Car Shop Archives - Mid-Continent Railway Museum

End of August Update – Restoration Department

Posted on August 29, 2023 by Rebecca MaderoAugust 30, 2023

MCRM Volunteers and Supporters:

The Mid-Continent Railway Museum Restoration Department recently completed a three-day volunteer work session that was held on August 25th through the 27th. We had a good turnout as we had (21) volunteers helping us over the three-day session. The next planned Restoration Department volunteer work session is scheduled for September 8, 9 and 10. Plan on joining us and giving us a hand. We’re continuing to make some great progress and we would welcome your help.

Also mark your calendar to attend the upcoming MCRM Vintage Rail Car Tours scheduled for September 30th and October 1st. We’ve got a great lineup of cars on the tour this year as well as tours through the Restoration Shop. More information about the tours is available by clicking on the following link:

https://www.midcontinent.org/train-ride

The MCRM Restoration Department recently completed a three day volunteer work session that was held on August 25th through the 27th. We had a good turnout for the three day session and we averaged over (13) volunteers per day on restoration projects. The (21) volunteers that helped out for this session were Jack, Jerry F, Mike M., David P., Karl, Jeff Ha., Richard P., Peter B., David M., Jerry M., Steve W., Judy G., Darryl G., Gregg, Jane, Peter S., Ben, Sam, John T, Bob R. and myself. Thanks to this great crew we got a lot of work performed and completed.

Following is a brief summary of the progress made during the session:

LS&I #64:

-Jack delivered four of the recently completed seat back frames that he made in his shop.
-Jack and Jerry cut and fit more of the arched window trim pieces (pork chops) on the east side.
-Mike M. installed the screws in the trim pieces.
-Larry continued to fill and sand the ends of the car and the roof overhangs. To date over 90% of the exterior epoxy repairs have been completed.
-Judy painted the back sides of the pork chops and the balance of the car siding.

The LS&I #64 is coming along and looking better all of the time.

DSS&A DULUTH:

-Karl scraped, filled and sanded the shade boxes for the sleeping compartment windows.
-I stained and sealed wood work on the east and west walls in the sleeping compartment
-Karl and I made an exploratory cut into the upper ceiling panel in the sleeping compartment.
-Karl installed the screws in window post trim pieces, shade box lower rails and the shade bearing blocks.
-Mike continued to take dimensions to finalize the drawings for the four interior doors that need to be replicated.
-Judy performed the final sanding on the shade boxes and the wooden dowels for the berth coat hangers
-Richard continued to remove more of the old material, nails and flashing off of the roof.

EJ&S #2 combine:

-Pete continued to work on the canvas roof replacement project.
-Pete installed a few of the clerestory windows and he applied a fourth and final coat of canvas paint.
-Gregg and Jane assisted Pete by installing some of the clerestory screen blocks that get mounted on the exterior of the clerestory area.

*A pair of the newly installed clerestory windows in the EJ&S #2*.

Chicago and Illinois Midland #90:

-Jerry M. and Dean continued working in the observation room
-They completed installing all of the mahogany plywood in the room
-They installed the new window stop for the observation room end window
-They cut, fit and installed the window post column trim pieces
-With the above work completed the woodwork in the observation room is done and they are now moving onto the state room that is adjacent to the observation room.
-Steve W. continued to work on the electrical scope for the car. This included cleaning out the old wires in the electrical closet and creating a space for the wires to be routed through the dining room.

*Jerry and Dean working inside the C&IM #90 observation room*.

Copper Range #29:

– Darryl painted (cab green) the interior of the new cab windows (engineer’s side) and installed the glass in the two new window frames
-Darryl applied a final coat of black on the exterior side of the window frames.
-Darryl installed the completed windows in the cab.
-This is a nice project to get completed as the locomotive is on display and very visible to the public.

*The new windows installed in the CRR #29*.

