Re: RGS 252

Yep. Basically (the way I understand it, Karl could explain it better but he's in Chama doing fireman training for the 36) Jackson and Sharp cars commonly had those vertical pieces crack in the middle allowing the sides to bulge outward and compromise the structural integrity of the car. The metal braces, on both sides of new wood sistering the original and through-bolted, cure the problem. The side of the car shown in the photos was pretty bad, the other side not so much. Both sides have been taken care of, and the new siding (visible at the bottom of the photos and all custom cut to original dimensions) has now been installed on both sides and painted. Over the next few weeks we should have the newly painted portions sanded, a second coat applied, and varnished. Amazing what you can accomplish with a dozen guys working 8-hour days when all materials are on site, ready to go - this year we had workers from California, Texas, Wyoming and New York at our annual work week! Next year's work week will have even more neat stuff to do, in the meantime we work every Tuesday morning from 9 - 12, usually around 5 guys, weather permitting. If anyone is in the area, stop by and say hello (or swing a hammer or paint brush, move rail and ties, or do archival research).