piece passing through the sill also will be cut. Blocks were placed under the corner of the car on the concrete of the pit. A post was also placed from the floor to the ceiling (kindly lent by the Trolley Museum) to keep the ceiling in place.

More next time.

Ceiling, etc. 8-21-10

2010-11-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

The ceiling needs replacing, and removal was begun. The lights were first removed from the center of the car and placed to the side. The tongue-and-groove was then taken down, along with years of dust, dirt, and soot, as well as a few old wasps nests. There are storage cabinets at each end of the car over the doors, and the frames of these are in good shape. Craig made new doors and cleaned up the old hardware, and these have been set aside for later.

The vertical posts in the corner of the car where the old icebox had been built when it was a maintenance-of-way car needed replacing, and Craig has begun to fabricate new ones. There is considerable deterioration in this area, including in the sill under the icebox where water accumulated. More on that later.

Steel reinforcing

2010-11-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

We have been asked to show some of the steel reinforcing in the Pullman sleeper. I was using a different camera to take these photos and formatting is more difficult. Please click on the images to enlarge them if necessary. Above left shows a steel truss spanning the length of the car that is anchored through the sills at each end of the car. There are vertical brace plates set on the sills at the bends of the trusses, with grooves at the tops to receive the trusses.

On the right the truss is rounded and threaded, and passes through the sill and is anchored with a plate, a nut, and a washer.

Truss rods also extend through the framing at intervals through the car, both vertically and horizontally. The horizontal rods (not shown) pass through the floor framing, and are fixed at each end to the sills. The vertical rods pass throught wall framing between the windows and are anchored at both ends. There also is a short vertical rod fixing the structural framing to the sills, on the left in the lower right image.

A Hot Day - July 17, 2010

2010-07-21T15:16:00.000-06:00

Today I started removing siding on the south (sunny) side of the car. The temperature was predicted to be around 90F, so we began at 7AM. There is blocking at both ends of the car on both sides, with these blocks placed between the framing members to provide rigidity. The blocks are of different sizes depending on the space available within the framing. They were not nailed or fixed in place, but held in place by the siding and interior finish. Many of these are warped, and it is our plan to replace them with plywood which will provide even more rigidity.

Inside the car, John continues with removal of the exterior sheathing below the car. This was not a delicate operation, but the end result on the right looks good. The concrete pit below the car is visible through the framing. The plywood and masonite sheets will help keep us above it all.

In summary, we have made a lot of progress in early July. We have another work session on the 31st that I will not be able to attend, but I will try to do more timely updates in August. In the near term, plans are for completing the structure, and doing an assessment of what will be needed for commencing reconstruction of the car. Plans also call for raising the car and placing dollies underneath.

A peek at the roof, July 5-9.

2010-07-21T14:12:00.000-06:00

We rolled back the rubber roof covering installed several years ago when the car was "mothballed" to see what condition things were. It is a metal roof with solder?/caulk between the panels. The chimney for the heating stove (not original) can be seen behind the ladder. On the right, above, Duncan and Craig are surveying the clerestory windows from the outside.

On the left, above, a closer look at the framing of the clerestories. There are Roman numerals on each post in sequence. Were they fabricated off the car and then installed in the appropriate place? On the right, a closer look at the roof. Some rust is evident, but the rubber cover kept everything stable during storage.

On to the car, July 5-9.

2010-07-21T13:49:00.000-06:00

The crew is attacking the floor (Mary Jane, Rosemary, and Marshall). Rosemary weilds a mean crowbar. It must be from all that practice driving a schoolbus. There are (were) floorboards, two layers, on the framing, as well as sheeting on the underside of the car over the framing as well.

On the underlayed floor below the finish flooring, there was this plaque inset at one end of the car. It has the letters "D&RGRR", and the date, 1887. We believe that this car was built in 1889, and it may be that a number of plaques were cast prior to construction of this series of cars (my speculation).

On the left, most of the flooring has been removed. Temporary sheets of masonite are in place on the far end. On the near end, the underside exterior remains in place, and the shavings placed for insulation can be seen. This was removed for later replacement. The exterior on the left side has been mostly removed, while the right (sunny) side remains. Note the storage locker over the door on the far side of the car. These are present at both ends. Below are photos of one of the lockers with the facing nicely cleaned up and sanded. Also, Craig has made new doors, but cleaned up and reused the old brass hardware.