C&NW #613:

-David P. scraped and sanded the lower siding on the west side of the car
-John T and David P. painted the lower siding on the west side.
-John T. sanded and painted the two ends and scraped the east side (in process)

Various:

-Jeff Ha. sanded and applied the second coat of varnish to the two toilet rooms in the Great Northern #3261 coach
-David M started to needle scale the trucks for the Cazenovia Southern combine.
-Bob and Richard installed the platform trap hardware on the observation end steps of the Badger #2.
-Richard, Peter S, Ben and Sam helped with the following:

1. Removed the stored steam heat and air brake parts from the Car Shop and moved them to the Storage Building #1.
2. Moved the wooden work platforms and composite wood material to Storage Building #2
3. Disassembled and removed the large metal shelving from the west wall of the Car Shop.
4. Made a trash run to empty all of the Car Shop trash containers that Jeff Ha. moved to the north entrance door.
5.The steam heat pipes and scaffolding that were stored on the west side of the #613 car were moved and placed on the east side of the car. This was done to clean up the area around the car that the public sees.

*Jeff Ha. varnishing inside the GN #3261 toilet room*.

Goodman Lumber Co. #9 Shay:

Work is progressing on installing the new jacketing on the boiler. The jacket pieces were in the process of being fitted and trimmed. By the end of the weekend all of the jacketing is in place and fastened together. Next up is to have the jacketing bands made and installed. Painting of the entire Shay will follow once all of the jacketing work is completed. This work is made possible thanks to donations from numerous donors and a matching donation by Bobbie Wagner.

That’s the latest. Thank you to all of the volunteers for your time and hard work. It is greatly appreciated!!! The next planned Restoration Department volunteer work session is scheduled for September 8, 9 and 10. Plan on joining us and giving us a hand. We’re continuing to make some great progress and we would welcome your help.

Also mark your calendar to attend the upcoming MCRM Vintage Rail Car Tours scheduled for September 30th and October 1st. We’ve got a great lineup of cars on the tour this year as well as tours through the Restoration Shop. More information about the tours is available by clicking on the following link:

https://www.midcontinent.org/train-ride … car-tours/

*The Shay jacketing on the fireman’s side*.

I look forward to seeing you at North Freedom.

Bill Buhrmaster
MCRM Restoration Dept.

Mid-Continent Railway Museum excited to announce $5,000 Grant from NRHS

Posted on June 1, 2023 by Rebecca MaderoJune 1, 2023

Mid-Continent Railway Museum has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the National Railway Historical Society. This grant will be utilized for the reproduction of 16 seat bottoms and back cushions needed to complete the restoration of the East Jordan and Southern No. 2 combination car. This car is the oldest in our museum’s collection, and we are thrilled to be able to begin the last step of this car’s restoration journey.

#2 while in service. Date unknown. Location is alongside the EJ&S’s East Jordan depot. Date unknown; L.B. Herren photo; Ted Schnepf collection, from Paul Swanson.

About the East Jordan and Southern No. 2 Car

East Jordan and Southern No. 2 was originally built in Nov. 1864 as first-class coach No. 112 for the Grand Trunk Railroad of Canada and operated between Detroit and Port Huron. The coach was renumbered 585 and received a major rebuild in 1889 to update its appearance and give it new mechanical gear. After refurbishment by Hicks Locomotive and Car works the coach came to the EJ&S in April 1902. In 1919 it was rebuilt as a baggage coach combination car by the EJ&S. The combine remained in service until 1961 when the line was abandoned. East Jordan and Southern No. 2 was acquired by the museum in 1963 and it has been at Mid-Continent for the past 60 years.
EJ&S No. 2 is one of the oldest passenger cars surviving in the United States. While the exterior has been considerably altered by two significant rebuilds, the interior of the passenger section still has the character and woodwork of the 1864 car. The plan is to restore the interior to that of an 1860s car which will be unique among the collection at our museum. No seats were in the car when it arrived at the museum. We must reproduce seats typical of the time which have cast iron frame parts and cushions made with plush mohair upholstery.
Restorations on the EJ&S No. 2 has been progressing since its start in 2014. Work thus far has included replacement of the side sills. Along with the rebuilding of the “east side” wall structure, windows, baggage doors, steps, and end platforms. The siding has been replaced thanks in part to a 2015 grant from the NRHS, and as for the interior woodwork, it has been stripped and is waiting to be refinished.
The remaining work includes installing canvas roof covering, clerestory screens, as well as installation of the window, doors, blinds, and interior hardware. The last step is reproducing and installing the seats in the passenger section of the car, and with help from this grant, it can now move closer to being completed.

