Coming up on the halfway point on the 15-year rebuild of GW #75. All of the flues are out, UT is done and the numbers are now being "crunched", bad staybolts are out, had to cut out the front firebox knuckle due to stress fractures and it's replacement is being fabricated.

The tender is off and the tender frame is up on jackstands. We have had pine planking donated to replace the rotted planking and we want to seal it as best we can against the inevitable rot that will surely occur.

The question: What would you use to seal the planking against the moisture? It obviously will be hidden and so the coating/sealant can be 'ugly', yet functional.

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

sc 'doc' lewis

Heber Valley Railroad
utweyesguy@aol.com

> Coming up on the halfway point on the
> 15-year rebuild of GW #75. All of the flues
> are out, UT is done and the numbers are now
> being "crunched", bad staybolts
> are out, had to cut out the front firebox
> knuckle due to stress fractures and it's
> replacement is being fabricated.

> The tender is off and the tender frame is up
> on jackstands. We have had pine planking
> donated to replace the rotted planking and
> we want to seal it as best we can against
> the inevitable rot that will surely occur.

> The question: What would you use to seal the
> planking against the moisture? It obviously
> will be hidden and so the coating/sealant
> can be 'ugly', yet functional.

What kind of pine? If it's pressure treated southern yellow pine, probably you won't need to do anything. If it's a softer pine, that's another story. I would try one of the epoxy mixtures like Abatron. They have two kinds, one is like a bondo which wouldn't do and the other is thinner like a paint which goes on easily and dries hard. Supposedly it penetrates and stops rot from within. More costly than ordinary paint, but seems to work well.

> Thanks in advance for any and all
> suggestions.

> sc 'doc' lewis


wrj494@aol.com

Doc,

I might look into some of those composite materials planks that are being used for building park benches, decking, and even docks. A quick search of google had dozens of hits when I put in "composite planking".

Also, have you considered anything like fiberglass for coating the water space of the tender?

Tom Gears

>Dear Doc:
Penta, Cuprinol, Creosote and "Wood Life" are useful for treating wood against rot. They penetrate the wood with nasty stuff that prevents fungus, etc. from living there (be careful using, it is nasty for humans too). Creosote works best when applied under pressure. Some of these product come in a paintable and non-paintable versions. All work best when the wood is well saturated with product.
I have also heard of folks using Thompson's Water Seal for this purpose but haven't tried it myself.
You might be better off using your donated wood elsewhere and purchasing pressure treated Southern Yellow pine as Dave Woodbury suggests, that is the type of wood that the railroads used for this purpose: soft (to cushion the tank and let the rivet heads "squish" in), tough and rot resistant (to last a long time). SLP decking that I installed in the early 70s' still is as good as the day it was put in.
I wouldn't advise coating the lumber with an epoxy unless the bottom of the tender were all welded, hence smooth, as rivet heads, etc. will crack the epoxy coating and allow moisture in. Epoxies are great for many purposes, but they only prevent rot in that portion of the wood that they actually penetrate, if moisture, etc. gets in under the epoxy coating, then the wood can rot out from within, leaving you with a nice surface but rotted inside. Good luck!
J.David

jdconrad@snet.net

> The question: What would you use to seal the
> planking against the moisture? It obviously
> will be hidden and so the coating/sealant
> can be 'ugly', yet functional.

Don't use the wood that was donated, but use TREX decking material. This is a wood expoy product that lasts for just about forever. It can be cut like wook and painted like wood.

Thanks,
Mark
PS Thanks for your help at our volunteer training.

Nevada Northern Railway Museum
nnry1@mwpower.net