The Mid-Continent Railway Museum Restoration Department has recently completed reproducing the cast seat parts for Lake Superior & Ishpeming coach #64 that is undergoing restoration.

http://www.midcontinent.org/equipment-r ... peming-64/

The seat castings had to be made as the seat design and castings are unique to the car builder (Hicks Locomotive & Car Works) and the museum could not simply tap into the museum’s seat inventory to accurately restore the car. 12 of the 26 Hicks seats were missing from the car when MCRM acquired the car in 1985. In a cooperative effort Mid-Continent arranged to have 12 sets of castings made for the missing seats in Yosemite Valley #330, another Hicks produced car that is undergoing restoration at the Niles Canyon Railway.

Given that Hicks Locomotive & Car Works went out of business (bankrupt) in late 1910, these are likely the first Hicks seats that have been made in the last 107 years.

Bill Buhrmaster
MCRM Restoration Dept.

More, photos Please.

Its difficult to see a part when in a box of so many other parts.

I'm anxious to see how these look when going together and how they look all assembled and complete.

There are (6) different cast parts associated with each seat and a total of (10) cast parts for each seat. The photos below show each of the parts along with sub-assemblies and finally a vintage photo of a completed and assembled seat.

We have not assembled any of the new castings or seats as the car is presently undergoing an extension restoration and we won't be ready for the seats for several years.

I hope this helps.

Bill Buhrmaster
MCRM
Restoration Dept.

Bill,

Can you share with us which foundry did the work? The Amish at Cattail Foundry, or someone else? It looks like you used existing parts as patterns, which I understand is Cattail's forte.

The seat parts were cast at the Tomahawk Foundry.

http://www.tomahawkfoundry.com/home

Bill Buhrmaster

I have heard very good reports so far from this foundry. They do use or can use original castings for patterns. I was turned on to this foundry from a shop that restores antique wood and coal stoves. When he gets something rare that he stands to profit on he and others in the stove restoration business have work done here. Brake shoes for the Polson #2 were done here as well.

Have no connection to this foundry but have heard very good reports of there work and willingness to do small or one of a kind pours. At this time I have not personally used them but I do have a project in mind for them. Regards, John.

The smaller thin section castings may have been malleable iron originally to reduce breakage. An appropriate replacement today would be ductile iron. The selection of a foundry would have to be made to find someone that can cast the grade of iron needed for this application.

Quote from the foundrys web site:

http://www.tomahawkfoundry.com/home





"Molding is done in furan bonded sand and in green sand using 16 x 20 B&P automatic molding, Squeezer and Rotolift molding machines. We pour gray and ductile iron using induction furnaces".

Regards, John.