MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039

[Dan Malkowski]

Hi All,

So I was talking with my buddy who works for the mechanical department at Seashore Trolley Museum and he mentioned to me that in a couple of years time they will be starting to get rid of their standard gauge equipment and one item in particular was a 40ft Outside Frame boxcar from the Maine Central. Now you might be asking, Dan why are you bringing this up and why would we need a standard gauge boxcar. My thought is that with the addition of the west yard hopefully coming soon we could add this piece next to one of the yard tracks to show a size comparison between Standard gauge and Narrow gauge as well can be double as storage. Whilst my buddy and I were talking I asked about cost and from what I got from him was that the Boxcar would be ours if we are interested and the only cost would be transportation. I proposed this idea to Mike to which he thought it was a good one as well as I pitched the idea to Brian F and he also agreed that it was a good idea.

[Jeff Schumaker]

What is the condition of the car? If you plan to store stuff in it, the car shouldn't leak.
Any photos of the car?

Jeff

[Brian Whitney]

I say that we should take any MEC cars that we can, especially if they are free. I like the idea of using it for storage and also as a comparison to narrow gauge. It would be an additional display for the public to enjoy and learn.

[Mike Fox]

[Dan Malkowski]

So this is the photo I received from my buddy on the car. While I do agree the wood work is in rough shape the frame looks decent enough in this view for what we would have in mind for it.

Thank you Mike for posting the photo.

[Stephen Piwowarski]

Does that car have cast iron wheels?

I like this idea a lot! I wonder if eventually it becomes part of a cross platform (think Wiscasset transfer yard) type display at a new station location…

[Mike Fox]

What are the chances this car delivered freight to the WW&F, or any of the other two footers? Probably no way of ever knowing, but the possibility exists. The car will need some wood work by the looks..

[Allan Fisher]

Unless these boxcars are maintained at a very high level to be waterproof and look good to the public, you are endangering the Alna Station site of becoming a trash dump like many other museums I have seen..

[John Kokas]

Have to agree with Allan.  This type of car is high maintenance and we have more than enough maintenance issues to deal with already.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Does the stuff inside it come with it?

Jeff

[Dan Malkowski]

No the stuff inside my buddy says has to get cleaned out before, to which I believe they will do.

[Bruce Wilson]

Mike, I'm curious if the Trolley Museum archives might have a file on this car. How it came to them, where on the system it was used and maintained. A freight way bill will show the carrier and car number, so it is possible one or more way bills may show this car number.

Dan, do you know of any historical societies that might want this car? As I'm sure you know, there are several towns in New Hampshire and a few in Maine that have preserved railroad depots. Troy, New Hampshire just added a Budd RDC to a display track at their depot site.

Also Dan, do you know what equipment has already been moved out of Seashore to other homes? Our fellow W.W. & F. Ry. Museum member Alden Dryer is an officer in the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum in Massachusetts. They recently received a car from Seashore.

That old boxcar is a beauty, worthy of a rebuild and a new home. I certainly hope one is found.

[Stephen Lennox]

Well I certainly like Dan's idea, dated projects are not new to the museum. After all, it is MEC, it's from MAINE. We don't need to be a magnet for all former Maine equipment but I think this one fits in.

[John McNamara]

This would make an excellent Orion Newall-Vuillemot project, although he's been there and done that.

[Bruce Wilson]

Yes, he has...