That's it for the interior for now.

COS Work session, July 5-9, 2010

2010-07-21T12:07:00.000-06:00

Because of other commitments, weather, etc. this was the first work session since mid-May. We were able to accomplish quite a bit during the week, and appreciated the help of out-of towners Marshall and Mary Jane Smith from Texas. Work centered around finishing the structure framing and drainage, as well as dismantling the interior and exterior of the car.

We have anchored the base of the structure tubing to rails with custom fabricated couplers courtesy of our resident woodworker and sheet metal worker (Craig and Tom). Drilling the holes through the rail for the bolts was the most fun. It appears that the structure won't be going anywhere anytime soon. On the left, we have installed the last of the drainage pipe around the structure, and spread gravel around the work areas to try to combat the adherent clay that accurs after a rain. It is hope that we will be able to install the cover over the frame in the next month or so. It will be custom cut to fit the dimensions we have.

More arches 5-1-2010

2010-05-13T14:25:00.000-06:00

Bob is going bungee jumping again, but on a very short line. On the right, up he goes, ridge pole in hand.

Handling the ridge poles without dropping, and aligning and fastening, including tapping screws into the joints while lying in the basket leaning out, required a fair amount of agility and strength, to say nothing of being a little "out there." On the left, above, others in the crew are setting and fastening the last four arches.

Above, left, we have adopted the latest technology to insure the arches are properly aligned. Your trusty blogger forgot the tripod for the transit. However, eyeballs and a level on a straight edge served to help everything to come together properly. The end of the last brace on the last arch is being taped by Ray on the right. Next will be the framing for the end enclosures and the covers.

Piledriver OB repair (cont'd.) 5-1-2010

2010-05-12T15:58:00.002-06:00

The first workday in May was held in the CRF in Antonito, CO to repair roof damage to OB. For those of you not aware of recent events (or on another railroad planet) it was damaged in transport to the Colorado Railroad Museum last spring. Repairs were made to make it structurally sound, but not weatherproof (see archive blogs). It spent the summer and fall at the Museum in Golden where several working demonstrations took place. The current work session was to complete repairs to the roof, including the decking, hatch, and walkway. Above, damaged roof decking was removed and replaced.

On the left, decking was fitted around the new tie rod on the damaged side of the cab. On the right, the edge has been finished off, and the hatch reconstructed. Craig is peering around the corner waiting for the photographer to get in the wet paint.

Next new waterproof roofing is applied to the roof and around the hatch, and sealer rolled on. We don't piledriver operator to get wet.

Finally, new walkway supports and planks, trimmed to fit around the hatch. Nice job on the roof around the hatch, guys. All that remains is some cleanup and painting, to be continued at a later date.

Back to the car 4-17-2010

2010-05-11T15:19:00.000-06:00

Craig, Glen, and I worked on removal of more of the old wood from the interior of the car. Above, left is a before photo of the back end to the left of the door where a stove had recently been. Originally, this was a lavatory. Note the cabinet partially in the photo above the door. On the right is a cabinet door and latch mechanism that have been removed. These were storage cabinets at each end of the car over the doors.

The interior wood has been removed showing the framing (same area as left, above). On the right, some hitchhikers have been traveling in the wall. Thanks again to Glen for the photos.

Moving right along 4-10-2010

2010-05-11T14:56:00.000-06:00

Another day of planting poles. We were fortunate to obtain a cherry picker from RSC for the cost of fuel. The Trolley Museum has had an arrangement with them that we have benefitted from as well. The smallest guy gets to do the high jobs, and it was no exception for Bob who placed the bracing along the ridge.

Looking good. Glen got a ride in the bucket for the overhead view. The crew finished up as the clouds rolled in from the west. Just a few more to go.

Back to work, 4-3-2010

2010-05-11T14:12:00.001-06:00

After weather delays in March, work got under way on the protective structure which will cover the car (and us) during restoration. We obtained a laser level to help insure that the arches were in line. The holes were dug, but precipitation had filled some in so that the levels were uneven.

The framing arches were assembled and carried over the car, then set in place and levelled. In spite of what appears to be a lot of discussing going on, work also progressed once everyone got "in the groove."

The last photo shows the first several arches in place lined up fairly well. It also shows the size of the shelter, with room above to work on the roof of the car without being cramped. Eventually, the car will be raised on dollies so the space above will be decreased from this.

