Car 57 update

car57 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 25, 2010 5:31 pm

Hi to all

We have fitted the final three windows on the north side of the car, it has noew regained some of its splendour, we have also discovered a photo (and are looking for the original) that shows how the car looked when new, and gives us the general outline of the decoration.
Enjoy
http://mikepannell254.fotopic.net/c1599811_217.html

Mike Pannell
Cheyenne WY

Kirk Warner · **Posted:** Thu Feb 25, 2010 5:59 pm

I have been following the restoration story of this car and am very impressed! When I look at the photo of the new car on the left, the roof appears to be wood, as evidenced by the grooves. Was this car built without canvas to seal the roof?

car57 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 25, 2010 6:18 pm

Kirk, I think its the tin sheets you can see, the roofs were tin with soldered seams not canvas.

Mike

colfaxstation · **Posted:** Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:31 pm

Mike,
Kirk may be right. The tinned roofing I've encountered was sheet pans cut and soldered after they had removed the canvas roof on cars of this era. It may be that the cars were finished to the roof edge and then the roofing applied. The spacing is too narrow for tin. They wouldn't go to that much effort.

Herb Sakalaucks
Colfax Railroad Museum

Ted Miles · **Posted:** Thu Feb 25, 2010 9:00 pm

mike,

I think I recall reading about the Museum of American History at the Smithsonian holding a collection of Pullman photos.

Ted Anderson at the Illinois Railway Museum is a good person to talk to about
all things Pullman.

There was a series of articles published on this web site about restoring a wooden passenger car. It would be a useful read for you.

Another good source is the Mid-Continent Railway Museum wooden car preservation projects.

It is a great project; and thanks for posting the updates.

car57 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 25, 2010 9:49 pm

Hi Ted thanks for all the hints and the support, it means a huge amount. Having seen this picture of the restored No 63 at the Mid Continent are we sure that Ballyclares roof is canvas, it could be tin strips like ours, we dont recall any re-roofing going on with our car built in 1887, the evidence says that tin roofs were well used by then, canvas dying out in the mid-late 1870's ? Canvas remained in use in the UK up until the 1930's but thats a different story and climate.
http://www.midcontinent.org/collectn/wo ... ress28.jpg

Mike Pannell