Formica tops are easilly overlaid if the orginal surface is
well bonded to the substrate. Just run a sander over
it to remove gloss and to level if possible.
Then cut and apply new laminate just like any
counter job.
If the worst is the case, making new tops
isnt a big deal. Counter guys are everywhere
if you dont want to tackle it yourself.
As for the cement, Ive used the new low
VOC stuff and it is easy to use but its
longevity is still a question.

If there is even the remote chance of the old laminate peeling, cracking or splitting then take thin plywood and put that down. Secure with small nails or brands Lay the new laminate over that plywood. This will change some measurements like cabinet doors or shelves but will be better than redoing the entire thing in a couple of years. If you have time, and money, take off the top and make a replacement. Either way once you are ready for the new put the "drop edge" laminate on last. Contact cement is a tad touchy about temp. Use a "laminate" rounder bit on the router.
Best thing is to trade work. Surely one of your volunteers knows a person that does this type of work. Find out if one of the other volunteers has a chore he can swap for the work on the laminate. Not only is contact cement without pity but when you are scoring and snapping the laminate you get only one try. Done wrong, your entire sheet of material is wasted!

Forgot to add that when you order your material make sure you order a tube (or more if a big job) of "Color Match". This is a seam sealer color matched to your material.

There is another one at Heart of Dixie NRHS, (the 4141 maybe). Same car style, and a few years older, just with a AGS number instead of a Southern one.

We are currently looking at reproducing the "S" monogram table tops so we can use the car without the table cloths to cover up the worn surfaces. We haven't settled on the exact technique we will use but we are working on reproducing the artwork and colors.

As noted, the 3158 has been modified over the years. Some things (roller bearings, tight lock couplers, electro mechanical air conditioning ) were dictated by the fact that we operated this car on main line excursions. Other things have been dictated by health and safety codes (dish machines, multi compartment sinks and correct stove venting) and lastly, somethings just plain wore out and you couldn't get the replacement anywhere (32V refrigerator systems). I guess you could look at it the same way as steam locomotives, if you are going to operate them in the modern era, eighty four years after they were built, you have to expect them to be modified to some degree. Except for taking a couple of years off at the end of her Southern career, this car has operated every other year, probably about eighty years total. Any other candidates for most years of service for a dining car?

Tim Andrews
Chattanooga, TN

Tim,

I wonder when the 4141 was transferred to the AGS. As I recall, the dining car lost in the December, 1926 head on collision between the Ponce de Leon and Royal Palm was a new, all steel car assigned to the AGS. That was a pretty nasty wreck and a total loss-telescoped along three quarters of her length-entire dining room (full of passengers at the time). One cook escaped injury-everyone else on the car was either seriously injured or killed. Tightlock couplers might have prevented the telescope.

The Western Railroad Museum at Rio Vista Jct. (aka Bay Area Electric Railroad Museum) has the body of Sacramento Northern Railroad's "Bidwell" an wooden observation lounge car with dinning facilities. It was home built from the remains of a wrecked Niles coach.

Some work has been done. At some point in the future you should be able to ride a 4 car interurban train (Hammond Combine, nearing completion, 2 Hall Scott steel cars, one restored, and Bidwell) all from the same railroad on the original line at Rio Vista.

It will be a reconstructed trainset of significance.

#4141 is indeed at the Heart of Dixie. Roster says its Pullman built in 1924. Its in poor condition. The interior was burned when set on fire by bums when it was at our old location downtown.


Bill Houston
HODRRM
Calera, AL

North Shore 415 is the only preserved interurban dining car, with the exception as you stated of the two Electroliner trainsets. There's a number of interurban cars of one sort or another that had smaller dining facilities, including the "Bidwell" mentioned elsewhere in this thread and two or three other cars at IRM.

The Bluewater Michigan Chapter of the NRHS has GTW diner-lounge Silver Lake at Saginaw, Michigan. Chapter CMO Harold Frye and a crew of volunteers and helpers gave this car an extensive exterior restoration a few years ago, returning the car to its original olive-and-black 1954 "Maple Leaf" paint scheme. The car got quite a few square feet of new side sheathing and subflooring. The interior remains in its modernized post-1966 CN style with dropped grid ceiling. The car operated most recently on the Bay City to Grayling excursions behind PM 1225.

