Does anyone have experience in building toilets in boxcars? I would be interested in learning your experiences - both good and bad, and, your recommendations to use or avoid.

Thanks in advance - OK to email direct if you would like: Jim@psrm.org

Having gone through the "we gotta have better toilet facilities" exercise a few years ago, and after getting up to Plan E or F (I forget just how many versions, but a few involved conversion of rolling stock--and meeting code was tough using a railcar) of "how-do-we-do-this-cheeeep-and-EZ", we built our "comfort coach". Last year (or in 2003), I posted a brief about it. Building looks like a grounded wood coach, is about 50 ft long, 11 ft wide, has 6 stall and three sinks for women, two stalls & two urinals and two sinks for men, and meets our codes in CT (in the over-regulated northeast). If you want photos/plans, they could be provided. We get plenty of compliments about that facility. No, we didn't "raise money" in the traditional way, but took a mortgage with the local bank, and had a local contractor come in and build it. Boom, boom, 1-2-3, it was done and useable in a few months. It was worth it.

Your other post about attracting visitors/interest is on-target; something as simple as good bathrooms is vital.

HP

Is this box car a grounded car, no wheel sets? Or is it a car that will not go on the road but may be switched around the yard?

Basically you have a house on wheels. Any General contractor can build a bathroom whether it is a one holer or multple holes. The local building codes are going to have to be adhered to. It will have to be close to a sewer drain for hook-ups unless you want to have it as a big portable toilet then a holding tank could be used.

Remember that you are going to have to be ADA compliant when you build this public rest room.

Adam

The "Potomac Eagle" in Romney WV has a "station" complex that consists of a grounded B&O wagontop caboose as a ticket office, and a grounded boxcar containing the toilet facilities, with wooden ramps making everything ADA compliant. The "Eagle" is a very friendly down-home type operation with excellent scenery and great group of people running it. I'm sure the guys there would be glad to answer questions about their facilities.

I'd love to see the plans you have.

Jim@psrm.org

Here is another thought for you. The bath room is not just the place that everybody goes to in order to do you know what.

The walls of the bathrooms at the S F Maritime Park have information and graphics on them.

People always get a kick out of seeing the graphics. And they may also be too busy reading to write any gaffedi on them.

How many of your visitors have any idea what a dry hopper was?

Ted Miles