Cleveland Transit System 4223

Sometimes you work for weeks and wonder what progress you have to show for it.  Sometimes all that prep work comes together quickly and shows gratifying results.  Such is the way of restoration work.

First Rear Marker

The crew got busy early with Rod Turner on the ladder and Eric Lorenz working from the ground.  New threaded inserts had to be installed to allow the marker lights to be installed - we hoped.

Right Marker

Eric was up on a ladder most of the day, here wrestling the right rear marker into place.

New Step

Meanwhile Alex Randow was working to mount several other items.  This one is a fold up step to access the roof, here mounted on the side behind the exit doors.  There are only three of these to scale the height, and not much to balance upon if you were the unlucky guy that had to climb up there.

On the Roof

This is another of the items installed by Alex.  Once up all the steps you were considered lucky to grab this rung and haul yourself upright.  Woe be to you if it was rainy or snowy.

Rear End

Now to see what the opening paragraph was all about.  Here is the rear end of the car with most of all the accessories and parts installed.  Rear windows, retriever bracket and retriever, two rear marker lights, two rear stop lights, and the three rear bumpers.  It looks like a complete car!!

Installation

The weather has turned much colder so work in the Barn means hats and coats.  But a lot of the parts are going back on the car!  Alex Randow seems to be enjoying a private joke, smiling broadly, as he runs a tap into the threaded holes in the side band mounting pads.  This serves to clean them out - removing any paint accumulated inside these.

Strike Up the Band

Alex, Eric Lorenz, and Lorne Tweed worked to mount each band.  These are low on the car sides, and served as rub bands while negotiating the street traffic in Cleveland.  There are a lot of machine screws to drive to complete the installation.

Left Side

All bands are mounted on the left side.  The final finish coat of paint will be applied after they are in place and when the weather warms up, or we can move the car to a warmer shop.  More parts, including the retriever ring and retriever now appear on the car.

Windows

Yes the inevitable "W" word.  Lorne Tweed was cleaning and prepping more of the sash for the side windows.  Will it never end?

Retriever

John Faulhaber works to get the right fit between the painted retriever and retriever mounting ring for this car, while Pete Galayda and Jim Followell 'supervise'.  Before mounting on the rear of the car, we thought to check the fit and had to sand away some of the new paint buildup.

Lorne Tweed has returned from his travels and he and Simon Harrison continued their work on the car, cleaning and refinishing side window sash, and working to get some of the newly painted parts and trim back on the car.  More parts were delivered by the paint contractor, only two pieces remaining to be delivered.

There was a large crew on hand, following the holiday hiatus, and we passed another milestone in the restoration tasks for the Cleveland PCC.

Parts

A large number of parts had been sent out to a contractor for painting.  These represent a lot of the trim and detail parts removed for repairing the body and getting that painted.  Now they are back, in record time.  SOME of them are seen staged in the shop in the above view.  More are expected later this week.

Front Bumper

In short order, Eric Lorenz and Alex Randow turned to the task of starting to install them.  Tricky business, and you almost had to be a circus contortionist, but the front bumper was installed.  Actually there are three such pieces.

Rear Bumper

Before I knew it the rear bumper parts were appearing on the car.  Eric and Alex watch as Nancy Ring tests the location of the rear retriever mounting ring.

Side Windows

Several volunteers spent some time during the day continuing to clean up and restore the myriad of side window sash.  Julio Mojica joined the crew scrubbing off years of corrosion and dirt, and Alex and Nancy put in some time there also.

Lower Side Sash

As each sash resumes wearing its clean bright finish, we are applying a protective clear coat.  Nancy tried her hand at that, and perhaps six were so coated by the end of the day.

The remarkable changes to the appearance of the car are giving the project team a big boost, and those following the progress admire the transformations.

Wiring

Here is a short report on recent activity for this project.  Eric Lorenz is wrestling some new wiring into submission.  Could this become a new Olympic event?  It is premature to consider any of this in use in the near future, but as panels are re-installed, this wiring will become inaccessible, so Eric is making up and installing several harnesses.

Clearly

Simon Harrison continues to work to rehabilitate some of the many sash needed for the side windows.  The aluminum frames are quite dirty and discolored, but with some elbow grease can be made quite presentable.  So we are experimenting with applying two coats of a clear finish to prevent further oxidation.

Cleaning Them Up

The window restoration production line was in full swing today, again.  Gwyn Stupar, Fred Zimmerman, and Rich Witt made a lot of progress today.  Come on out some Saturday - you can help.

Rear Interior

Lorne Tweed had the paintbrush out getting everything ready in the rear of the car interior, to soon hang the first piece of the headlining.

WIRE

Eric Lorenz began the task of running new wiring in the car ceiling!  This is another milestone event, the first new wiring in the carbody.  The wire will serve the rear marker lights, the rear stop lights, the backup controller, two ceiling lights, and the roof mounted exhaust fan.  So the plan is to run this now, before new headlining makes access here impossible.  This is becoming a respectable cable run.

Splitting It Up

At the rear of the car the bundle is separated to go to each of its end points.  I am sure glad Eric knows all this, as I would have a tough time trying to imagine it all.

Windows

With the first snowflakes falling outside the shop window, Rich Witt has come up with a time saving idea and he is trying it out on the first sash of the day.  IT WORKS!!  Behind him, John Nelligan works to restore an electrical switch for the locomotive, Charles City Western 300.

Production Line

In short order, a production line was set up and many of the sash were successfully cleaned up for this car.  Nancy Ring, Simon Harrison, Lorne Tweed, and Rich Witt turn to the task.

In the Car

Out in the barn, several folks chipped in for the heavy lifting.  A lot of the stored parts inside were moved and organized, and new sheets of plywood installed on the floor for a safer work environment.  Here, Simon Harrison and Lorne Tweed work to be ready to lift and install the first clamshell (rear ceiling headlining) to the ceiling.