Meanwhile, our chronicler, Glen, has been busy making drawings as well as photos. On the left, he is holding a drawing he made over one we had obtained earlier. The initial one shows the framing of the car but not the finishing details. He redrew the framing and added the interior details in the lower drawing from photos and measurements he made as the interior was dismantled. On the right, an approximately similar photo view is shown for comparison. These drawings will be used in the reconstruction of the interior.

February 6, 2010

2010-02-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

On the first Saturday in February (still winter), we continued work on the protective structure as well as the interior of the car. The Ironman, aka Tom, above left, has been fabricating anchors for the posts for the building. An example of the assembled design is on the right. These will be set in post holes which will be filled with gravel, and fixed to a railroad rail to provide stability. More on this as we progress. Also, we borrowed a transit from my brother, Tom, and shot levels of the ground next to the post holes to begin the process of grading for drainage. It has been decided to let the water drain into the pit under the car, which has a drain in it as well that allows the water to clear fairly quickly, presumably into the nearby creek.

Meanwhile, in the men's room, discreet demolition continues. The ceiling in this area is poorly preserved. Originally this corner was indeed the men's restroom, but most recently was the area of the icebox (not refrigerator) which has been removed. There are various holes in the roof here, and there were water leaks which caused deterioration of the wood. In the photo on the right, above, note the vertical lines in the wall in the left side of the photo, and below the metal plate between the windows. These were partitions which separated the toilet from the washbowl. The ladies' room was at the other end of the car in a similar configuration.

On the left above, a closer look at the ceiling above the men's room/icebox, as opposed to the area adjacent that is very well preserved. The former is soft wood (fir?), while the latter is oak.

At the other end of the car trim is being remove exposing a structural beam containing large lag bolts. Two bolts are visible in the photo on the left above. The trim piece was held in place by wooden pegs as can be seen in the closeup on the right above, as well as glue.

Also, I continued making storm windows (see last post). Only seven more to go. Yay!!!

Parallel projects (January 23, 2010)

2010-01-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Worksite preparation and car restoration are now considered separate projects, although we all may be working on one or the other at different times depending on need. We received the correct poles for the shelter structure this week, and have begun the process of setting them so that they will be stable and not sink into the ground under load. In the upper photo the project engineers are conferring as to the best way to accomplish this, as well as waiting for the ground to thaw a bit. The sunny side (shown) is not too bad, but the other side is in the shade, and will be somewhat more fun. The photo below on the right shows the hard working crew preparing the foundation.

We welcomed two newbies, Tom and Ray (not Click and Clack) in the photo, above, left. They are Tom Fitzgerald and Ray Hoppe who are working on the car restoration project today. They have been removing old wood which will need replacing, as well as showing more details about the construction of the car. On the right is a portion of the plan in the area that they are working. They and Craig also began removing more of the clerestory windows, most of which are original, with etched glass. Some have been replaced with plain glass, but all will be etched when we are done. To be continued....

January thaw (sort of) 1/9/10

2010-01-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

It was a sunny but cool day for the first work session of the new year. We received a large box of tubing for the shelter (on the left, above), but some of the pieces are the wrong size and will have to be returned. Nevertheless, Bob continued with preparation of the post holes on the sunny side of the car (right, above), that were only partially frozen.

Meanwhile, dismantling of the car interior continued, with removal of the windows and window trim (above, left). Craig (above, right) is carefully stacking what has been removed. We are covering the windows with plastic to provide some protection from the cold, assuming the shelter won't be completed in the near future.
We can use space heaters inside the car to improve the work environment.

Rich (above, left) is removing old nails from the lumber that has been removed. Duncan (above, right) is making the "storm windows" for the car.

The two photos above show detail of one of the boards removed from between the windows. On the left is the interior side showing the milling that is present throughout the interior of the car. On the right is the reverse side of the same board showing the number "470" written in pencil. Several boards with this number have been found which leads us to conclude that 470 is the original number of the car.

More later.

Finally.....also on 11/21/09

2009-12-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

John Engs announced that the Friends has been awarded a Car Restoration Award by the Tourist Railway Association, Inc. for the restoration of Piledriver OB.

The happy (and hamming) group working this day posed with the plaque.

Meanwhile.......11/21/09

2009-12-06T16:05:00.001-07:00

Craig started dismantling the interior to get an idea of what will be needed in the way of custom moulding, and I guess because he was curious as well. He removed some of the interior panelling as well as framing around a window or two. The window hardware is very basic and should not be difficult to replace.

