C & S 1008 Update - Sept. 2015: Frame Parts and Interior

NGDF -

Although months have passed since our last photo update, rest assured that the work continues. A lot of time this year was spent inspecting, measuring, and documenting each individual frame member. Since concluding last winter that the existing historic frame did not provide a good foundation for an operating caboose, we're proceeding to fabricate exact re-created frame members of the same wood species. As a first step, Richard painstakingly created a full notebook with dimensioned drawings of each piece. They are almost all different.

Here is the complete set of 25 frame spacers, cut to size, and ready for additional fabricating steps to make the tenons, various holes, notches, and tension rod slots


A comparison of an (obviously) old spacer block, and the re-creation made of laminated white oak:



Work proceeds in parallel on the interior components. The conductor's desk is attached to a 5-board "divider wall". Here is the as-found picture of the desk and the wall. I've posted previously pictures of the restored desk.


For the reconstructed wall, a typical blend of new and old were used. The complete, primed "new" wall is at left. The two left-most boards are restored original, using epoxy to solidify and fill numerous nail holes. Three new boards were shaped to carefully recreate the cross-section and "free hand" profile that was cut into the originals, standing at right. One theory is that this custom cut out was made after a few burly trainmen kept bumping their shoulders into the useless divider while riding in the car.


Bob of AZ