I recall riding this car in service before the end of GTW passenger service in 1971. The main attraction was that the French-Algerian waiters behind the little service door in the lounge section would serve beers to underage MSU students traveling back to Detroit for the weekend.

Les,
Here is what I have been able to determine about the cars that Art has listed:

B&M Bald Eagle #70 to Wabash 1570 to N&W 418 (instruction car - 1970)
B&M Hermit Thrush #71 to WAB 1571 to N&W and scrapped 1970
MEC Merrymeeting #15 to C&EI to L&N to Amtrak 8380
MEC Arundel #16 to C&EI to L&N to Amtrak 8381
B&O Akron #1090 Dismantled 1969
B&O Pittsburgh #1091 to Baltimore Chapter NRHS 1969
NH Bay State to PC to Amtrak 3211
NH Keystone State to PC to Amtrak 3210
NH Nutmeg State to PC to Amtrak 3213
NH Pine Tree State to PC to Amtrak 3212
D&RGW Mt. Timpanogos to D&H Saratoga Inn 1974
D&RGW James Peak to D&H Adirondack Lodge 1974
ACL Cordele Wrecked 1959
ACL Atlanta to ATK 8080
ACL Birmingham to ATK 8081
ACL Fitzgerald to ATK 8087 to Chamber of Commerce Fitzgerald, GA
ACL Greenville to ATK 8083 to D.L. Schaffer
ACL LaGrange to ATK 8082 to Ted Church
ACL Moultrie to ATK 8084
ACL Plant City to ATK 8086 to camp car 16761
ACL Talledega to ATK 8085
ACL Tarboro to ATK 8088
FEC Fort Drum to SAL to SCL to ATK 8090 to Ampol Wrecking 1976
FEC Fort Ribault to SAL to SCL to ATK 8089
RF&P Henrico Retired 1971 to NdeM El Maya

It appears that the ACL/FEC/RF&P car(s) dispositions have been discussed. Other survivors are or may be N&W 418 (probably modified interior), B&O Pittsburgh, NH Pine Tree State ( I have occupied one of the bedrooms overnight while the car was trip-leased to FO 261 for Chicago to Galesburg, IL roundtrips), and one or both of the D&H cars plus the surviving ACL cars. Anyone want to weigh-in on the actual survivors based on the above information?

Don C.

I photographed Pine Tree State in storage at Spencer, NC, on the Friday after Thanksgiving. If anyone wants a photo, please PM me with your Email address, and I would be happy to send it to you.

Some interior restoration has been undertaken on the ex- D&RGW "Castle Peak" at the Joshua Tree Railroad Museum in Joshua Tree, California, near Palm Springs:

http://www.jtsrr.org/browsers/cp.html

Chris Allan

B&O 1091 Pittsburgh was cut up in Locust Point, Baltimore several years ago after much vandalism, ownership transfers and disputes, and general neglect.

Very interesting list! I would also add ACL Naples (AMTK #?), which is at the Indiana Transportation Museum in Noblesville, IN. From this thread and a little judicious Internet searching, here's what I've come up with for the ACL cars:

ACL Cordele - Wrecked 1959
ACL Atlanta - now ?
ACL Birmingham - now at IRM (under restoration)
ACL Fitzgerald - now in Warm Springs, GA
ACL Greenville - now at TVRM (display)
ACL LaGrange - to FNM 3674 "Tamaulipas" - now ?
ACL Moultrie - now at Watauga Valley NRHS (restored/rebuilt)
ACL Naples - now at ITM (display)
ACL Plant City - now Delaware & Ulster "East Branch" (restored/rebuilt)
ACL Talledega - now in Lamy, NM used as eatery
ACL Tarboro - now in Granite City, IL?

I am in error on my earlier-reported location of ACL Tarboro. It was (still is?) at the former ITAC facility in Madison, IL, now operating as Gateway Rail Services, Inc. I'll make a call there soon and see if Tarboro is still there.

At one time within the past 5 years or so there was an effort to get ACL Fitzgerald moved to Manchester, GA. If anything is still in the works on that I am not aware of it. Another call to be made.

I'll report back.