Rosemary had the fun job of scraping old paint and varnish from the panelling. The only good thing is that when you walk through the car it falls down on you, so it is no longer firmly adherent.

After more panelling has been removed, we can see the construction of the wall between the windows. The cross-pieces were held in place by moulding which was glued in place, but the pieces are free-floating now. Craig removed six of the vertical pieces between the windows, and discovered the NUMBER 470 written on three of them. So, apparently the mystery of the original number of the car that we have been calling "0252" has been solved. This would indicate that this car is the last of the series that was built. Hopefully, we will find more documentation as we go forward.

Finally, this is a view of the icebox (who remembers when all refrigerators were called "iceboxes"?) that was installed later when the car was used for maintenance of way. After the asbestos was (professionally) removed, dismantling was begun revealing the insulation used, i.e. wood shavings.

A Good Day

2009-12-06T13:50:00.002-07:00

11/21/09 Today we began work on the foundation for the protective structure for the car (and us) by laying out the footprint and the stakes for the holes for the frame poles. Bob thinks the line looks pretty good, but is wondering how he is going to move that rail. Actually, the plan is to use the rails to anchor the frame poles, rather than pouring concrete, in part to make the building more easily moved if and when necessary.

The next step is to drill the holes using the "helicopter" for the poles. The "big boys" did the first one and the "little guys" finished the job.

Luckily we got all the holes drilled and covered, because the weather hasn't been very cooperative since. The structure will extend beyond the car on this end to provide some covered work space in addition to the area in the woodshop (aka pod), which is rapidly diminishing because of the workbench, power tools, etc.

Got Piles?

2009-10-26T17:23:00.002-06:00

Piledriver OB put on several demonstrations at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, CO, on two weekends recently. On October 10-11 and 17-18, again assisted by locomotive 346 and Museum personnel, OB was put through her paces. Some metalwork was done by the museum to the weight guide near the lower part of the mast where the weight had been binding. The donkey engine behaved fairly well, although will require some attention to keep it operating smoothly. Otherwise, there were no glitches, except for near frostbite to operators on the first weekend.

Above, left, OB comes to the worksite behind 346. The Golden Museum is building a portion of a trestle using the same techniques as was used during the time of this equipment. We will drive the pilings for this trestle, and Museum volunteers will complete it at a later time. After some switching to get 346 behind OB, and attaching steam lines, etc. she is ready to operate. First we raise the mast, above right. Points have been cut on the pilings to facilitate driving.

The mast braces are secured by the efficient ground crew, and we are ready to proceed.

The mast raising cable is disconnected from its drum on the donkey engine, and the lifting cable is attached instead. A pile is hooked to the cable, and raised into position for driving into the ground.

The locomotive has moved OB forward to the end of the track where the trestle is being built. After careful alignment of the piling, the weight is raised approximately 1-1/2 feet and allowed to drop. If it is raised too high, the pilings tend to split. Some guidance with straps, etc. is required to keep the piles straight.

At the end of the day (actually 4 days), below, right, we had set four pilings for the trestle, plus a practice one further back along the track. John is getting the rhythm down, and it is quite an experience to see and hear the operation of OB.

Thanks to Glenn Hall for help with the photos.

OB Got Steam?!! 09-17-09

2009-09-20T12:03:00.000-06:00

We are at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colorado with Piledriver OB attached to their beautiful old 346 steam locomotive. This is to be the second time for a successful raising of the mast and smashing of a watermelon. OB is at the front of a maintenance of way train put together by the Museum, and was planned as a learning oportunity for the crew as well as a demonstration in conjunction with the Narrow Gauge Convention.

On the left, the mast is up and secure. The weight was initially lowered from the upper portion of the mast to act as a weight to help raise it. There was some binding of the weight in the track in the upper mast which will need attention, but it eventually was positioned properly. The watermelon is in place ready for the drop.

Success! (if you like creosote and gravel with your watermelon.) As you can see, a couple of ties were sacrificed in the process. The weight was raised and lowered several times, and the only glitches were the cable coming loose from the weight at one point, and some slight binding in the lower track, not completely corrected with grease.

We were able to rotate the upper portion of OB on the base 10-15 degrees without difficulty in both directions. We left in the late afternoon satisfied that everything worked fairly well, and thankful to the CRRM for supplying steam and experienced help with the event.

