Open House

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

We're ready

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.