Thought the RyPN folks might enjoy this-

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewsho ... 4297&alb=0

Speakers ON, right-click on window for full-frame. Enjoy!

The new INTERCHANGE looks wonderful!! Thanks to all the people who made it possible.

Howard P.

MP 6, NAUG

This is a great restoration of a cast steel underframe car! Also a very nice video. When you rebuilt the trucks, did you apply rear seals? If so, what was your source for them? The IRM is looking for a source of both front and rear seals for friction bearing trucks.

Thanks for the kind comments. This digital stuff is fun!

From one of RMNE's internal communiques:

"The 40-foot car has a one-piece cast steel frame, made by General Steel Castings Co. and assembled into a car by the New Haven's Maybrook Car Shop (they added brake equipment, a deck, assembled the trucks and painted the cars). It was later used as a Wire Train car, as T-294. RMNE obtained it from Metro-North in 1990.

What was done:

Cut off all old handrails, brackets, pipes, etc. that were attached to the car when it was in Wire Train service. Scaled and chipped all rust from the frame. Photgraphed, measured and traced all visible lettering. Needle-scaled and power-wirebrushed the outside of the car frame, primed and painted it (two coats of black urethane). Removed old AB brake valves and brake piston, replaced with rebuilt and tested components. Rolled trucks out and replaced all four wheel sets (most had bad journals and some had condemnable flanges), rewelded worn and broken wear plates on truck bolsters, cleaned, scaled, primed and painted both trucks, installed eight new axle seals in the journal boxes, assembled trucks with refitted plain journal bearings, new journal oil pads, new center pins and new brake pins and cotter pins. Replaced all cotter pins in carbody brake rigging. Replaced brake wheel with proper type.

Deck was creosote pressure-treated oak 2x6 (nominal, VERY nominal!!) installed with hundreds of original-type flat-head "car bolts" and original-style floor clips (both still available from the original old-time supplier) and a lot of 1/2" nuts and washers. The deck was laid over sheet steel on the car end areas, to keep any rain water off the trucks (and out of the journal bearings).

What remains to be done:

Connect brake rods to trucks, install new air hoses, test brakes and set brake piston travel, finish cutting stencils and apply lettering, touch up any paint "nicks". (all completed as of 7/16/08)

Many RMNE people worked on this project and the final result is one all can be proud of. Pics of the finished (lettered) car will be around after it is done, perhaps after next weekend. Yes, it's "just a flat car". But it's a NICE flat car. And one less POS."



The journal box axle seals were "NOS" (New Old Stock) seals we had in storage (see? There really IS useful stuff in those boxcars!). For another car (an NH RPO-Bagg we changed a wheel set on), one of our people (Dan Ditullio) made a pair of rear seals using 1/2" thick semi-stiff durometer rubber right out of McMaster's catalog. These were cut to a size shown in the 1937 Car Builder's Cyc. A 1/8" piece of masonite was used as a back-up and filler.

Original late-model rear seals are made of "unobtainium", a material commonly used in old railroad equipment. We have to get creative these days. And I suspect it won't be long before we're learning how to soak and roll cotton/wool waste and properly pack it into boxes.

Howard P.
Waste Grab, CT

Thanks for the info on the creation of the rear seals. I have done similar methods of creating seals. I was hoping that someone would have a source for new seals. There are a number roads still using friction bearing trucks and was hoping to find a vendor.

Could you advise your source for the flat head car bolts.

Thanks,

Richard Wilkens

They came from Lewis Bolt, who also supplied the floor clips. We used regular nylock nuts under the car where they'd be invisible, and square nuts where they could be seen.

http://www.lewisbolt.com/first.html

If the flat head car bolts are not listed on the website, call their sales dept. The bolts come in one length only these days; it would have been nice if we could have some a bit longer in spots, due to the frame casting thickness varying.

Howard P.

Perfect place for a hamack and a tiki bar!!

Great job guys! Love them freight cars.

Scott Kwiatkowski

Thanks. Coming from you, that's high praise indeed.

Its first use will be the first two weekends of August, as a stage for the kid's performers during the annual vist of Our Little Blue Friend.

Howard P.
Thomas-ton, CT