How to Help this Project Move Forward

Thanks to the NRHS, we have some additional help in finishing this project. However, the full cost of this project still exceeds the amount we’ve been given. In total, the full cost of the seats will be around $30,750. If you would like to help us reach this goal, please donate at the link below.

Donate to East Jordan & Southern #2 Project
(credit/debit card or PayPal account)

Donate to East Jordan & Southern #2 Project
(printable donation form)

About the National Railway Historical Society

The National Railway Historical Society is a non-profit organization that supports the preservation projects of trains, railways and stations with thousands of dollars awarded in Heritage Grants. This organization was founded in 1935 by rail historians and has since grown from a small group of 40 founding members. Today, they have over 13,000 members, who include men and women of all ages. Thus, making it the largest rail preservation and historical society.

About the Mid-Continent Railway Museum

Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society–also known as Mid-Continent Railway Museum–is an outdoor, living museum and operating railroad recreating the small town/short line way of life during the “Golden Age of Railroading,” with operating trains, educational exhibits, and displays of restored rolling stock. In 2023 Mid-Continent will be celebrating its 60th anniversary of sharing railroad history with museum visitors.

DULUTH Sleeping Car Awarded $10,000 Grant from ERHT

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Jeffrey LentzMarch 24, 2023

NORTH FREEDOM, WI – Mid-Continent Railway Museum is excited to announce it has received a $10,000 grant from the John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust (ERHT) for use on the next phase of restoration on Mid-Continent’s Duluth South Shore & Atlantic Railway (DSS&A) sleeping car “DULUTH”.

The letter board in the process of being stripped and sanded.

Sleeping cars were an integral part of passenger rail travel during the “Golden Age” of railroads. Extensive research has revealed that the DULUTH sleeping car is historically significant as it is the oldest and most complete standard gauge wooden sleeper car known to survive in the United States.

The DULUTH was built in 1902 by the Barney & Smith Car Company and operated as a 10-section sleeping car on the DSS&A’s passenger train between Sault Ste. Marie, MI and Duluth, MN until 1934. After being taken out of service, it was sold to a private resident of Laurium, MI. and it spent the next 81 years as a summer cabin on the shore of Lake Superior. In 2015, the car was graciously donated to Mid-Continent Railway Museum (MCRM) by Lt. Col. Robert and Elizabeth Krasche to assure the long-term preservation of the railcar.

View in the sleeping compartment showing one of the headliner panels being painted in the original green color.

Since its arrival at MCRM restoration crews have taken significant steps to return the DULUTH to operating condition, with volunteers putting over 2,800 hours of work into the car’s restoration so far. The funds from this grant will further the next phase of the DULUTH’s restoration which will feature work on the sleeping compartment, upholstery work, replicating stained glass windows, and installing new wood siding on the exterior of the car.

This next phase of work is projected to require approximately $125,000 and 3,000 additional hours of volunteer labor. Additional grants and donations are being sought to raise the funds needed to complete this work. Any Individuals or organizations interested in donating funds, professional services, or volunteer labor to help with the DULUTH project are encouraged to contact the museum at 608-522-4261 or email inquiries@midcontinent.org.

