Agreed. Assuming your way car was built in the 60’s or early 70’s - it looks like a typical ICC Wide Vision - the insulation is most likely fiberglass. Your interior wall panels could be either hard board, something like Masonite, or fiberglass sheet. I’ve seen both.

I would highly recommend that you replace the window gaskets sooner than later. The rubber is probably hard and has shrunk. This would cause water to get inside the wall and rot the sill from the inside. You wouldn’t know until you see the rust around the bottom of the car. Water infiltration is your biggest enemy. Somebody probably has a die for that somewhere but there would be a minimum order so ask around if anyone has some extra or will pitch in for a run.

Check with http://www.dynamicmetalsllc.com/ as they acquired the old JT Nelson window line and still have many of the gaskets.

A note about the window frames.

OEM aluminum window frames for wide-vision cabooses are rare items. Production ended with orders for new cabooses in the early 1980s and most went directly to scrap with the cars or when windows were removed and covered with steel plates as an economy measure.

Welcome to RYPN.

Lead paint was still in use into the mid 1980's so you may find your's contains lead, particularly the yellow, where lead chrome pigments provided really good coverage. Primers are also suspect. Lead paint is generally not a big threat, unless you want to chew on it, but can be an issue if stripping old paint or sanding to prepare for new paint... Avoid heat guns if striping, and wear a respirator is sanding. In general encapulating the old paint with new is acceptable mitigation.

Matching a chrome yellow paint is difficult. the replacement pigments are non opaque like the chrome pigments were. For smaller areas (like lettering) "One Shot" paints are great.

As previously suggested, address the window gaskets sooner rather than later. You may be surprised that a modern glass shop has an acceptable gasket material... silicon caulk is not a substitute...

Since you are planning "adaptive reuse" (preservation speak) you may want to offer car fittings that you are removing to members of this discussion forum.

Questions like yours are always welcome here.

Finally, railroad historians, modelers and preservationist are pretty good and documenting railroad equipment, including things like railroad standard drawing for lettering.

OK! all good info and thank you! I'm already considering a thorough cleaning and then building a deck off one side and leaving the interior basically intact- the way it is- of course addressing the window issues. I'll post more pictures as I move along. Again, thanks!

Before a way car would be fit for use as a guest house (with attached deer stand), you'll have to get some power out there, along with either some hefty fans or else AC. The original chemical toilet is kind of gross, and the kerosene heater/stove needs to be replaced with something less stinky and less fire prone. Way cars weren't meant to be comfortable or conducive to sleeping on the job, either, and your visitors will need someplace to wash dishes and shower.

If you can satisfy those requirements without completely destroying the ambience your way car now has, you'll be way ahead of many restorations. From the looks of your interior pictures, I wouldn't be surprised if there are still blank forms in the conductor's desk, maybe some fusees or torpedoes in a rack, maybe even a spare knuckle or trainline air hose in a locker.

Hi Sammy, There were some spare parts in the tool locker. I hope no spare "parts" in the chemical toilet Ha!! I was out there the other day and I will need to run water and electric for sure. I'll build a deck first. Is there a standard height for a platform that would run alongside a train?
I hope to provide more pictures and I'm still looking for information on re-doing the flooring. I think a majority of the diesel smell is coming from the floorboards. I have the equipment to refinish the floorboards but I still can't seem to figure out how the flooring is adhered to the floor.

Thanks all!

I guess there are different standards for platforms, but my suggestion would be to make it the same height as the bottom step on the ends of your way car.

For the flooring, unless somebody has a better suggestion, I'd take a short claw bar and a sledge to the rottenest, stinkiest board, and try to remove it without damaging any of the other boards. Then you ought to be able to figure out the puzzle. I'd think the boards are tongue and groove, but you could possibly go wrong taking my word for it...

Peter-a few thoughts:
1. From the original pictures, it looks like this is in a fairly remote/non-visible location. If so, good-hopefully you don't have a Homeowner's Association (HOA) to deal with! Some have earned the reputation of 'Homeowner Taliban' with good reason...
2. Deck-are you subject to local building codes? Just food for thought. Caboose as well, now that I think about it. Never assume...
3. Deck-you might want to have a wee bit of clearance between the deck and the caboose. Why? Water runoff, i.e. if there's water on the deck, you don't want wood to hold moisture against the caboose. As to heighth of the deck, whether you use steps and/or a ramp (latter good in case you have to wheel up heavy stuff) on the deck, I'd consider having the deck the same heighth as the caboose end platforms.

Peter, two suggestions for the floors. 1) Open an end door and see if there's a threshold piece along the floor. If so, and it's wooden, remove it and then you can see the orientation of the tongue & groove flooring. If the threshold is metal, it should also be removable.

2) Try sanding part of the floor with a belt sander with 80 grit. This assumes you have electric available at the caboose. if not, then the next option would be to remove a floorboard along the wall with the grooved side. That's the usual starting point for laying T&G. There may be a piece of molding on the wall to cover up the gap at the end of the floor. If you know a local flooring contractor, they would be good people to ask for more specifics on how to remove the entire floor.

From the picture it doesn't look like the existing floor can be refinished, since there are gaps between the boards that are filled with crud. This is undoubtedly 3/4" x 2-1/4" T&G hardwood, either oak or maple, and it was installed by 'blind nailing' through the tongues. This kind of floor is tough to patch, best take it all out and replace it, especially since it stinks of fuel oil.

It may be nailed directly to a plank subfloor, or nailed to 1x2's nailed to the subfloor. The proper tool for removal is a 15" flat prybar:
https://www.menards.com/main/tools/hand-tools/wrecking-pry-bars/tool-shop-reg-15-pry-bar/2434593/p-1444421174421-c-9170.htm

Drive the hooked end between two boards and lift, or start at the end door. There is no good way to save this flooring; save it for campfires. Once removed you can determine if the fuel oil got into the subfloor and deal with that.

To replace, since this is still a common material a flooring contractor could be employed, or you can D.I.Y. If the later, rent an air nailer meant for edge nailing flooring, as doing so with a hammer and not making dents in the edge is an acquired skill.

Good Luck.

Thanks for the flooring information. I will pull up a piece, get some new wood ordered and start there.

Thanks always!

We haven't heard from you in awhile, I was just wondering how you're making out ??