TMER&L 972 Streetcar

Lettering

It just keeps getting better and better!  Pete Galayda is finishing up some handpainted lettering on the north side of this car.

Layout Work

Here is some of the layout work in place to hand paint more of the lettering on this car.  As when in service in Milwaukee, decals were used for the herald and numbers, and other lettering was hand painted.

East End

Here is the bright and sparkling east end with the last coat of paint having been applied on November 10.  This substantially completes the painting on this car body, with the exception of some detailing and trim items.  Headlight and stop light housings, ad boxes, etc.

The following two images win the award for the WOW FACTOR this week!!  Most of you have been following this project and seen the endless hours of preparing and painting the car.

Herald

The correct style and arrangement of the herald was applied to the car by Buzz Morissette.

Numbers Too

Buzz also supplied and applied the numbers.  One can hardly believe the impact of these touches to a glistening, freshly painted car.

West End

Pete Galayda nd John Faulhaber continue to work on the painting project and the progress really shows.  Here is the newly painted west end of the car.

Painting work is continuing and I am sure in the back of their mind, they are worried that cold weather cannot be far away.  For a change of pace, I have some pics of the interior - a lot of work has been completed in there.  The purpose of these shots is to help determine the state of the upholstery on the various seats.  While it looks OK a lot of it can best be described as FRAGILE.

Walkover

There are 20 walkover seats with the distinctive back sections.

Motorman

There are two 'sport model' motorman seats.

Bench

There are two styles of the nicknamed 'nickle seats' which once cost only a nickle since they were not 'full service' walkover style.  Both a short version and the pictured long version.

Drop Down

Another unusual entry in the Seating Derby.  972 had two drop down benches for seating at each end.  For a crowded car, those at the rear could be pulled down across the unused doorways.

North Side

Pete Galayda and helpers have painted the north side of the car now, and are starting to mount the hardware and window guards.  On to the two ends!!

Painting

Pete Galayda is painting the first coat of orange on the north side of the car now.  What a difference this makes!

East End

John Faulhaber is starting the prep work on the east end of the 972.  You can note previous volunteer work on this end, some it from years ago.

West End

John Faulhaber is applying the first coat of finished orange to the west end.

West End

The letterboard area looks good in orange.  Note the very nice work done previously on the interior, seen through the end windows.

Window Guards

Pete Galayda continues his work to re-paint the 972.  Here he is installing the window guards on the nearly completed south side.  He attracts a lot of help from other volunteers, finished paint is going on the north side, and work has started on the west end.  LOOKS GOOD!

Do You do Windows?

Time for an update on progress on this popular car.  Here Pete Galayda continues the painting of the south side.  It is almost complete, west doors restored and re-hung.  About time to think about re-applying the lettering, and move on to one of the ends of the car.  As an anecdote, yesterday we had a weekday visitor wander into the area after he saw West Allis in one of the sign boxes.  Turns out he lives in West Allis and was very excited and amazed at the car.  He was still there and taking pics almost an hour later when I passed through!

Side Gets Finish Paint

Pete Galayda is applying the second coat of orange to the south side of this car.  A BIG improvement and visible progress!

North Side

Meanwhile on the north side, Gerry Dettloff works on the treadle door wells while John Faulhaber starts applying orange to the letterboard.

North Side

A lot of work done since the last update despite the cold weather over the winter.  John Faulhaber has moved to the north side, and is laboriously hand sanding the hundreds (thousands?) of rivets and surrounding surface.

Step Areas

The 972 has several "treadle" controlled doors and you can see the silver floor plate behind John Faulhaber in this picture.  A passenger stepping here while the car is stopped, will feel that plate hinge lower and a moment later the door opens.  These are real maintenance HEADACHES.  Outside, in this pic, John is needlechipping the old paint and corrosion away.

Cream Color Band

Pete Galayda soldiers on painting the cream color band along the middle of the car.  Losts of surfaces, window posts, corners and crevices here.  This is the second finish coat.

Sanding the first color coat away

Pete Galayda has been convalescing following shoulder surgery, but today marked his return to the job.  Here he is finish sanding the first color coat on the TM 972, and if the weather holds, maybe get more paint on this season.

Middle Paint Band

Pete Galayda will have the first color coat of ivory on the entire south side window band by the end of the day.

Carefully Matched Ivory Color

Pete Galayda has begun painting the cream color for the window band on the side of the TM 972.

Sanding the ends

James Faulhaber is getting the surfaces sanded and ready for paint on the car end in this photo.