Once restored, the DULUTH will be placed indoors on public display. Mid-Continent will also operate the DULUTH on the museum’s rail line several times a year, re-creating and preserving the rail passenger travel experience.

DSS&A original interior — As-built Interior photo of DSS&A DULUTH.

This is the third grant the John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust has awarded to the DULUTH project. The Trust previously awarded $9,000 in 2018 and $15,000 in 2022 and has supported other museum projects as well, including the C&NW #1385 steam locomotive and the museum’s coach car #595. Mid-Continent Railway Museum is genuinely appreciative of John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust for its repeated and generous support of the museum’s mission.

About the John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust

The John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust was created by John Emery, a native of Chicago, and a lover of the classic passenger trains of America. The Trust was founded as a way to support Mr. Emery’s interests in the passenger trains of the 1920s through the 1950s. The Trust operates as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) foundation.

About Mid-Continent Railway Museum

Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society–also known as Mid-Continent Railway Museum–is an outdoor, living museum and operating railroad recreating the small town/short line way of life during the “Golden Age of Railroading,” with operating trains, educational exhibits, and displays of restored rolling stock. In 2023 Mid-Continent will be celebrating its 60^th anniversary of sharing railroad history with museum visitors.

2023 Restoration Department Work Session Dates Announced

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Jeffrey LentzJune 6, 2023

Mid-Continent’s Restoration Department has released its 2023 work session schedule. These work sessions are a great way to get involved at Mid-Continent Railway Museum.

Our doors are open to anyone willing to give us a hand and help us with the restoration work. Give us a hand for a day or several days throughout the summer. Every bit of help makes a difference and is appreciated. We have a wide range of needs (i.e. painting, cleaning, stripping, wood work, roofing, refinishing, upholstery, metal work, and more) and everyone can be a help.

If you’re interested in volunteering please reach out! To be placed in contact with Bill Buhrmaster, MCRM’s Restoration Manager, send call the museum office at 608-522-4261.

Session No.	Dates
1	February 24-25-26-27
2	March 9-10-11
3	March 24-25-26
Extra	NEWLY ADDED DATES!!! April 4-5-6
4	~~April 14-15-16~~ REVISED DATES!!! April 21-22-23
5	April 28-29-30
6	~~May 10-11-12~~ REVISED DATES!!! May 5-6-7 May 6th is the museum-wide SPRING FLING volunteering day
7	May 26-27-28 Volunteer Open House May 27th
Extra	NEWLY ADDED DATE!!! June 6th
8	~~June 10-11-12~~ REVISED DATES!!! June 9th and 10th
Extra	NEWLY ADDED DATE!!! June 17th
9	June 21-22-23-24-25
10	July 7-8-9
11	July 22-23-24
12	August 4-5-6
13	August 25-26-27
14	September 8-9-10
15	Sept 29-30, Oct 1-2 Vintage Rail Car Tours Sept 30-Oct 1
16	October 13-14-15
17	October 27-28-29
18	November 17-18-19
19	December 1-2-3

Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic DULUTH Sleeping Car Restoration 2022 Progress Report

Posted on February 11, 2023 by Jeffrey LentzFebruary 11, 2023

Introduction

Good progress continued to be made on the DULUTH project in 2022 thanks to a crew of volunteers, hired help, contractors (for stripping, stained glass, brass polishing and woodworking) and many donors. A total of $29,650 in donations was received this past year, with the largest amount coming from the Emery Rail Heritage Trust grant ($15,000).

Stripping off the old varnish and paint finishes on the interior woodwork and vestibules was completed this year, while demolition and removal work continued. In addition to the work on the car, a big push was made this year to purchase and line up materials and restoring parts needed for completing the car. We are now starting to see new parts and pieces going back onto the car.

The main emphasis inside the car continues to be working on restoring the 10-section sleeping compartment that is the middle of the car. In this portion of the car new wiring has begun to be installed for both the berth lights as well as the annunciator system. In addition, new headlining panels were made and several of them were installed in the sleeping compartment.

