Dan Markoff Wrote:
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> Jeff,
>
> Yikes!!! Tens of thousands of dollars for a cab
> and tender frame? I personally built the cab for
> Eureka and its tender frame. It did not cost
> anywhere near that amount. I have to admit
> though, it was over 30 years ago and the wood was
> not quite as expensive as now. . Do any of your
> employees or volunteers have wood working talents
> and does the museum shop have the planers,
> jointers and routers to make the components? If
> it can be done in house you will, as I am sure you
> know, save a boatload of money. If you don't have
> the equipment available, I'll tell you how I
> pulled making Eureka's cab off.
>
> First of all, I had a copy of the Baldwin
> blueprints. There is nothing like having those
> available. No guess work. Then, I priced the
> walnut wood locally and found it to be
> astronomically expensive.....especially the 12
> quarter stuff. So I went to plan B. Years ago I
> used to make muzzle loading rifles, and would get
> my stock blanks from a guy in Tennessee. I called
> my supplier up, but he said he just retired. He
> asked me what I wanted the 12 quarter walnut for
> and I told him I was restoring an old locomotive
> built in 1875. He said I should contact Midwest
> Walnut in Council Bluffs, Iowa. I did. Initially
> they said they only sold walnut in that size in
> 1,000 board foot lots, and it was still very
> expensive. Then they asked me what I wanted the
> walnut for. I told them and to my utter
> astonishment their representative said he was
> building a live steam model of a 4-4-0 himself.
> We talked about it for awhile, and then he said,
> "what the hell, I will give you what you need at
> our cost!" So, now I had the walnut I needed at
> a very reasonable price.
>
> The next big problem was making the large
> components to the cab. I had some wood working
> skills from making gun stocks, but what I did not
> have was the equipment to plane and mill the large
> cab pieces. At that time, getting the necessary
> equipment was to expensive for me. I thought
> about what I was going to do......and then one day
> noticed that at my alma mater, the University of
> Nevada, Las Vegas, offered an extension class in
> advanced wood working. I figured it was time for
> me to go back to school. and signed up for the
> class.
>
> I'll never forget when our instructor queried the
> class about what projects they wanted to make.
> Each of the students answered.....I want to build
> a jewelry box, or a small desk or a table and
> stuff like that. It then came to me, and I said I
> want to build a cab for a steam locomotive. My
> instructor said, "Oh, a live steam model?" I
> said "nope....a full size locomotive built in
> 1875." You could hear a pin drop. My instructor
> thought I was nuts, and my classmates were
> astonished. Nevertheless, over the semester, I
> made all the major parts for the cab at that UNLV
> class. The smaller stuff I did in my shop at
> home, and got the cab built.
>
> Now, I tell this story because I guess it shows
> what a cheap S.O.B. I can be. But it also
> demonstrates, that some things do not have to be
> as expensive as they first appear if a project
> gets a little thinking out of the box. Anyhow,
> that's how I did it and saved a LOT of money.
>
> Dan
Dan, you have done us railfans a great service by saving Eureka, restoring her and then running her for us all to see. I do hope some day that you put together a book about your purchase, restoration, adventures and travels with #4. With stories like the above one and more it would be a great read.
Yes tens of thousands for cab and tender materials. For comparison we are looking at replacing the double layered T&G roof and roof walk boards on the C&S 1113 reefer. The quote we got for Doug fir milled to our T&G spec and rough cut roof walk boards was just under $13k.
Jeff Taylor
CRRM curator of equipment and rolling stock.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2023 09:47PM by Jeff Taylor.
