Kansas central Boxcar draft gear - Part II
| November 01, 2014 04:42PM |
Continuing on............
The "A" end draft gear and timbers installed under the car. Eagle eyed viewers will note that they are attached to the center sills via modern lag bolts. The center sills on this end of the car are new wood and the floor of the car was already installed. As such, the decision was made to use lag bolts, rather that cut a section of the floor out. As the other end had an original section of center sill, complete with remains of the original bolts (that had to be removed from the top) the floor was attacked with a circular saw to gain access and the draft timbers were attached with carriage bolts and nice traditional square nuts.
A view of the "A" end of the car showing the nice new draft timbers and end buffer. Lots of work for very little noticeable difference in the car! As a side note, does anyone out there have original or replica 1870's narrow gauge link and pin couplers available (or the ability to make them)?
As background, the KC boxcar was built around 1873 by the Great Western Manufacturing Company of Leavenworth Kansas, which is perhaps best known for its wood stoves. It is a 24' long car and one of perhaps 60 that were built. It was retired around 1889 and ended up as a shed on a farm near Winchester Kansas. In 2006, the farm was sold and the new owner gave the car to the First City Museum in Leavenworth. The car was disassembled and moved to Leavenworth where it was put back together using as much of the original wood as was deemed possible.
Jason Midyette
The "A" end draft gear and timbers installed under the car. Eagle eyed viewers will note that they are attached to the center sills via modern lag bolts. The center sills on this end of the car are new wood and the floor of the car was already installed. As such, the decision was made to use lag bolts, rather that cut a section of the floor out. As the other end had an original section of center sill, complete with remains of the original bolts (that had to be removed from the top) the floor was attacked with a circular saw to gain access and the draft timbers were attached with carriage bolts and nice traditional square nuts.
A view of the "A" end of the car showing the nice new draft timbers and end buffer. Lots of work for very little noticeable difference in the car! As a side note, does anyone out there have original or replica 1870's narrow gauge link and pin couplers available (or the ability to make them)?
As background, the KC boxcar was built around 1873 by the Great Western Manufacturing Company of Leavenworth Kansas, which is perhaps best known for its wood stoves. It is a 24' long car and one of perhaps 60 that were built. It was retired around 1889 and ended up as a shed on a farm near Winchester Kansas. In 2006, the farm was sold and the new owner gave the car to the First City Museum in Leavenworth. The car was disassembled and moved to Leavenworth where it was put back together using as much of the original wood as was deemed possible.
Jason Midyette
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
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