The underframe and bottom side of the floor is painted black now, we will finish painting all the black on the end platforms this week, and then we will start doing all the body repairs on the exterior walls.....small dents, old rivets from placards to be removed and weld the holes, some rust pits here and there, grinder marks around the windows where we de plated them, etc. After the body is ready for paint we will paint all the handrails yellow, then mask them off along with all the black areas and then paint the body freight car red. We are planning on painting the roof and all four body side panels at the same time. Our target date is the middle of June.
Nothing new for today, we actually have been busy for the last week and a half on other items, but today marks the two year anniversary that 1291 was moved from Exeter.
Hi guys, Wow time flies it has been about 8 months since I updated this post. We have been working hit and miss on 1291, as time and weather have allowed. We have nearly completed installing all the interior furniture. The work always takes more time than we think it will, but we are not in a hurry and take time to do the best job we can, and a lot of the pieces had rust that had to be cut out and repaired with new metal. The A end with the bathroom is laid out just like it was when it was built. The B end has been changed up a bit. One side of the B end had a conductors desk and a long bench, we chose to eliminate those items in favor of two sets of seats that face each other, and we will be adding tables in between so they will be like restaurant booths, and both of the booths will have a window. The other wall on the B end will still have the stove and a small bench/toolbox. We still have a few items to complete in the interior, all 3 doors are going up next, after its finished we plan to paint around the window and door jambs inside and outside, then install the windows. After the windows go in we just need to paint the entire thing and letter it and we should be good to move it to live rail and then roll caboose 1288 in the building and start all over again !
Well, I had some nice photos to upload, but when I try to load them it tells me the images are too big. will look into it. (klrwhizkid: Done!)
Greetings everyone, it has been a few months since my last update. Most of the first half of 2017 flew by and not a lot happened to 1291, but on June 1, I got back on the project and we have been working on the body preparing it for paint. The pics above show the first coat of primer, but all month we have been doing all the remaining body work such as filling in minor pits, and repairing small dents, smoothing out welds,and hanging the doors and latches, and we have the interior all finished and it is final coat of smooth primer and ready for paint. We currently working on the exterior, doing all the final finishing body work and we expect to have 1291 in its final finished primer stage and ready for paint by August (we work slow, but we do a very detailed job and it takes a long time) we plan to paint her in late September or early October when it is not so darn hot. After paint we can install the windows and seat cushions, and wire the caboose for a small generator. All the infrastructure for the wiring is in place, we just have to run the wires and mount the fixtures back into place. The plan is to have this caboose at the Oklahoma Railway Museum in OKC by summer of 2018, and I think we can make that goal. Some of the guys at OKC have seen the caboose and they are excited to host her for a while. 1291 has come a long way, and we are getting close, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.
Paul, you say the OKC guys are excited to host her for a while. Where do you plan to show her eventually? I echo Keith's kudos. You are doing a great job. Terry
Terry, First I want to send her to OKC to the Railway museum, going to haul her on a truck. Once there the brake system will be checked out and any problems will be corrected, and she will be rail worthy and be operated on the OKC museum track. After that I want to try to send her to the A&M for a season, so we can go ride her on original Frisco rails at 35 or 40 mph. After that.......I don't have any long term plans ! I would be willing to send her anywhere she is wanted and appreciated.
Hi John, whats next is Frisco caboose 1288, identical body to 1291, but the difference is in the paint. 1291 will be as built Freight car red with the ship it logos, and 1288 will be orange and white. It will be a fun day when 1288 and 1291 are coupled together on an excursion train somewhere, and it will happen ! What I really would like to get my hands on is Frisco caboose 1257 at Frisco City Alabama. I have looked at almost all of the surviving 1200-74 cabooses and 1257 is the straightest of all and has the least amount of rust. After 1291 is finished I am going to make a serious run at 1257. The 1200 class cabooses are the only pieces of rolling stock I get excited about, and locomotives are just too heavy to move. I love the cabooses because they connect me to my youth. I never grew up in the passenger train era so I do not have a lot of interest in passenger equipment. Below is a pic of 1257 at Frisco City Alabama. Paint is ugly and what appears to be rust is actually moss growing on the body, I really want to restore this caboose !
Paul, Good luck on getting 1257!!! You do such a great job rebuilding the cabooses. Would it be possible for my wife and I come over to see the cabooses tomorrow? What would be a good time to come over? Joe
My wife and I went to see Paul's cabooses this afternoon. Paul has done a great job with them and the end is getting close on 1291. Can't wait to see it complete. 1288 is about the same place as 1291 was the last time I saw her, lots of work to be done. Paul has a lot of energy and does excellent work. Thank you Paul for giving me a tour of the cabooses!!! Joe