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 Post subject: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:11 pm 

Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 12:28 pm
Posts: 16
Some how a visit to a online yard sale site ended with me owning a caboose.

The caboose was last used on the old Buffalo Creek and Gauley line in West Virginia.

After the BC&G shut down in the 60's (last working steam line), The line was used by Majestic Mining in the 70's and 80's. This caboose was a ex Pere Marquette wooden 800 series caboose. When it was brought to Majestic it was painted yellow with the BC&G logo.

From what I can find it was C&O A801 or 801.

The owner of the line used the car as a home for several years. I found it being used as a camp. The trucks have been removed, but the majority of the car is intact.
The interior has had some modification and needs to be brought back to original.


Its going to take a lot of work to restore it, but I plan it being a retirement project the bulk of the work starting in a couple years.

I have found railroad ties to place the caboose on, now i am going to start working on the rail steel and a set of trucks.

I have been doing as much online research as I can, there are so many endless links.

I would love to find a set of builder drawings, any possibility these are out there anywhere?

I ordered a few things from the Chesapeake And Ohio Historical Society (pictures , articles) can anyone recommend additional resources?

I found a sister Caboose Unit 800 on display in Hilliard Ohio, I hope some time to get up there and photograph, measure and research their files.

From what I understand these cabooses used BETTENDORF SWING MOTION TRUCKS what is the possibility of finding these?

Thanks for your time and I hope to call on your experience and expertise on this caboose.

Image


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:21 pm 

Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:12 pm
Posts: 10
To cheer you up on those days when it all seems like a bit much.

http://youtu.be/aN_DP5TfaH8

Looks like you have a good one to work with.


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:22 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:51 pm
Posts: 11482
Location: Somewhere east of Prescott, AZ along the old Santa Fe "Prescott & Eastern"
A most interesting find!

Question: Do you intend to restore it as a BC&G relic or a Pere Marquette relic? It shouldn't make that big a difference, but.......

What shape is the car in? It looks wonderful cosmetically, but paint can mask a plethora of ills and woes.

I suspect from your "handle" that you're located in West Virginia? Protect the specifics if you must, but maybe we could get an idea of where this caboose is ending up?


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:29 pm 

Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2008 11:12 pm
Posts: 95
Location: Boulder, CO
In Clay County, WV, one can hope!

Mike


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:48 pm 

Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 12:28 pm
Posts: 16
I am actually in a small community of Calvin in neighboring Nicholas County WV, The BC&G tracks came very close if not into a small portion of Nicholas County.

Since it will be on display here locally I think it best to restore to BC&G era. I have been a amateur fan of this line for years.

In all likelihood the car will have to be resheeted, and maybe some of the interior walls and floors replaced also. All cupola parts doors steps etc are in place, so most of repairs are woodwork which I have been doing for years.

Although they are not on in the picture (so we could move it) I have all the steps and exterior steel.


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 4:10 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:58 pm
Posts: 1061
good luck on your project! please post more pics when you can. love to see interior shots. there is a BC&G steamer at the Age of Steam Roundhouse not far from me.


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 5:33 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:26 am
Posts: 4642
Location: Maine
A great and self-less project for you to enjoy and others to admire for decades to come. Congratulations on ownership and the guts to take it on!

_________________
"It's only impossible until it's done." -Nelson Mandela


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 6:19 pm 
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Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:53 pm
Posts: 49
I figure one day I will do something like this, but maybe with a narrow gauge locomotive of something... idk. Still young yet and have a ways to ge before anything happens. As to your caboose, looks to be in great shape. The rest shouldnt be to hard to fix of find. I wish you luck.


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 9:51 pm 

Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:12 am
Posts: 822
Location: cheyenne
Congratulations.....she looks to be in good shape. I am sure we will be sharing info and tips as my caboose UP 2516 from 1913 is on the long road back as well.

Keep in touch

Mike Pannell


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 9:34 am 

Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 12:28 pm
Posts: 16
Mike,

Great pictures, I thought my guy was the only person to think of putting house trailer axles under a caboose for the move.

It took a little work and the guy with the Pulling Truck just shook his head when he seen it.


