ATSF 1400 Wood Caboose

Here is a short report from Buzz Morisette who has been steadily working on this car.

ATSF 1400

Our roster shows this wood caboose as being built by American Car and Foundry in 1923.  It has several unique features and is well worth preservation. Note the rotating arm and signal disc which could be operated from the cupola.

New Flooring

New flooring was being installed in the interior during summer 2011.

Old Windows

The original or old windows are shown before removal in Spring 2012.  I say original with lack of conviction since historical photographs show a different style and arrangement of the sash.

Mortise and Tenon Detail

The new sash are constructed with exacting precision using traditional joinery featuring mortise and tenons.

New Windows Installed

And the new windows are being installed now, Spring 2012.

And the inevitable commercial message.  A lot of this work, all of it really, is being funded by donations to the restricted fund for this car, R1400.  And as a wood bodied car living outdoors, we greatly hope to raise funding to that same account which will allow us to subscribe to indoor storage space.  Can you help?

Buzz Morisette continues to work on this wood caboose, and has supplied several images and the 'back story' for recent work.

Roof Leak

Rotten Floorboards Removed

Repairs to Beams

New Subfloor

From Buzz:

Late last fall I completed repairs and a fresh coat of paint to the East door and windows. The trim was replaced and the door lock, weather strip, screen, sill, etc. was also fixed up. The sides have also been caulked and painted but will eventually need to be replaced. The big job this summer is to fix the floor. A one-inch bolthole for the roofwalk must have leaked for years. The finish floor had a two-foot hole but the sub floor was rotted out in a four-foot radius.

The 6 x 12 southern pine floor beams were mostly OK but the tops lost an inch here and there. Photos show repairs to the sub floor that included shims and appliqués to the floor beams.  I should have the finish floor back in soon. However, another foot or so of bad sub floor is under the stove. I’ll fix the hole and aisle before I move on to that.

End Repairs

Not ignoring the exterior, Buzz rebuilt the end door and cleaned and repainted the end.

North Side

And the north side has been caulked, primed, and re-painted.  This will buy us time and looks really good.  But it is a wood car 'living' outdoors.  We are lucky to have a skilled volunteer giving his time and effort so generously.  Can we respond and donate funds to the R1400 fund to help get this indoors?  Please help.

Summer Screens

Buzz Morissette started working on two of the window screens for this car - that is what I call planning ahead, or wishful thinking.

Platform Hardware

Victor Humphreys pitches in on the caboose project managed by Buzz Morissette.  There were about 15 pieces of railings and assorted hardware that had been primed and were now getting the finish coat.

Prime Painting

Buzz Morissette is back at work in the shop restoring metal parts to be reinstalled on one of the platforms.  He has been involved in several other 'museum' projects, including completing foundry patterns for casting new brake shoes for the CSL 3142.

Buzz still knows how to use hand tools

Here Buzz Morissette is planing some new trim stock he manufactured today in the wood shop.

John seems to LIKE needlechipping

Please welcome new volunteer, John Baletto, who has spent several days recently 'having fun' with the crew at IRM. Here John is running a needle chipper helping to remove paint and bring new life to the caboose railings from this car.

Newly Restored End Platform

As of the end of May 2008, we can see what looks like a factory fresh new end.  Well, it is.  New end sills, new platform framing and decking, Restored and reinstalled railings, stepwells, etc.  The door is original and was restored and refinished in the Woodshop over the winter.  What existed previously had rotted away to the point that even using them as patterns was questionable. Nice work, Buzz!