Four photos show the progress. If you are not familiar with this renovation effort or chapel cars in general visit this detailed web site (which includes history and a floor plan). Click here.

The renovation moves forward with both professional and volunteer staff due to generous contributions of individuals and foundation assistance.

I expect the pictures will raise several questions but since I am new to the project I certainly will not be able to answer most of your questions. The Museum's Executive Director monitors this forum and will answer the questions you post.

1. This is the chapel end of the car (as opposed to the parsonage end). Having sat on the ground for decades the bottom corner sills and lower frame work needs replacing or major work as can be seen.



2. Looking through the car from the chapel end to the parsonage end. Note the scaffolding needed to support the roof during lower structural work.



3. The chapel end is ahead in the picture with the parsonage end to the right. The parsonage living space for the parson and his wife is two rooms, together about the size of a mid-size RV. The sanctuary is to the left of the living space. Doors were cut mid-car, both sides, when it was a diner. As expected, these areas are turning out to require extensive structure replacement.



4. This is looking approximately at the sanctuary area.



Please post your observations and questions. Thanks.

I'm quite impressed at how large that car is. It's much bigger than I imagined when I first heard of this project.

Marty,

Thanks very much for posting this progress report and your excellent photos! I've been studying the chapel cars for some time, and am very glad to see this restoration being done. The diagonal planking so clearly shown in the last photo is intriguing, and I've never seen that kind of thing before. I imagine it's a strengthening design since the car is so long. Does that make sense?

Yes, Dylan, it is indeed a very long car - over 76 feet according to the floor plan shown in the Taylors' book, "This Train is Bound for Glory." Of the Baptist cars, five of them were/are this size, and the last one, "Grace," is over 85 feet long. (Past and present tenses there because at least four of these cars - including Messenger of Peace - still survive.)

Yes, there are trusses built under the sheathing and into the framework of the car. If you look at the one showing the openest framing, you will see where the metal truss is missing up against the innder sheathing, but the framing is notched to accept it.

Sanctuary much for sharing these interesting pictures.

dave

Actually, all wooden passenger cars post-Civil War were built around a load bearing wooden truss under the sheathing. Structurally, a wooden passenger car is just a covered wooden truss bridge, with the bolsters of the two trucks taking the place of abutments or piers.

Hi
Here is a a picture of car 57's trusses more on this page too
http://car57.zenfolio.com/p331500692/h1 ... #h18e1d63f


Mike Pannell
Cheyenne

Being farther away from that car makes it look normal size...

Dylan
car57 is a 56ft car over the platforms, just the body in the photo is 51'6. As opposed to the 76' chapel car.

Mike Pannell