Category Archives: DSS&A Sleeper DULUTH

Follow the restoration of the DSS&A DULUTH sleeping car.

DULUTH Restoration 2020 Year-End Progress Report

Mid-Continent Railway Museum Posted on by

The DULUTH’s sleeping compartment showing work in progress as well as the veneer headlining panels that have been removed.

In 2020 worked progressed on several fronts on the DULUTH project but the overall progress was less than planned due to the pandemic. The primary focus continues to be working on restoring the 10-section sleeping compartment. The three month shut down at the museum impacted work on site and the off-site contract work on the berths. While the work onsite was negatively impacted progress on projects being worked on by volunteers at their homes proved to be productive. Following is a brief summary of the progress made on the DULUTH sleeping car during 2020. The list includes work performed on the car (at North Freedom), in contractor’s facilities and by MCRM volunteers at their homes.

Fundraising:

  • The “Buy-A-Berth” fundraising campaign that kicked off in 3Q 2019 met its goal in the 1Q of 2020 by raising $25,687.
  • The Giving Tuesday Fundraising Challenge held on December 2, 2020 raised a total of $2,240
  • A total of $10,044 was donated by (19) donors to the DULUTH project in 2020

Berths:

  • Completed the construction of (6) new upper berths
  • Completed the construction of (4) new lower berth seat ends
  • Stripped the old finish off of (4) original upper berths and (2) lower berth seat ends
  • Removed existing sleeping compartment hardware (i.e.: hinges, pulleys, latches, curtains, etc.) from the car for reconditioning
  • Cast and polished replica brass claw feet (Qty. 8) for the seats ends

Sleeping Compartment:

  • Removed the deteriorated veneer headlining (lower roof) panels from inside the car
  • Removed all of the existing seat cushions (backs, bottoms and head rests) from the sleeping compartment of the car
  • Secured samples of missing woodwork and parts that need to be reproduced
  • Cut and fit the prototype berth partition overlay pieces

Exterior:

  • Removed all of the window sills from the car. The window sills were very deteriorated and in need of complete replacement
  • Removed the wood and vents that covered up the clerestory window openings
  • Began to remove the roof material (rolled asphalt and tar) off of the car. The majority of the wood on the roof deck appears to be in very good condition
  • Removed three of the original oval window frames from the car. These window frames will be used as samples for making a new set (qty. 9) of oval window frames and stained glass inserts

Air Brakes:

  • Finalized the air brake system design
  • Installed the air cylinder in the appropriate location under the car
  • Completed the installation of all of the air piping to the air cylinder
  • Develop prototype levers for the air cylinders

Hardware:

  • Completed the restoration of the nine oil lamp roof vents
  • Acquired and restored a Barney & Smith corner sink that will be used in the Men’s Smoking Room
  • Acquired an Adams & Westlake two-burner oil lamp for the car
  • Acquired berth hardware from an ex-Milwaukee Road sleeping car in Alberta
  • Sourced a door for the stateroom toilet room
  • Cleaned and restored over 300 pieces of berth and sleeping compartment hardware

Men’s Smoking Room:

  • Started to develop the drawings for the missing Men’s Smoking Room walls and partitions
  • Developed the design and size for the missing mirrors (qty.2) to be reproduced

Planning:

  • Developed a detailed list of the sleeping compartment work tasks and sequence of activities
  • Obtained a proposal for reproducing missing wood parts in the sleeping compartment
  • Updated the three year restoration plan
  • Developing a grant request to submit in 1Q 2021

Expenses:

  • Total expenses paid for materials, labor, and contract since Jan. 1, 2020 is $5,448.51

 

Report prepared by William Buhrmaster, MCRM Restoration Department. Dec. 4, 2020.

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DULUTH Update: Spring 2020

Mid-Continent Railway Museum Posted on by

by William Buhrmaster, MCRM Restoration Dept. Manager

Although we’re not currently able to work on the DULUTH as planned due to the Coronavirus shutdown there still is some progress and news to report on.

