In Washington, GA there sits a wooden combine. The car was built in the 1880s for the Georgia RR and later sold to the Elberton & Eastern. The car was retired and sold to a saw mill in Washington for housing for a foreman. It and a sister car survived this way until the 60s. They were split up and the family that owns the 110 moved it to it's current location were it has been used as a home and then later a storage shed. It sits on blocks and is in fair condition considering its age.

I have tried here in GA to save the car. Interest exists but not enough to go get her. The car is free for the taking. You bring the truck and cranes and it is yours. The family wants it to be saved but need it gone ASAP.

The lady called on Tuesday and said they will likely remove the car in the next couple of months if no one comes to get it.

Feel free to contact me if you think you can save this car.

Jason Greene
Jason.P.Greene@Gmail.com

If you can't save this one, just try to save the information.

If you can spend a couple of days to deal with this and you can get premission, go and photo document it completely. Measure and take photo notes, put "photo rulers" in all your photos etc.. and then after all the photos, start to remove any hard parts from the car that might be able to be used to reconstruct a similar car. Take any unique examples of everything wood also, (that you can carry).

Later if you can figure out who the original builder is, you can most times find the original blueprints for the same car and with the parts that you salvaged it would always be possible to replicate the car if it was needed.

Sometimes the best an individual can do, who is facing a tight deadline, is to make a last ditch effort to save what you can. Often that is enough, so if you can't save it all, just documenting and saving what you can is as good as can be had. Give it your best shot!

Thanks for your efforts!

A photograph or two would really help to spur interest, then at least we would know if it could be saved at all.

Mike Pannell

I went with Jason to inspect the car when Jason told me about it. Here are some photos. I made a case to a local organization. They felt they could not fund the move nor could be it restored any time soon with their volunteer base and finances.

Inside we found the number 110 over a door frame.

wow nice car, i would like the truss rods and bolsters please .

thats if the whole car is going to be scrapped.

Mike Pannell

Does the lawn tractor and cash register come with it? It looks like a moving job for folks who know what they are doing lest it end up a pile of kindling.

Wow...if they'd only maintained it over the years. Periodic paint, roofing, keeping the windows sealed. What a shame to lose this but like everyone says, we can't save everything.

Steve

This car seems to be in really bad shape, but might not be that bad when all is concidered. Even though it is lower on one end than the other, there doesn't seem to be any sag in the body. Thats a good thing.
Don't let anyone walk on the roof. They'll poke a hole in it. That will kill it for sure.
Conway Scenic Railroad in New Hampshire has a spare set of trucks that would fit this car. We scrapped a MEC coach in Bartlett, but saved the trucks. They might not be exactly right, but would work.
Most ventures of this type are usually funded by the people who want to see it saved. Go for it if you can. Good luck to you.

Brian Hebert

Let's face it, this car is in rather rough shape, and getting a truck to transport her in one piece is going to cost a lot. Probably more than most museums are willing to pay, especially when you factor in how much it's going to cost to restore her.

That said, I think you may be this car's last hope and perhaps you can be her saviour. Like Loco112 said, photo-document EVERYTHING. Use that photo-ruler.

If no museum steps forward soon, I'd say to make this YOUR project. Remember, many pieces of railroad equipment have been saved thanks to the private sector (i.e. collectors).

First, I would save the obvious parts. Windows, metal parts, railings, etc. Next, save things like panels and mouldings which were built with the amazing craftsmanship that can be hard to find today.

Finally, if no one else is interested, and the car is going to be destroyed, do what you can with the rest of the car. Personally, I would save at least the good wood pieces of both the frame and the body. If it gets to this point, where no else wants to save it, no nitpicker should bother you. Take the car apart, photographing and labeling everything. I would then proceed to move the car piece by piece to another location (if I had my own house, I would move it there). From there, begin reassembling it, or at least part of it. Who knows? Maybe half of a clerestory coach would look good as the entrance to your house?

Yes, I know many "preservation projects" have gone this route and have fallen apart. Decide which you think is better: a pile of labeled wood that could be ressurected into a car, or a pile of charocal and ash.

I honestly wish I could help you with this project, but I'm in the Washington on the other side of the country.

All the best and Good Luck.

The interior paneling should be saved, now to mention the clerestory glass. Dismantling the car in labeled, mapped sections might be the way to go, although I'm guessing only the interior of the car might be salvaged. She's a great period piece. I wonder if a state granting agency, a historic properties group might underwrite the project. I almost wonder if this car was a "Jim Crow" design. Something very appealing about the architecture of a car built when useful also meant beautiful.

I would guess that the car is level, but the ground is not..

Scot

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I would guess that the car is level, but the ground is not..
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The ground is not. Car is pretty straight. Tie rods needs some attention and slight tightening.

Dale

Any signs of termite damage?

Steve

None that I saw. I did not do a complete crawl under the car inspection. I do have several dozen photos that I can zip up and send to whomever would like them.

Dale

Hello,

I came across this tread about this old wooden car that need to be save. Well I came to see what I can do to save this car. My name is Brian Waller, I am the President of The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Restoration Society & Railroad Museum located near Eureka Springs, Ark.

This RR Museum is small but would like to have an old car/engine sitting outside the museum. So If there is a way to save this old wooden car, let me see what I can do.

If anyone would like to see this wooden car save, feel free to help by contacting me at brian.waller24@yahoo.com.

Please let me know what I need to do to save this car.

Thanks,
Brian Waller
President of The E.S. R.R. Historical & Restoration Society & RR Museum