Is the damage to wood in the Ely's roof area all from water? Is there any dry rot beginning? The car is over 100 years in age and a truss rod design too.
Yes rotted wood along most of the ceiling. Electric lights added in the 1920s left a way for the water to get in. Thankfully this seems to me isolated to the center of the ceiling.
Yes, the outside canvas Is in very poor shape but the coach dept leadership ise not interested in replaceing the roof canvas at this time. To many other projects.
I agree that replacing the roof should be lower on the to do list. On this car pulling off the roof could almost do more harm than good, for you don't know what you might find. Plus, this car seldom sees the light of day and certainly not a drop of rain. Its too valuable to be run very much. So when was the Ely last run?
Jim... The last time the Ely ran was? I'm sure it was two floods ago. The entire string hasn't moved in years. Some axles are probably rusty. Now I heard their is talk about changing the electric to 110 vac from 32vdc. Real history in the making! Roger
I have a video tape from Pentrex called "Chicago Steam Celebration" which was about the NRHS national convention held in Chicago during 1993. They filmed the convention attendees at their IRM outing and the Ely was being run. So could 1993 been the last time it was run?
I assume the change from from 32Vdc to 110vac is to light the bulbs for display? Isn't such a change considered damaging to the historical significance of the Ely? Also, unless someone is going to re-wire the car....isn't there an increased risk of fire?