Work inside the DULUTH took place during work sessions in February and March. Stu M. lead a crew of volunteers removing the deteriorated headlining panels in the sleeping section of the car. The panels have all been removed and the roof boards and carlines have now been exposed. From inside the car the lower roof boards and carlines look to be in very good condition with the exception of a few carlines and boards on the east side of the car.

I recently received an email from Bob Berghorst reporting that he has the mahogany veneer applied to the seat ends and he has received the first of the newly cast brass claw feet.  Bob is getting eight claw feet cast for the four seat ends that he is making. There are eight claw feet in the car and four claw feet were acquired from the Sault Ste. Marie last year when we acquired two of the seat ends from the SSM.

One of four original claw feet from the Sault Ste. Marie car, before and after cleaning and polishing for use in the DULUTH.

With a tip from Pete B., I recently purchased a Barney & Smith corner sink off of eBay. The sink came at a very reasonable price and the buyer generously donated the shipping cost from California. The sink is close to what we need in the smoking room with the exception that it does have a provision for a drinking water tank. We can use the sink in the DULUTH unless a better or more appropriate sink surfaces down the road. Photos of the sink are attached.

Barney & Smith sink purchased on eBay for use in the DULUTH’s smoking room.

I have also completed the restoration of the nine coach lamp roof vents that were donated to MCRM last summer thanks to Bob K.’s sister and brother in-law’s efforts in North Dakota last summer. With seven lamps in the car and two vents per lamp we are still in search of five more vents.

before view of roof vent with rust and peeling paint and after view of vent painted black

Before and after view of a coach lamp roof vent. The vent was salvaged from a car in North Dakota and restored for use on the DULUTH.

That’s the latest.

DULUTH Sleeping Car “Buy a Berth” Fund Drive Reaches Goal

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Mid-Continent’s efforts to fully restore one of the nation’s oldest and most intact railroad sleeping cars just got one step closer to reality. In late January 2020, Mid-Continent Railway Museum achieved the goal set forth four months earlier when the “Buy a Berth” fund drive was announced. The goal was to raise $32,000 to cover the cost of replicating the car’s berths as part of the car’s restoration back to its original appearance and making it mechanically operational. Mid-Continent is extremely pleased and thankful for the generous support that donors have provided for this fund drive.

When the sleeping car, named DULUTH, is complete it will be a rare time capsule demonstrating what long-distance overnight rail travel was like over a century ago. The car is what is known as a 10-section sleeper. In addition to a private stateroom, a smoking room, and washrooms, the car’s main feature was a central room with 10 compartments. The compartments contained seats by day and were converted to beds at night. Each compartment had an upper and lower berth where passengers would sleep as their train traveled the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway between Duluth, Minnesota, through northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Two sets of the original berths survived, but the eight other sets of berths were removed over 80 years ago when the car was retired from railroad service and moved to the shores of Lake Superior where it was used as a family’s summer cottage.

people listening to tour guide

A tour group views the DULUTH in Sept. 2019. New berth partitions between sleeping compartment sections were fitted in 2019 in preparation for the reproduction of the car’s missing berths. MCRM photo.

In 2015 the car was donated by its owners and moved to North Freedom, Wisconsin. The small town of just 701 people is home to Mid-Continent Railway Museum which boasts a nationally-renowned wooden railcar collection and restoration program. Railroads used railcars primarily built out of wood until the early 1900s when manufacturers transitioned to primarily steel construction. Mid-Continent is home to one of the largest collection of wooden railroad passenger cars in the country.

The original berths featured expertly crafted woodwork including curved shapes and marquetry patterns set within the mahogany veneer. To replace the intricate woodwork and patterns, Mid-Continent Railway Museum turned to help from a master woodworker and a marquetry expert. The craftsmen began working on the project soon after donations from the fund drive began coming in. As the fund drive wraps up, work on the berths is already well underway. The upper berths are completed but awaiting finishing (stain and varnish). The lower seat ends are still in the process of being fabricated. The following photos by William Buhrmaster taken on January 28, 2020, illustrate the current status of the berths and lower berth seat ends.

man next to patterned berth

Bob Berghorst shows the fine marquetry on one of the completed upper berths for the DULUTH during a visit to his shop on January 28, 2020.

