Has anyone out there made up new canvas bellows for the passageway diaphragms on their passenger cars? With the switch to the Amtrak tubular type for private car owners, I'm guessing there's not much demand for the old style anymore, except from museums.

Adlake still shows them on their website, but they use a modern vinyl material. http://www.adlake.com/products_diaphragms.php

I should think a good sail shop or other industrial capacity upholstery shop could make them up if they had the right material and the patterns. Does anyone out there have a drawing for the templates to cut the material?

Any advice would be welcome.

John Smatlak
OERM
http://www.oerm.org/

I know of one active restoration at IRM on the heavyweight DOVER STRAIT where new canvas bellows are being made or have been made. I think the fellow is using heavy canvas, and sewing two plies together before cutting for the diaphragms. Then the plan (I think) is to fold and rivet to the striker plate.

The fellow is not on line and I really have no hard info, so maybe someone here can furnish details of their approach.

Bob Kutella

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"Dover Strait"?!? Shouldn't that be coupled to the Washington DC NRHS's "Dover Harbor"?

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John, I think I have a scanned version of the Adlake dwg that shows the diaphragm pattern.

I got it from the RR Museum of PA archives. It was in their Lehigh Valley RR collection.

I'll have to look for the CD over the weekend and get back with you. Once I find it, I'll see if the Museum has any objections about me providing copies of the scan.

Walter- that sounds good, let me know.

I also spoke with Mark Hatfield at Adlake about making up new bellows with canvas instead of the modern vinyl. They said they would do it if someone could supply the canvas (which certainly seems doable). He also said that they likely have drawings for everything. I asked him to provide a quote, so I'll see what they come back with.

Yes, both cars were part of the same order. I believe the STRAIT came to IRM via the EJ&E as a work service car. Look for a story on it in an upcoming Rail & Wire newsletter.

Bob Kutella

In a former life I was involved in several military vehicle restorations, and Beachwood Canvas in Island Heights NJ was a highly-regarded source for reproduction canvas work:

http://www.beachwoodcanvas.com/aboutus2.asp

Might be worth dropping them a line.

LaSalle Canvas & Ropes still makes the canvas diaphragms. They made them for VIA and were still available as of a couple of months ago when I checked.

LaSalle Canvas & Ropes
9001 Elmslie St.
LaSalle, Quebec, Canada H8R 1V4
(514) 366-2800

Bruce Backus

I made new diaphragms fro the regular excursion coaches at the Nevada Northern Railway in Ely Nevada. I used an original canvas and laminated two layers together with PHILOBOND adhesive. This makes them water resistant. I patterned the old pieces and cut out wood templates. The templates were used to cut the laminated canvas. I edged the cut canvas in a nylon wear strip and stitched it with a industrial sewing machine. The edged canvas was fitted to the diaphragm frame with little modification and reinstalled on the coaches. So far they are doing great. If you need more help or info please feel free to email me. churm@usa.com