Eric, we would love to work on this car. For those tuning in late, the car was damaged in transit to IRM and we received $40,000 in an insurance settlement. That was probably not enough but would serve well to get this car back together. However, the IRM Board of Directors appropriated all those funds and applied them to other purposes, not yet 'paid back' - if ever. So with zero funds we cannot begin to schedule work on that car.
Bob Kutella
The car did not fit under a bridge when the driver failed to follow the state directed route for an oversized load. The shame is that the car was very complete with good underbody, trucks, and draft gear. The body was racked from the impact and most of the roof peeled off. Several of the unusual steel roof supports are bent and mangled as is some of the end framing ZEE shapes.
At this point it probably makes sense to carefully document the construction, a job in itself, and then de-construct it down to the floor and start over upwards. Not likely we can muster this with volunteer only labor. Before the money 'disappeared' we were hoping to hire some labor. With the slow economy this might be a good time to find someone looking for work and who would be willing to fuss over this and put up with us.
Bob Kutella
i was thinking of a process that the museum in monticello did with there S.R. 2-8-0.
take off the support frame for the chassie.
then they rebuilt the car body on the underframe.
it was with its tender but its the same kind of idea.
What have they spent on that project? Over a half million dollars and MANY years. But it has the potential of generating additional revenues. In the case of the ATSF 44043 the department members take great pride and satisfaction in completing a project and doing it right. But this is not a project likely to attract any additional visitors through the gate or that any we have might take notice. Certainly something that needs doing on our goal to preserve history, but projects like this need to pay their own way. To me it does not make sense to invest a LOT of precious volunteer hours on preliminary work when we cannot afford to buy even a stick of wood, at this time.
Bob Kutella
On the the subject of locomotive maintenance I was visiting you webcam sites and noticed that they had your E5 outside of the diesel shop. How often do you change the oil and coolant on your locomotives. I realize that they see limited service and any fluid changes would be quite expensive, but I couldn't help but wonder.
Coolant is just plain water with a special corrosion inhibitor added, the locos are drained at the end of the season before the weather gets too cold. Oil samples are taken and tested on each inspection interval and oil changes are done based on that. It doesn't happen very often. Oil capacity is about 165 gallons on a V12 and up to 400 gallons on a V20 depending on the type of oil pans, figure an oil change to cost about $4,500 with the larger capacity.