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 9:48 am 

Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 4:12 am
Posts: 822
Location: cheyenne
I understand about house movers, my guy has shaken his head 3 times now, but its a great moving system, cheap, effective and keeps the body straight and supported for as long as you need.
Car 57 is on one too. This picture from the 'old' days of 2008 !

http://car57.zenfolio.com/p331500692/h2 ... #h2dc3ee59

Keep in touch, would like to see interior shots too if possible.

Cheers
Mike


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 10:49 am 

Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 12:28 pm
Posts: 16
I will post interior pictures as soon as I can get to the caboose.

This Saturday I mowed around the caboose and took a pressure washer to the inside to get rid of all the mouse bird droppings and snake skins.

I was wanting to get everything ready for winter, but today we have over 24" of snow on the ground and I cant even get out of the driveway.

I have always heard is you don't like the weather in WV wait 24 hours


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 11:25 am 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:19 am
Posts: 6399
Location: southeastern USA
I've got a few of these behind me; cabeese are great projects, much moreso than wooden passenger cars. their framing, materials and finish are simple and straightforward.

A couple suggestions, take or leave as you see fit:

I generally cover any car like this one that shows evidence of animal infestation with a plastic cocoon and set off a 2-3 bug bombs inside it before starting to work. Nobody likes fleas. Let it sit overnight, take the plastic off and let it breathe for a couple hours, then go to work. You'll use the plastic anyhow as dropcloths down the line.

If at any time to have the interior or exterior sheathing removed, don't fail to tighten up the nuts on the tension rods that hold the frame together. The time to fix a racking frame is while the tension rods are accessable.

Seamless rubber roofing has generally replaced painted canvas as the membrane of choice as it is more durable over time with much less maintenance, provided you're not pursuing a Smithsonian quality restoration in which you would also mix your own paints to historic formulae etc.

You're in for a pleasant and rewarding job. Best wishes.

dave

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“God, the beautiful racket of it all: the sighing and hissing, the rattle and clack of the cars over the rails. These were the sounds that made America the greatest country on earth." Jonathan Evison


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 12:37 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:54 am
Posts: 746
Location: Michigan
Glad to see this one preserved. It had kind of fallen of the face of the earth for us PM fans. As far as a class of PM cabooses, these were all built in 1924 by Magor I believe, and have the highest percentage of surviving cars per class that we know of any of the PM Cabeese. They are nearly identical to the Erie's A4900-series wooden cabooses, as both railroad's were owned by the Van Sweregin brothers at the time. They were the last wooden cabooses built for the P.M.

Of the A800 series, this is what we know still exist:

A800 - Hilliard, Ohio, franklin County Fairground, in C&O Livery. Best current restored
interior that we know of.
A801 - Yours
A802 - Selbyville, Delaware, Privately owned.
A803 - Linworth, Ohio, Privately owned.
A804 - (See below)
A805 - Orrville, Ohio, Privately owned
A810 - Huntington, WV, Beverly Hills Middle School, near Rt 60, Saltwell Rd.
A811 - Navarre, Ohio. Located on State Route 21 at the south edge of town.
A814 - Loveland, Ohio,Loveland Church of the Nazarene.
A821- Lowmansville, KY, Along old US 23, north of Paintsville.
A822 - Mt. Carbon, WV, Last reported at Alloy Industrial League, but no longer there as
of April, 2005.
A823 - Hinton, WV, Sr. Little League Baseball Club.

A804 - This was in Ontario for a period as well, and we understood it was to be moved to a site with the Wallaceburg, Ontario Station, but have not heard anything about it in many years now. Last we knew, it was offered free to a good home. I posted on this almost 10 years ago.....wow.....how time flies......
http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7729

For more information, check out the Pere Marquette Historical Society website:
http://www.pmhistsoc.org/

All others were scrapped to our knowledge. The Pere Marquette Historical Society and Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society have specs for these, and I'm sure would be happy to help. Just as a note - none have been restored to their original PM livery as yet either, but I have to agree, the BC&G makes the most sense in your case! Happy restoration!

T.J. Gaffney


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 Post subject: Re: I begin my journey ex PM Wooden Caboose
PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 3:30 pm 

Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm
Posts: 6400
TJG -

Thanks for posting the list of these cabooses. Twelve preserved out of the 25 built is a pretty good ratio! BTW, the PMHS confirms that the A800-A824 series were built by Magor, but the date listed is 1930.

Les


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