On the exterior of the car much of the old siding has been removed and we have installed a small section of new siding. In addition, removal of the old roofing is complete while the clerestory side framing removal continues. The upper and lower roof boards are in very good condition, only needing a few localized repairs.

Work on the DULUTH will resume in 2023 with a concentration in the sleeping compartment.

Photos and additional information on the progress made during 2022 on the DULUTH Project follows.

View of the sleeping compartment showing the results from stripping down the woodwork.

Planning

Updated 3-year restoration plan
Updated the list of the sleeping compartment work tasks and sequence of activities
Obtained proposals for reproducing additional wood parts for the car
Developing and submitting grant requests for 2023

Design Work

Measured and designed the (4) vestibule doors and end windows
Acquired samples of the curved upper drip rails (the end drops)
Measured and finalized the design for the (3) missing interior doors
Designed the upper and lower roof drip edge moldings

View of the vestibule end window opening that was uncovered so new window frames can be built and reinstalled.

One of many drawings made during the year. This drawing was developed for reproducing the upper roof drip rail.

Disassembly Work

Removed the balance of the old roofing material from the roof
Removed the clerestory wall coverings and roofing on the east side
Removed the original lower car siding of the entire car
Removed arched window trim (exterior) and battens
Removed the intermediate window stops
Exposed the framing in the NE end vestibule window opening to expose the original window frame
Removed the (4) vestibule doors from the car
Removed the hardware off of the (4) vestibule doors
Removed the seat cushions from the sleeping compartment and put them into storage

Volunteers removed the old roofing material off of the roof deck and collected samples of the roof drips rails.

Volunteers removed the original car siding off the car. Exposed is the car framing which is in very good condition.

Volunteers in the process of removing the arched window trim, battens and the intermediate window stops.

Two of the vestibule doors that were removed for a pattern.

Vestibule door hardware that will be restored.

Stripping

Stripped the old finish off of the end vestibules (interior), Women’s room and north aisle. This completes stripping of all of the old finish off of the entire interior of the car.
Stripped the paint off of the entire letter board
Stripped the paint off of the arched window frames
Stripped the old finish off of the headliner trim pieces
Removed straps and hinges from upper berth racks
Stripped the old finish off of the upper berth racks
Removed all of the inner window frames (25) and sent them out for stripping
Sent out the berth headboards for stripping
Sanded the lower sides of the car (exterior) to remove the old glue off of the wood framing

A view of the aisle, on the north end of the car. This area was stripped of its old finish in 2022.

The transom panel above the north door. This area was stripped of its old finish in 2022.

The removable berth headboards staged for delivery to the firm that will strip and refinish them.

Restoration Work

Installation and Painting

Repaired (7) of the lower roof carlines
Cut, fit and glued new car siding on the west side of the car (north end). The section of siding consisted of approximately four feet of the car side.
Installed a new vestibule ceiling panel in the SE corner of the car
Cleaned, primer and painted the iron work (truss rods, queen posts, etc.) under the car

A new ceiling panel installed in the vestibule.

Materials

Ordered replacement specialty wood parts for (window trim, veneer panel, etc.)
Test fit the berth divider trim piece in the sleeping compartment
Received specialty wood parts made including the clearstory window frames, trim, battens, veneer panels, berth divider trim pieces, etc.
Sent out a vestibule door and other wood samples to woodworking shop for replicating the new parts (2023 delivery).
Purchased poplar material for the upper and lower drip rails
Milled the new upper (inner) and lower drip rail stock

One of the volunteers test fitting the berth partition trim piece.

Sample parts from the DULUTH (to the left) and new custom made wood parts made for the DULUTH. Parts include clerestory windows, berth partition trim pieces, window battens and window post trim.

Custom-made interior trim pieces complete with marquetry to match the original design.

