We at the Pemberton Township Historic Trust have an NX23 caboose on the site but every picture or drawing I have seen show the siding going vertical. Ours is horizontal. The only car that I have seen with horizontal siding is the X23a coke car. So does anyone know if:
a) They put the siding on anyway they felt like.
b) They did use the old coke cars as caboose but just called them NX23.
c) Is ours something else all together.

Thanks!

Later!
Mr. Ed

Ed, found this for you on another site, hope it helps you.

23 box cars were converted to NX23 cabin cars series 478520-478595 in 1943-4. There
were three variations: vertical side sheathing with full ladders; vertical side sheathing with
partial ladders; and horizontal side sheathing. No records survive to determine the quantities
of each. In 1947 at least 38 cars were converted to Work Equipment, most in series
494011-494043 and used as riding cars. Originally painted grey on the sides and ends, the
color was changed to yellow in 1954. Cabin cars lasted in freight service until December
1969. Riding cars lasted well into the 1960s and perhaps longer than the cabin cars.

Our X 23, currently fashioned as a TOOL CAR, has vertical siding. We are in the process of searching/ordering new wood for much of the car.

Bob Kutella

Waren;

Thanks for that information. It answers two questions, one about the siding and the other is why the car is gray. We had thought it was used by the Navy since it looks a lot like haze gray of which I have intimate knowledge.

Bob;

What type of wood are you going to use?

Later!
Mr. Ed

As to the type of wood, we are trying to locate a good source of untreated southern yellow pine. At least that is our read on what was/is on the car. (Some pieces have been previously replaced - who knows when?)

So authenticity is one of the issues. But getting the perfect match in width and thickness may result in us having to do some millwork in our woodshop. Thankfully we have the machinery necessary to plane, surface or mill if needed.

I am guessing we will have trouble getting it untreated. But that is our desire since it will be drier and more dimensionally stable, hold paint better, and with SYP there is above average resistance to rot, without the added chemicals.

If you choose to use pressure treated lumber with the idea it will not rot, here is some free advice learned the hard way. Buy it at least a year in advance and stack it with spacers (and under weights) in an indoor location. As it dries it will shrink, warp and twist. So do this before you do any millwork and plan perhaps at least 10 % loss due to unusable material, no matter how good it looked when it was purchased.

And if doing any cutting, milling, sanding do it on machines equipped with dust collection and use appropriate personnal protection. Five years ago it was treated with CCA which was a copper chromium arsenate concoction, now they are using a supposedly safer chemical but only time will tell. AND this is the stuff widely used in playgrounds and backyard decks for our kids to rub up against, gnaw on, etc!!

Look into buying it all at once whatever your choice as it will only get harder to find or source the material as time goes on and costs will escalate for special order stuff.

If you are on the left coast Douglas Fir would also be a good candidate but this is not as available around us.

Bob Kutella

Great! Thanks for the info. I am not sure when we plan on starting on it but it is always good to have the correct information before the restoration begins.

Later!
Mr. Ed

So, what thickness do you need, Bob? 1 3/4"? 2 3/8"? You need a relationship with a salvage outfit. That yellow pine we used to buy from R.C. Stelford was all cut from used building and trestle timbers, which are today the prime source of the flooring that is sold as "Heart Pine" Go back to the source and have one of these outfits custom cut it out of their feed stock. This material will be clear, well seasoned, and comparable to the lumber originally used. Just surfing the web turns up Trestlewood:

http://www.trestlewood.com

Which lists yellow pine building timbers from 47th and Racine on this page:

http://www.trestlewood.com/timbers/other/t-oth.html

Not cheap, I'm sure, but then again, the good stuff never is.

I'm sure a more extensive search would turn up a dozen other sources.

There is a saw mill not too far from you in Lansdale, Pa that deals with yellow pine. Contact Mayse Woodworking at 215-822-8307. They deal with old yellow pine building beams. And, the owner is a train and saw mill buff.

Dave Pfeiffer