OB timeout Thurs. 9-10-09

2009-09-10T20:24:00.000-06:00

Time out to install the new truss rod on OB at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden.
We picked up the new hardware this morning, and were fortunate to have help from one of the Museum guys with a backhoe to help raise and position the rod. Right above, inside the cab the pieces came close enough to engage the turnbuckle. Left middle, we had to do the reciprocating saw thing again to get things to line up with the plate on top of the corner post. Right middle, after securing the forward plate to the deck (pardon the nautical terms), and tightening the turnbuckles, the rear plate was easily pulled into place and the bolt straightened and the nuts tightened. The lower two photos show the (straight) rod now in place, before and after painting. She is structurally sound again, ready for steam. More cosmetic work to come.

Woodshop

2009-09-08T14:34:00.000-06:00

One of us (guess who) scrounged kitchen cabinets from a friend who had remodeled their kitchen, and one of us (guess who) got to take his trailer to pick them up and bring them to the worksite. The cabinets are mounted over the workbench constructed previously from some (scrounged) doors. The wood shop is taking shape. Concurrently we are moving the woodworking tools and equipment from the storage trailer to the shop.

Happy campers, no?

2009-09-08T14:21:00.000-06:00

We removed the plywood cocoon for exhibition to show the condition of the exterior. The kitchen area constructed when it was a maintenance of way car is where the windows have been boarded up. The remainder looks its 100 year age, although much of the wood is fairly sound.

Open House

2009-09-08T14:15:00.000-06:00

We have cleaned house and are ready for the open house. Access to 0252 has been provided with a platform and steps at this end, and a ramp at the other end. The venture was a qualified success, with some visitors making it around the corner to tour the car, but publicity needs much improvement, not only to direct people to our exhibit, but to attend the event. The number "15" is a mystery. It was hanging on the wall inside the car when we opened it. Another mystery: 0252 is not the original car number for the D&RG. We hope to find evidence of that during the restoration process.

Ready for the Open House

2009-08-16T15:15:00.002-06:00

On the right, note the etched clerestory windows.

On Sat. Aug. 22 there will be an Open House at the Trolley Museum and new site of the Colorado Springs Friends of the C&TSRR. Yesterday we worked to prepare to show our new project to the visitors, including cleanup of the interior, building steps and ramps, etc. Things are nearly ready, but for some grounds work and last minute detailing.

The interior was very dirty, with broken glass and other trash strewn around. We encountered asbestos which was sealed off until later when it can be professionally removed. Here are before and after photos of the interior, as well as the "observation platform" for visitors.

2009-08-16T15:02:00.006-06:00

The big picture. The truck is gone, and we are moving carefully over to the pit. Amazing how two men can push and pull 40,000 pounds so easily.

Setting it down carefully. This will be the new home for the next several(?) years.

0252 Arrives

2009-08-16T14:24:00.007-06:00

Lower left: Angle irons. Lower right: Power line survives. Upper left: Ready to hook up. Upper right: Liftoff. Note the artwork.

Our Pullman sleeper left Chama on Mon. Aug. 10, and arrived at the Trolley Museum that evening. It made it under all the overpasses without problem, but not all the telephone lines. A line at the Museum was a casualty.

Tuesday AM a crane arrived to transfer the car from the trailer to the work site. We installed heavy duty angle iron under the car to distribute the forces on the structure, and placed the lifting straps on these irons. A heavy duty forklift helped with this task. The move went off without a hitch, and the car is resting on ties placed over the rails on the pit.

2009-08-09T15:55:00.002-06:00

Actually, prior to glueing, we placed the spreaders between the rails (standard gauge), and aligned them as best we could to the old concrete. After applying the glue, the rails were let down in position and spread and alignment re-checked. They won't support a coal train, but will be quite adequate for positioning 0252.

Meanwhile, the sleeper was cribbed up last week in Chama and due to be trucked to CoS tomorrow (Monday, Aug. 10). It was determined after access was gained to the underside that the sills had more rot than could be seen before, and it will have to be moved more gently. Therefore, a crane has been scheduled to unload the truck at this end. Initially, it will be place on cribbing over the rails until the dollies can be built later.

2009-08-09T15:48:00.004-06:00

See John glue. See everyone hard at work. See the rails almost straight.

