At the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad Preservation Society we are currently doing some restoration work on M&P caboose 2007, which is a former Reading Railroad class NMn composite caboose (wood sheathing). Over the winter new window sills, sash, and trim have been fabricated to replace the original materials which were badly deteriorated. In the next few weeks we expect to install these items and then paint the caboose boxcar red with safety yellow applicances and windows as the M&P painted the car when it acquired it in 1968.

We have no indoor storage for this car and no way to turn it, so one side will always be exposed to the western sun. We want to use a primer and paint that will have the best possible durability under these conditions. Our experience on a wooden passenger car has not been good, with paint beginning to peel to bare wood on the western side of the car in less than 2 years. I would appreciate advice on what primers and paints have been most successful for others under these conditions.

Also a related question. On the one sash that we have removed as a sample for our replacements there is no evidence that the edges (top, sides, and even bottom) have ever been painted. These are movable sashes that lift. Is there a good reason why the edges should or should not be painted?

Any helpful comments would be appreciated.

Craig Sansonetti

sansonet@erols.com

> At the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad
> Preservation Society we are currently doing
> some restoration work on M&P caboose
> 2007, which is a former Reading Railroad
> class NMn composite caboose (wood
> sheathing). Over the winter new window
> sills, sash, and trim have been fabricated
> to replace the original materials which were
> badly deteriorated. In the next few weeks we
> expect to install these items and then paint
> the caboose boxcar red with safety yellow
> applicances and windows as the M&P
> painted the car when it acquired it in 1968.

> We have no indoor storage for this car and
> no way to turn it, so one side will always
> be exposed to the western sun. We want to
> use a primer and paint that will have the
> best possible durability under these
> conditions. Our experience on a wooden
> passenger car has not been good, with paint
> beginning to peel to bare wood on the
> western side of the car in less than 2
> years. I would appreciate advice on what
> primers and paints have been most successful
> for others under these conditions.

> Also a related question. On the one sash
> that we have removed as a sample for our
> replacements there is no evidence that the
> edges (top, sides, and even bottom) have
> ever been painted. These are movable sashes
> that lift. Is there a good reason why the
> edges should or should not be painted?

> Any helpful comments would be appreciated.

> Craig Sansonetti

Craig, here at Strasburg we use Interlux Brightside Polyurethene on the passenger equipment. This is a marine grade paint. We have been using latex on the freight equipment as an experiment, in the event that oil based paints are phased out. True Value and Benjamin Moore have been tried with fair results. They do not hold up as well as the Interlux. Paint those sash edges while they're out! The more protection the better. For interlux try www.jamestowndistributors.com



wayne@strasburgrailroad.com

Craig,

The best and cheapest preservation for any piece of wood is a coat or more of paint!

I think I saw that caboose at the Red Caboose Motel years ago in Strasburg. It was loaded with paint back then.

You may have to remove some or all of it to get any more to stick to the surface.


ted_miles@nps.gov