Baltimore & Ohio 374065 Wagon Top Boxcar

Work on this restoration project has continued all summer, with rusted out areas of the car sides cut out and removed.  New metal was cut and fit into place waiting for welding.

Welding

All the pieces fell into place, as it were, and the boxcar was moved inside Barn 4.  A welder systematically wrestled with the new steel and matched it up very well, to the existing sides.  This was necessary since the steel sides, and patches for that matter, are somewhat flexible.

New Steel in Place

By the end of the day four areas had new steel welded in and all the sections were bolted in place.  These bolts are to hold everything tight and are removed, one at a time, to place the new rivets.  Of course there will be a few hours of work with the grinder to smooth the welds out and make them 'disappear'.

Spring is here and that means on good weather days, the Freight Department crew is at work in our outdoor 'shop'.  Here is a sort of photo essay (not much text) on work this week, lots of participants and onlookers encouraged to learn and get a 'feel' for this sort of blacksmith work and tools involved.

Rust Out

Gerry Dettloff is getting ready with an acetylene torch with Dick Cubbage and Simon Harrison looking on.

Cutting

Some sections of the side at the bottom were badly rusted out.  The first step here is to use an acetylene torch to burn off the old rivet heads.  Gerry is using the torch and Victor Humphreys ready to help as needed.

Peeling

The metal is being peeled back by Victor, Gerry, and Dick.

Next

After cutting the rivet heads form the outside, shards of old metal siding and layers of rust are removed.  Some additional grinding of the torched off rivet stubs might need to be done.  Then out with the small sledge hammer and a punch pin to poke the rivet out the back.

The Stubs

Not much left after the torching, but some medallions of remaining metal sides need to be peeled away, pried away, or otherwise coaxed to leave.

Punching

Then on to the satisfying part of punching out what remains of the rivets.  Sort of like an 'aggression therapy' session.  Jim Leonard takes a turn.  That entire section is complete.  The next step is to fit and cut a new metal patch, drill it for placing new rivets, weld it in, grind, fill, paint - you get the idea.

Paint Crew

Today we managed to paint a second coat of finish enamel on the roof of the boxcar.  Cool weather, but the steel warmed up quickly in the sun.  Victor Humphreys and Roger Kramer are pictured.  Roger deserves a special thanks for his help on this.  Other BLOG posts from me will be sketchy this week, since I was up on the roof slogging paint with the others, and sometimes wondered if more paint got on me or on the roof.