We're ready

2009-08-09T15:36:00.004-06:00

After cleaning up and grading around the old service pit, we began the process of setting rails for a dolly to carry the car to be worked on. The old concrete was crumbling and uneven, but there were track plates set in place previously and those spots were reasonably level. We placed concrete pavers in place where the old plates had been (with some occasional fudging), and glued them down, followed by glueing the steel plate on the paver.

OB Model

2009-05-25T15:11:00.005-06:00

It was a long, cold winter according to Craig McMullen who built this model of Piledriver OB. It is a remarkable achievment, with exquisite detail, and many functioning parts. The mast will raise and lower, and the bracing is very accurate. There is a model (but not functioning) steam engine in the cab that can be seen through the open door. He even made a tender car to accompany OB. The photos were taken on Craig's garden railway. For newbies to this site, the real OB was recently restored by the Friends here in Colorado Springs, and was returned to the C&TSRR last year for display. It is planned to be loaned to the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden this summer, arriving in late June.

Moving day

2009-05-25T15:01:00.003-06:00

The plan is to build a platform between the trailer and the woodshop that extends toward the pit area on the right. A shelter is planned over the pit as well. Hopefully we will have some protection from the elements eventually. Storage space is planned in front of the trailer (at the left in the photo). The Trolley Museum is planning electrical service to available on the corner of the roundhouse seen next to the pit in the photo.

2009-05-25T14:52:00.003-06:00

Also on Tuesday morning, the trucker arrived to move the tool trailer into place from where it was stored on another part of the trolley site. Needless to say, the fit was again tight, but because of flawless planning and a skilled driver, everything went into place nicely. There was some shuffling of contents as the trailer went through the lower ground adjacent to the pit, but everything appeared to survive.

2009-05-25T14:43:00.002-06:00

The storage container arrived last Tuesday which will function as a woodshop. The driver had a challenge in negotiating around "the pit" but thanks to hydraulic axles on the trailer that moved forward and aft, good positioning was achieved. The "shop" rests on ties in front of a sleeping trolley, not as close as it looks in the photo. There are doors on both ends for ventilation in the summer.

Home from Antonito

2009-05-11T09:43:00.001-06:00

We made it home without incident, and the trailer is empty for the first time since last fall. The new site has plenty of railroad atmosphere with the coal trains regularly passing by.

Trolley Car 48 is gone as well, having been moved into the roundhouse to the right. The front loader has done some grading, and we need to do a little more of that before moving in the equipment trailer, etc. Then comes construction of the shelter and work area. Plenty to do prior to arrival of 0252.

Antonito weekend

2009-05-11T08:45:00.003-06:00

The first weekend in May saw some of the COS Friends heading for Antonito to perform maintenance on OB in preparation for a busy summer. Projects included cleaning and painting, freeing the weight which had a cable jammed under it, fabricating door stops for the rear doors, some mechanical work on the steam engine, and raising the mast to adjust the ladder plates. All was accomplished except the latter.

Unfortunately, we arrived to discover (very heavy) equipment parked just outside the CRF door on the track so that OB could not be moved outside for mast raising. After some very careful calculations, it was decided that this could not be accomplished inside the building either. Therefore this project was postponed until June. OB is scheduled to be part of a maintenance of way train at that time.

We brought two large I-beams to Antonito to transport the tourist sleeper to COS later this spring (or summer), and are returning with a few supplies for the new work site. Tom is insuring that we don't leave anything along the way.

New Work Site

2009-03-15T19:59:00.000-06:00

After completing restoration of piledriver OB, the Colorado Springs (COS) Friends have been regrouping to start another project. Because of development pressure, a search for a new site was begun. As luck would have it, our president, Tim Tennant met the president of the Pikes Peak Historical Street Railway Foundation on a trip, who invited us to join them at their facility at the old Rock Island roundhouse in Colorado Springs, AKA the "Trolley Museum." We will be accessible to I-25, to an equipment rental facility, and to the resources of the Trolley Museum which is involved in the restoration of streetcars. We will be located on the south side of the old roundhouse building over an old maintanance pit, with room for the tool trailer as well as work and storage areas. (The old streetcar will go.) Considerable work remains prior to moving in and starting the next project, but we hope to be commencing early this summer. It will be a Pullman tourist sleeper originally built in the 1880's that is presently in Chama. More on that later. A diagram and photo of the site are attached.