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PHOTOS; T Time |
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Posted by kp5308 on Tue Feb 1 20:17:24 2022 Saturday started with a check for roof leaks on the Reading Company Business Car #15 at Hamburg PA. This will likely be the last winter that the car sits outside: Next stop is Port Clinton to shoot the brand new paint job on Reading and Norther's observation/lounge King Coal. The windows had significant seal failures throughout the car so now that the window repairs are completed all the interior wood below the belt rail is getting replaced. According to Classic Trains the car is former San Lius &Rio Grande #3305 Mardi Gras, a streamlined observation-lounge rebuilt in 1947 from Illinois Central 1916 heavyweight 88-seat coach 2188. Built in 1916 by Pullman in Lot #4406 to Floorplan #6-B-90 as Illinois Central Railroad (IC) 88 seat coach #2175, 1 of 39 such cars (#2168-#2206) built in that Lot. In 1947, 2 of these cars (#2188 and #2175) were rebuilt at IC's Burnham Shops to 48 seat club lounge round end observations #3305 MARDI GRAS and #3306 AUDUBON PARK respectively for the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. In 1971, the #3305 was sold to Louis Saia (of Saia Trucking), and later went to the New Orleans Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society (NRHS), resold in 1977 to the Roanoke Chapter, and acquired in 2010 by Iowa Pacific. Reading and Northern bought the car at the Iowa Pacific auction last year. The paint and graphics were finished last week:   The original diaphragm has been retained with new canvas applied:  I haven't visited the steam shop since the T1 was steamed for the first time since the early 90s back on January 10th 2021 so I think I'm due. This will probably be the last visit I make before the initial road tests begin. Outside in the snow the completed tender sits ready for final paint and lettering:  The '02's "Reading look" is coming together nicely. The empty bay on the other side of #425 (on the left with the smokebox exposed) will be the stall for the 4-8-4 after the restoration is finished:  I didn't see the air pump shields but the front running board stairs are painted and ready for installation. Note the slight difference between the 2:  Surprisingly the trailing truck booster has been tested on air and according to Shane runs well. I REALLY look forward to seeing that used. The cab has very little original sheet metal:  Check out the mahogany interior:  Backhead is in the process of getting the insulation applied. Note the double drawbar:  Cross compound air pumps are fully installed and tested:  I'm hoping to get enough advanced notice so I can take the day off to shoot the first break in run:  A big thank you to Shane & Shawn for letting me in to photograph the progress. Man, it was friggin' COLD out there! An additional ex-Southern excursion car not on the RBMN purchase list from the Iowa Pacific auction showed up last week and here is the lowdown: Pullman 1925-originally built as 56 walkover seat segregated coach #1611 with a clerestory roof. The heavyweight was rebuilt in 1955 at Southern's Hayne Shop with air conditioning, sealed windows, 46 standard coach seats, expanded washroom lounges, plus a porter’s baggage area and renumbered 1204. The roof was modified to a "stepped" arched roof that contains the AC ductwork. Donated to Roanoke Chapter NRHS in 1969 and used on Southern excursions. The segregated partition was removed, single hung aluminum sash windows and increased seating for 58 was added in 1972 when the AC became an issue. Leased to Chessie System, renumbered 9 and repainted for the 1978 Chessie Steam Special. Sold to Waccamaw Coast Line/Carolina Southern in 1982, renumbered 1885 and named "LL Crawford". Roller bearings were added in Conway SC in 2012 when sold to Iowa Pacific and at some point renumbered back to 1204. Briefly used by the Lancaster and Chester then stored in Lancaster SC. Purchased by the Reading and Northern, renumbered 454 and shipped to RBMN in early 2022. It appears the only upgrade to the car is the roller bearings:  |
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