Hi guys-
I have had a lot of question in regards to how our ex-GTW (earlier C&GT and possible C.D.& C.G.T.Jct.R.R. built)combine restoration is coming along, so our web-person has loaded a broadside picture of how she looked this summer. It isn't pretty, but things are moving fast. She has been jacked-back into shape, new tongue-and-groove exterior paneling has been purchased, and all historically significant items have been documented, removed, labeled, and will be re-installed. I highly recommend our contractors, Design Craftsman of Midland, Michigan. They have tried to be as detailed and accurate as possible. We realize we cannot please everyone, but I remind everybody involved; if our museum hadn't come forward (and if Cuyahoga hadn't notified us) the car would now be kindling.

She was built sometime during the 1880's, and she was completely overhauled and coverted to a combine from a coach at the C&GT's Fort Gratiot Car Shops (located just North of the Blue Water Bridges in Port Huron, Michigan) in 1891. Although some sources have our car being constructed in 1889, the recent discovery that a sister car, Mid-Continent's EJ&S #2 was built by Osgood Bradley in 1864 make us think it may have been built earlier.

I also have to thank EVERYONE down at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic for both notifying us of the car and storing it for a year and a half or so until we could get it moved. Thanks guys!

We hope to have the car in place by November. Check it out at www.phmuseum.org, then hit the Thomas Edison Depot Museum link. There is a link from this page that shows the car after she was stripped and removed from her trucks. "Corn-Crib" I think is being nice!

T.J. Gaffney

Port Huron Museum
peremarquette@hotmail.com

T.J.

Great work! A big round of applause from NJ!!!

Rob

> Hi guys-
> I have had a lot of question in regards to
> how our ex-GTW (earlier C&GT and
> possible C.D.& C.G.T.Jct.R.R.
> built)combine restoration is coming along,
> so our web-person has loaded a broadside
> picture of how she looked this summer. It
> isn't pretty, but things are moving fast.
> She has been jacked-back into shape, new
> tongue-and-groove exterior paneling has been
> purchased, and all historically significant
> items have been documented, removed,
> labeled, and will be re-installed. I highly
> recommend our contractors, Design Craftsman
> of Midland, Michigan. They have tried to be
> as detailed and accurate as possible. We
> realize we cannot please everyone, but I
> remind everybody involved; if our museum
> hadn't come forward (and if Cuyahoga hadn't
> notified us) the car would now be kindling.

> She was built sometime during the 1880's,
> and she was completely overhauled and
> coverted to a combine from a coach at the
> C&GT's Fort Gratiot Car Shops (located
> just North of the Blue Water Bridges in Port
> Huron, Michigan) in 1891. Although some
> sources have our car being constructed in
> 1889, the recent discovery that a sister
> car, Mid-Continent's EJ&S #2 was built
> by Osgood Bradley in 1864 make us think it
> may have been built earlier.

> I also have to thank EVERYONE down at the
> Cuyahoga Valley Scenic for both notifying us
> of the car and storing it for a year and a
> half or so until we could get it moved.
> Thanks guys!

> We hope to have the car in place by
> November. Check it out at www.phmuseum.org,
> then hit the Thomas Edison Depot Museum
> link. There is a link from this page that
> shows the car after she was stripped and
> removed from her trucks.
> "Corn-Crib" I think is being nice!

> T.J. Gaffney


Inlinebob@aol.com

Rob-
Thanks for the praise. As anyone who as ever worked with a wood car knows, its a process which can be at many times disheartening as well as rewarding. When we removed the tongue siding, we saw some intial rot, and really worried that the whole car would be that way. I had heard horror stories about the roofs of wooden cars, but was delighted with the overall condition of our car's structural members; we even found three pieces of the interior framing signed by what had to have been some of the many guys who worked on the car over the years. I'll try and get some more photos up of the car as I can. In the meantime, if anyone wants to see some additional photos, send me an email and I'll be happy to send some in an attachment.

Thanks,

TJG
> T.J.

> Great work! A big round of applause from
> NJ!!!

> Rob


Port Huron Museum

peremarquette@hotmail.com