A complete set of custom made clerestory windows made for the DULUTH. Once complete these frames will be fitted with stained glass.

New lower roof drip rail (L) based on a sample piece (R) acquired from the car. Volunteers milled the trip rail set at the Fox Valley Technical College.

Parts and Hardware

Cleaned and polished brass hardware for the sleeping compartment of the car. Presently 99% of the berth and sleeping compartment hardware has been obtained, reconditioned and restored.
Restored (4) toilet room roof vents for the DULUTH
Fabricated a new stack cover for the Baker heater
Restored and polished the (20) berth dampers
Stained and varnished the wood plunger blocks for the berths
Fabricated (6) new steel berth cushion support straps
Made replica berth curtain rod end supports (12) and curtain rods (6)
Restored the berth ladder for the car
Cleaned and polished coach lamps and associated parts (in process)
Acquired one of the overhead entryway oil lamps for the car
Stripped the paint off of the vestibule door hardware
Stripped the brass window catches (100) needed for the car
Sent out the wooden berth racks (10) and the (8) headboards for finishing (in process)

A sampling of the brass window and interior hardware that was cleaned and polished during the year.

The brass headboard hinges that were cleaned and polished.

An original toilet room roof vent that was restored.

Cleaned and polished brass parts for oil coach lamps.

Wood blocks restored for the upper berth dampers.

Wiring

For safety and reliability purposes the entire car is being rewired. This includes the wiring for all of the interior car lighting as well as the low voltage annunciator system.
Removed wall trim around the berth lights to access the wiring
Removed all of the existing wiring in the sleeping compartment
Installed new wiring for the sleeping compartment berth lamps (Qty. 20). (In process)
Installed new wiring for the sleeping compartment annunciator buttons (in process)

Volunteer installing the new wiring for the sleeping compartment annunciator buttons.

Sleeping compartment annunciator buttons.

Stained Glass

New stained glass material (sheets) from Kokomo Glass were received for the lower arched and oval windows
Took receipt of the new stained glass that was cut to size for the lower arched windows
Temporarily fit two new pieces of stained glass in the arched window frames
Provided the stained glass shop with oval window frames so the new stained glass can be made to fit into the oval windows (2023 delivery)

A view of the new stained glass installed in the sleeping compartment of the DULUTH.

Headliners

Cut the plywood to size for the headliners
Cut the canvas to size and glued the canvas to the sleeping compartment headliners
Painted the only remaining (original) headliner (#10) in the sleeping compartment
Painted the new headliner panels (#1-9). (in process)
Installed the headliner panels in the car. (in process 4 of 9 installed)

The new headlining panel being installed in the car.

One of the completed headlining panels installed in the sleeping compartment.

Fundraising

$29,650.65 in donations were received in 2022. The largest donation came from the Emery Rail Heritage Trust grant ($15,000).
The “Giving Tuesday Fundraising Challenge” was met by successfully matching the $1200 challenge, in turn raising a total of $2400 for the DULUTH project.

Expenses

Contract work	$25,937.62
Labor	$6,945.83
Supplies	$2,456.00
Freight	$187.34
Total Expenses for 2022	$35, 526.79

Volunteers

In 2022 over (20) MCRM volunteers logged (555) man hours of time on the DULUTH project.

Publicity and Events

A film crew from TRAINS magazine was on hand in the Duluth to perform a Trains LIVE video production. The crew filmed inside and outside the car while commentator Bob Lettenberger discussed the history of the car and the restoration process.
The DULUTH was opened up for tours in MCRM’s Car Shop during MCRM’s annual Vintage Rail Car Tours.
The DULUTH project was featured in the September 26^th edition of the Baraboo Newspaper.

The Trains Magazine crew video taping inside the DULUTH.

William Buhrmaster

MCRM Restoration Department

December 22, 2022

Mid-Continent Railway Museum

North Freedom, Wis.

Category Archives: Car Shop