Railway Preservation News :: View topic - Help save historic WP PFE reefer

Railway Preservation News https://www.rypn.org/forums/

Help save historic WP PFE reefer https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42986	Page 1 of 1

Author:	zephyrus [ Tue Jan 29, 2019 7:53 pm ]
Post subject:	Help save historic WP PFE reefer
https://www.gofundme.com/save-wp-pfe-reefer-55069 After nearly 40 years resting next to a home in San Jose, California, a WP PFE wood reefer is available for preservation. The family who owns it wants to see it saved and is willing to donate the car and contribute to its restoration. However, the cost to move it from its cramped location means we need help from the community. Please check out the Go Fund Me page at the link above and help us preserve this car. Despite being 95 years old, it is very solid and a prime restoration candidate. The Western Pacific Railroad Museum plans to move it to a site in San Jose and perform restoration work there where local members and others interested in rail history can contribute. With assistance from the California Trolley and Rail Corporation, we are working to make this happen. We are still checking for the car's original number, but there is hope that this may have been one of the very early cars that was painted in WP's own Western Refrigerator Lines scheme before being folded into Pacific Fruit Express. Inside, both ice bunkers are intact and one retains its cooling fans, added in a rebuild. The roof is watertight and the interior is in great condition. It even retains loading notations written on the walls with dates and locations. Some of the dates found include 1937, 1954 and 1959, indicating this car was in service quite late for the PFE wooden fleet. Our time is short, however. Construction work at the car's location requires it to be moved or else it faces demolition in about 3 weeks. Please help! See more info on the Go Fund Me page. Eugene Vicknair Feather River Rail Society

Author:	Ron Goldfeder [ Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:52 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Help save historic WP PFE reefer
How about a photo or two of the reefer so we can see its current condition? You may not want it on the funding site but we need to see it.

Author:

zephyrus [ Wed Jan 30, 2019 2:42 pm ]

Post subject:

Re: Help save historic WP PFE reefer

Ron Goldfeder wrote:

How about a photo or two of the reefer so we can see its current condition? You may not want it on the funding site but we need to see it.

There are photos and video clips in the video on the donation site. Also posted some photos on Trainorders.

I had tried posting photos with my original post, but the system did not like them. Looks like I did something right this time!

Attachments:

File comment: Side doors still close and seal. Some water damage to the outer sheathing T&G wood, but main structure and wood frame are solid.

side doors 750px.jpg [ 332.08 KiB | Viewed 3264 times ]

File comment: LOTS of penciled loading notations inside. Latest dates are in Fall 1959. Found one load notation with a location of High Point, North Carolina.

loading notations 900 px.jpg [ 314.53 KiB | Viewed 3264 times ]

File comment: You can still make out the WP logo. Aside from the water damage at the bottom and some divots in a few planks, most of the sheathing wood look really good and feel solid. No desiccation or rot. Feels like you could just sand and repaint most of it.

remains of the WP logo 900 px.jpg [ 318.74 KiB | Viewed 3264 times ]

File comment: Both ice bunkers are intact and one retains its complete inner wall and circulation fans.

ice bunker inside 900px.jpg [ 307.31 KiB | Viewed 3264 times ]

Page 1 of 1	All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/