Thank you to everyone who bought a berth!

The DULUTH has already seen a great deal of progress since it arrived at Mid-Continent Railway Museum. The wheels and trucks – the assembly that holds the wheels – were removed from the car along with the berths when it became a cottage. Replacements wheels and trucks from a similar car were procured and installed upon the DULUTH’s arrival at the museum. Similarly, replacement draft gear – the parts that allow connecting railcars together – and the air brake equipment have also been salvaged from other cars and installed on the DULUTH.

Many hours of work still lay ahead for the Mid-Continent volunteers leading the restoration effort. The men’s washroom and smoking room were removed to make way for a kitchen when the car was used as a cottage and still requires restoration, along with things like light fixtures, upholstery, flooring, and many other details.

Mid-Continent Railway Museum is seeking donations to help with the restoration of these other areas of the DULUTH. To make a donation or see the current overall DULUTH fundraising status, check out our earlier post titled DULUTH Fundraising Status.

Members of the Soo Line Historical & Technical Society tour through the Mid-Continent Car Shop, including through the DSS&A DULUTH sleeping car (at left) on Sept. 13, 2019. MCRM photo.

 

 

DULUTH Sleeping Car Update and “BUY A BERTH” Fund Drive

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DULUTH Restoration – November 2019 Update

Mid-Continent Railway Museum has been working on restoring the oldest and most complete wooden sleeping car in the country to its original beauty and operating condition. Thanks to many supporters and generous donations the car was acquired and moved to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in September 2016.  Upon arrival, the car was placed on a pair of 6-wheel trucks and within 12 months Mid-Continent volunteers had installed couplers and draft gear. This summer the air brake system including the air brake cylinder, reservoir and all of the air piping was completed. Inside the car, the missing berth partitions and lower berth seatbacks have been replicated and installed.

The next step in the program is to replicate the missing upper and lower berths that will be installed between each of the berth partitions. New berths are required as the past owners removed 8 of the 10 berths from the car over 80 years ago. The upper berths are challenging to reproduce due to their curved shape and the fine marquetry patterns set into mahogany veneer. Fortunately, we have located a master woodworker and marquetry expert in Michigan that have the needed skills and abilities to accurately reproduce the missing berths from the DULUTH.  In order to replicate the missing berths, we must raise $32,000 to get the DULUTH one step closer to being a restored masterpiece.

Introducing the “BUY A BERTH” Fund Drive [FUND DRIVE COMPLETED AS OF JAN. 29, 2020]

To fully restore the sleeping section of the DULUTH, your help is needed to raise $32,000 for replicating the upper and lower berth seat ends. With the “BUY A BERTH” Fund Drive donors can donate towards replicating the eight missing upper or lower berths. With a $1,500 donation (for a lower berth) or a $2,500 donation (for an upper berth) we will be able to get a berth replicated and you’ll have your name associated with one of the berths in the car. Donors that make a donation to the “BUY A BERTH” Fund Drive in the full amount of a berth ($1,500 or $2,500) will have their name placed on a plaque mounted inside the car. All donations less than $1,500 will be pooled together to go towards the cost of replicating a berth.

How You Can Help

UPDATE: The “Buy a Berth” Fund Drive was completed on Jan. 29, 2020. Donations are still needed for other areas of the DULUTH’s restoration. 

 

You can donate by mail by sending a check to:

Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society
PO Box 358
North Freedom, WI 53951

Please be sure to write “DULUTH Sleeper” in your check memo line, in the online donation form, or in the special projects box of our printable donation form.

All donations are tax-deductible. Any donations received in excess of the Buy A Berth Fund Drive goal amount will be used to assist with other areas of the DULUTH’s restoration.

DULUTH Update – May 21, 2019

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During a four-day work session held May 17-20, 2019 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. including the DULUTH.  A crew of five including Paul S., BG, Richard P., Bob R. and Bill B. installed the balance of the air piping for the car. This was a significant amount of work as it included not only the trainline (1in dia.) but it also included piping for the two conductor valves, 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 of 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.

Bill Buhrmaster
MCRM Restoration Department