DSS&A Sleeper DULUTH Archives - Mid-Continent Railway Museum

Car Shop May 21, 2019 Update

Posted on May 21, 2019 by Jeffrey LentzJuly 12, 2019

During the past 4-day work session (May 17th -20th) a total of 14 volunteers were on hand for one or more of the days to assist with several active projects in the Restoration Department. The crew of volunteers worked hard and put in some long days allowing us to make significant progress. Following are the highlights from the session:

Goodman Shay #9: Jack cut and fit the oak pieces for the base and back of the replacement pilot.

East Jordan & Southern #2: Pete worked on installing the sill fascia and window sill on the west side of the car. Ross assisted by sanding and priming newly installed trim while new volunteer Pat M. worked on removing paint from interior woodwork.

DSS&A Box car: Harry scraped and sanded the west side of the box car. He also started to remove boards on the east side that need to be replaced. As needed boards were treated with liquid epoxy to prevent deterioration. Additional spot priming was done on the east side and a small portion of the car received the first coat of the finish color.

Car Shop Work Platform: Owen and Bill F. constructed two rolling work platforms for use in the Car Shop. These platforms will enable us to be safer and more efficient when working on the sides of cars that are being sanded, painted or lettered. By the end of Monday the two platforms are serviceable but awaiting the access steps.

DSS&A #213: Jerry and Glenn continued to work on finalizing the design and sketches for making the john (toilet room)

Journal Repacks- Ross and Pat M. drained water and added fresh journal oil to (8) pieces of equipment. Two museum owned cars remain to be repacked.

DULUTH- A crew of (5) including Paul, BG, Richard, Bob and I installed the balance of the air piping for the DULUTH. This was a significant amount of work as it included not only the trainline (1in dia.) but it also included piping for the conductor valves (2), the retainer and the signal line. Combined the air system includes some 250 feet of pipe with numerous fittings and over a dozen custom pipe bends. A total (150) man-hours were spent on fabricating and installing the piping under the car. By 5 p.m. on Sunday the system was tested with shop air. The test quickly revealed that there was a leak inside the car where the conductor valve had been removed when the car was a cabin. Once the open end was capped off the system was pressurized and there were no leaks to be found. This was a very significant accomplishment and a big step forward.

I really appreciate all of the help that we had this past session. It was a lot of work but very rewarding.

Looking ahead we have upcoming work sessions on June 1, 2 and June 7, 8, and 9. Mark your calendar and plan on joining us as we continue working on the EJ&S #2, DSS&A box car, the Soo Line #203 and the Soo Line #99085.

Bill Buhrmaster
MCRM Restoration Department

DULUTH Fundraising Status

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Jeffrey LentzMay 13, 2019

A $75,000 fundraising effort is presently underway to allow major material acquisition and some labor cost for the DULUTH to allow its restoration to move forward. This post will be updated on occasion to show progress toward reaching that goal.

To help Mid-Continent restore the DULUTH to its former glory, please consider making a donation to the DSS&A Sleeper DULUTH Fund. Donating is tax-deductible and easy to do. You can make your donation via mail or donate online using the Donate button.

Be sure to write in “DSS&A Sleeper DULUTH Fund” on the printable donation form or check memo line if sending a donation by mail. Credit/debit card donations can also be accepted via phone at 608-522-4261 or 800-930-1385 by speaking to our staff during administrative office hours Monday-Saturday.

Fundraising total shown is as of May 1, 2019.

DULUTH Progress Update May 2019

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Jeffrey LentzMay 10, 2019

Fred B. has spent the past few months reproducing the six missing berth partitions and lower berth seat backs for the DSS&A DULUTH Sleeping car. The berth partitions are an integral component for the berths as they support the upper berths while also separating each berth in the car. The yellow pine pieces are all custom made per the original partitions in the car and they are recessed into the wall framing, the carlines, and the floor.

In late April Fred began installing the beth partitions in the car as seen in the photos below.

: Detail of berth partitions in DSS&A DULUTH sleeping car. April 2019.

: Berth partition installation progress in DSS&A DULUTH sleeping car. April 2019.

By the end of April, all six berth partitions were secured in place. The seat backs were also placed temporarily. The final installation of the seat backs will occur after additional work is completed inside the car including the reconstruction of the new berth seat ends.

Berth partitions and seatbacks installed in the DSS&A DULUTH sleeping car. April 29, 2019.

Next up… on the weekend of May 18-19 volunteers will once again be working on the air brake piping under the DULUTH. Plans call for completing the trainline, signal line and retainer piping during this work session.

DULUTH Project Gets Support from SLHTS

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Jeffrey LentzJuly 19, 2018

Mid-Continent Railway Museum is grateful for the continued support by the Soo Line Historical & Technical Society (SLHTS) to restore the museum’s DULUTH sleeping car. In mid-July 2018, Mid-Continent Railway Museum received a donation of $1,250 from SLHTS to assist with ongoing work on the car.

SLHTS has a history of supporting the acquisition and restoration of Soo Line heritage equipment at Mid-Continent Railway Museum. This new donation is in addition to $600 SLHTS donated for the DULUTH prior to the car’s arrival to aid in transporting the car from the shores of Lake Superior to its new home in North Freedom, Wis. In recent years, SLHTS has also supported projects such as Soo Line caboose #99085, the Soo Line steam locomotive #2645.

Mid-Continent Railway Museum is pleased to join SLHTS in sharing Soo Line’s rich history with present and future generations.

In 1988, Mid-Continent played host to the Soo Line Historical & Technical Society’s annual convention which included a special train ride featuring equipment of Soo Line heritage.

Tom E. Dailey Foundation Awards Grant for DULUTH

Posted on June 7, 2018 by Jeffrey LentzJuly 19, 2018

We are happy to share that on May 26th, Mid-Continent Railway Museum was awarded a $3000 grant from the Tom E. Dailey Foundation. We are very pleased to receive this grant as it will be combined with the recent Emery Rail Heritage Fund grant (see: DULUTH Project Earns $9000 Grant from ERHT) to help restore interior of the DULUTH sleeping car. The Tom E. Dailey Foundation has previously awarded Mid-Continent grants for our restoration projects, including helping to move the DULUTH to North Freedom in 2016. This grant is a great boost toward our $75,000 fundraising goal for the car’s restoration. The present fundraising balance stands at $27,351 [updated – 7/19/2018] with an overall goal of raising $75,000 to cover material acquisition and some paid labor – to compliment volunteer labor – over the next three years.

Thanks also goes to MCRM volunteer Peter B. for completing and submitting the grant application to the Dailey Foundation.