Attached are some recent photos of the Utah State Railroad Museum's ex-Train of Tomorrow dome car 'Moon Glow'. Not wishing to level any unnecessary criticism of the organization, but suffice it to say that it's as vulnerable and unprotected as the pictures show, having been shoved outside mid-restoration some years ago minus all glazing and many of its side sheets. Still, I was surprised that the interior wasn't in even worse shape. Some would say this car isn't worth saving and I might agree if it wasn't the only remaining 'Train of Tomorrow' car in existence.

I posted a full series of pics over on 'Trainorders':

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/r ... ?4,2589800

There was a little bit of interest in raising money to at least get some tarps put over the poor thing before another Utah winter sets in. Can anyone here give a knowledgeable estimate on what it might cost for the necessary tarps, tie-downs, etc? If I approach the museum with a proposed solution I'd like to have some realistic numbers behind it. Thanks.

BTW... the pic with the Subaru WRX in it isn't mine-- I happened to find it as part of an online classified ad which prompted me to visit the car and take the interior pics.

Contact some billboard companies for used canvases. They make good tarps for a while and are cheap, if not free.

Three winters ago I purchased a 40'x 60' tarp to cover my caboose. While I don't remeber what it cost exactly, I know it was over $300. It was a heavy tarp, of the same weight and quality that I'd used to cover large stacks of hay. It was destroyed after one winter, making it an expensive bit of temporary protection. In my experience covering large hay stacks, you get what you pay for. Pay attention to the weight of the tarp if you go that route. Used billboard canvas seems like a great idea.

To have this historic car sitting outdoors in this condition, uncovered, unlocked, and unprotected, especially after it was saved from the scrapper, seems inexcusable. It was in much better condition before the museum removed all the windows and the fluting.

Having said that, I had a tarp made in May of 2005 for a similar car. It covers the dome section, and also drapes down to cover both sides of the car below the dome. It cost $300.00, including shipping. This tarp still looks like the day I installed it. It has not deteriorated in the least, and has been thru quite a few NY winters to boot. It is dark green plastic, and surprisingly lightweight. It looks and feels roughly like those ubiquitus, crappy, biodegradable blue plastic tarps that seem to be available everywhere and last about 6 months, but my tarp is still in great condition and continues to do it's job very well.

I imagine a similar tarp that would cover the Moon Glow might be at least $800.00. But that might be the only thing that will save this car, short of selling it to someone who will actually take care of it. I bought my tarp from an outfit called "Canvas Specialty" in Los Angeles. Even though my tarp is not canvas, they have many materials available, depending on your needs. The sales person there thought the green plastic would do the job best, based on my description.

Maybe shrink-wrapping is in order? I know Ross had that done with the 614 around 05'. On the worth-saving-note, I think there were some wooden cars or early motorcars that were in far worse condition than Moon Glow. And if the fluting is in storage, or wherever after Utah State removed the panels, I'd bet that restoring moon glow would be far less expensive. I look at it like this, at least it didn't end up as a chicken coop, or there would be nothing to save...

As a boat owner who uses shrinkwrap, I will attest to it's superiority to tarps especially for longer term storage as it's not prone to wind damage as tarps are, it's also quieter if noisy blowing tarps are a problem for neighbors. It's available in blue, clear and white. The white suits me as it lets in light for inside work but still blocks the weather.You need to properly vent the cover to avoid moisture problems but that's easy to do. It's a bit expensive but will last longer. I'd be willing to give tips on it's use to anyone who wishes to try it.

Before we opened our Trolley Display Building in 2004 Pennsylvania Trolley Museum had a lot of our collection under tarps. We found that a local company that specializes in truck tarps provided a product made of vinyl impregnated canvas. Many of these tarps lasted 10 years, but six or seven was a more typical life under constant UV exposure. It also helps to have them made in light colors, to reduce heat build-up. Figure on $1000-1200 for a fitted tarp for a PCC car or similar shape, doubtless more for a railroad size passenger car. Those cheapie blue tarps are only good for about a year at most, and the eyelets have a habit of pulling out. You get what you pay for.

Ditto on truck tarps. I can't give any current prices, but several I had made years ago; some for closing in restoration projects, one for my camper, lasted for years and had the cotton cord tie-down ropes rot and need replacement while the tarp fabric was still good.

The tarp fabric was vinyl impregnated nylon, likely the 22 oz. weight. It is extremely puncture and tear resistant; this is the stuff you see whipping in the wind on steel hauling trucks and the like. Here is a web site that lists what is commonly available:

http://shelterrite.com/prodspec.html

I have no connection with this company or its products.

If you want the tarps to last longer, don't depend on the tie down rings, put sand bags on the roof and pull the tarp tight to the car. A line of bags about 2 feet in from the edge every 3-5 feet will keep the tarp from inflating. Also tuck under all folds in the cover.

The main reason the tarps die the first winter is because the wind is getting under the tarp and ballooning it out. Ballooning does 2 things, first is it stresses the seams and tie downs also it causes the tarp to rub on all the edges and corners, which will wear holes allowing more wind into the car.

One last tip, tie it down, and come back in about a month or after the next windstorm to adjust the ropes, they will stretch, and make sure the sand bags haven't moved.

Rich C.

We have used Neilly Canvas, the vendor Dave mentioned near Pittsburgh. Their tarps hold up well. I do not recall the price, but we got value for our money.

Wesley

Found this clip via a friend of mine. What better thread for it to go in than this.
http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-train-to-tomorrow-utahs-train-to-tomorrow-resides-in-ogden-20111113,0,7654566.story

Thanks for the link to the story. It's a shame the gentleman interviewed didn't present some realistic goals that the public might grasp onto more readily. Restoring 'Moon Glow' to full Amtrak standards to the tune of $2,000,000 is just an unnecessary pipe dream. Plenty of dome cars are still out there riding the rails-- Moon Glow doesn't need to be. What they need to do is get it secured, tarped, and set some reasonable goals for getting it cosmetically restored at least enough to be safe and viewable by the museum-going public.

As far as the reporter saying the car was 'not open to the public,' in fact the reverse is unintentionally true. It's standing wide open just off a main road, and is an attractive nuisance to vandals and anyone who wants to go in and look around. However, with no vestibules and no safe way to enter without climbing, it's an open invitation for someone to get injured and sue the museum and property owners (it's not on museum property) for their injuries. Having seen the way some other P-S domes rot out, it's not unrealistic to believe that someone could fall through the steps to the dome, or the dome floor itself.

I hate temporary repairs. They're a lot of work and expense. They advance the project absolutely zero, and if anything drag it backwards a bit as the temporary work is now physically in the way of proper work. Worse is the negative emotional energy they put into the project: while the temporary work looks respectable, it says "Well this project is on ice" which slows momentum. When it's tattered and falling apart, it makes the project and the whole museum look shabby. Temporary work can also damage the artifact's interpretive value, "what is under that tarp? Is that a caboose?"

Bite the bullet, direct your focus, learn the craft, do it yourself, fix it once, fix it right -or at least fix it original-style. Now you have forward momentum, a focus of pride and accomplishment, a sharper looking museum piece, and a nip off the total scope of the job, which makes the job that much more reachable. You'll thank me later :)