Author Topic: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039  (Read 21514 times)

Dan Malkowski

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #15 on: October 06, 2025, 09:40:59 AM »
I've already reached out to Orion asking what it would take based on his experience restoring his B&M Outside frame boxcar.

Mike Fox

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #16 on: October 07, 2025, 06:16:45 PM »
Mike
Doing way too much to list...

Dan Malkowski

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #17 on: October 07, 2025, 06:20:31 PM »
***BREAKING NEWS***

While searching on the web with Dana and Bryce, I stumbled upon this on NERAIL photos. The Car was built in 1919 and the last Keith Car Co. built car.

Ed Lecuyer

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #18 on: October 07, 2025, 06:23:50 PM »
Ed Lecuyer
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Dante Lakin

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #20 on: October 07, 2025, 07:59:52 PM »
The Car was built in 1919 and the last Keith Car Co. built car.

So it's well within our era, and is (probably) unique? Would pair nicely with another unique boxcar we have ;)

Pete "Cosmo" Barrington

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #21 on: October 07, 2025, 11:55:11 PM »
Well, ... I'm in favor!
I say that with the understanding that there will be quite a bit of money and labor involved with this, or any project. But that said, I believe the end results will be worth it.
The idea of a side by side comparison display has come up before and as I recall received favorably as a "when the time/opportunity comes" kind of project.
The question really, is "Where?". I think there's at least a few possible sites around the campus, or maybe at Trout Brook. Maybe once we cross Cross Road, or maybe even at the Wiscasset Harbor area alongside the Turner's Dairy car.
But that's all in the future, assuming we actually do acquire this piece.
Meanwhile, while I appreciate Allen's note of caution, I have come to realize: "that ain't us." IF we get the car, it will get the same quality of attention as the rest of our equipment. While we haven't had something quite as big as this car, nor any outside metal braced cars, I feel confident that the collective shop forces are quite capable of making this car watertight and presentable.
Last but not least, most of the major woodworking projects are finished or nearing completion. Not that I would suggest we "make work for work's sake," but I believe this is an important artifact, that it deserves to be saved, and that our organization, while not the only such, is more than capable of tackling such work.
So, to quote from the film that inspired my Naval career: "We grab the boat!"  ;)

George Adams

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #22 on: October 08, 2025, 08:27:03 AM »
I think it's a great idea. Very fitting for the museum aspect of our name. It would be great to illustrate something that occurred regularly in Wiscasset. It would also be great to preserve an aspect of Maine railroading (standard to narrow gauge transfer) that most people probably have never seen.

George Adams

Earl Leavitt

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #23 on: October 08, 2025, 12:14:01 PM »
   My head and my heart are fighting over his one. It's a scarce car for sure. But like a marriage, it's something not to be entered into lightly. A lot of my waterfront working career has been spent resurrecting rotting wood and rusty metal. Just for a start, I'd say a field trip by experienced wood and metal working volunteers should happen to perform an autopsy. After all, it's our people with these skills that will be leaned on to tackle the job. Then if it's deemed feasible, where do we put it? Not just temporarily or later on display but how will it be housed during the restoration, which we know isn't going to happen overnight.
    WW&F has done a stellar job of staying focused on the preservation of Maine's narrow gage history and as I look around the grounds I see so many directions we still need to go in to preserve two foot specific artifacts. It's a fine line sometimes between a good fit and creating justification.

John Kokas

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #24 on: October 08, 2025, 04:05:38 PM »
Well said Earl,  (I'm now getting on my soapbox with bullhorn). We have so many irons in the fire that I sometimes wonder how we get big projects done.  The metal working folks need to focus on #10, #11, and #53.  Those will take several years to finish.  The wood work is going to take away from #9, and the repair/rehab of #8, #320, the open cars, and I believe we still have a boxcar to restore.  Look how long it took to rebuild #56.  And I haven't even considered the effort needed for the "southern extension".

Although this may be a significant piece, I strongly recommend we take a step back and ask - Is this part of our core mission?  I think the answer is apparent - and that's NO!!!  We are a narrow gauge outfit and that should be our focus.  I hope we are not starting to think we have to save every rare piece and become like so many other museum failures who collected everyone's junk and realized that they didn't have the manpower, expertise, and finances to restore what they gathered - so it sits and rots away.
Moxie Bootlegger

Ed Lecuyer

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #25 on: October 08, 2025, 06:00:21 PM »
Quote
The wood work is going to take away from #9, and the repair/rehab of #8, #320, the open cars, and I believe we still have a boxcar to restore.

Coach 8, Caboose 320, and open cars 131, 34, and 118/126 (when so configured) do not require any significant work at this time.
We do not have any boxcars needing restoration (save maybe a touch up coat of paint; Dairy Car 65 is probably the most needing some work.)
The "Flanger" (which is really a pile of parts, some of which may have WW&F linage as Flanger 202) will require a completely new build, and it may not be built as a flanger.

I am purposefully omitting any equipment that is not owned by the museum.

Our core mission statement includes: "[establishing a] Museum for the display of artifacts for enlightenment and education of the general public concerning the social and economic impact of railroads on the communities served." Demonstrating the transfer of freight between standard and narrow gauge railroads is certainly on-point for our mission. Doing so with a MEC boxcar from the era, which may have actually been used to transfer freight to the WW&F does represent a unique opportunity to meet this part of our mission.

That said, there is no formal proposal yet to acquire this artifact, just a group of volunteers who are investigating the necessary steps in making it happen. I also understand that this acquisition is likely two years away.

Anyone with serious concerns (pro or con) should feel free to contact their friendly BOD member of choice to express their thoughts.
Ed Lecuyer
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Allan Fisher

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #26 on: October 08, 2025, 08:41:17 PM »
Procurement of this car is called "mission creep", and many museums are now trying to address acceptance of these "gifts" as to whether it was a big mistake or not.
Allan Fisher

Dante Lakin

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #27 on: October 09, 2025, 04:06:22 PM »
Allan, I am not sure acquisition of one standard gauge car is mission creep. Not anymore creep than having ownership of two B&SR boxcars at any rate. It's arguably well within our mission to display a size difference on site, giving a clear demonstration of how the smaller economies served by the narrow gauge only needed small freight cars.

Stephen Piwowarski

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #28 on: October 10, 2025, 02:08:33 AM »
It seems to me that people reading the initial post and others are conflating the idea of preserving a MEC boxcar with the concept that this is an attempt to broaden (no pun intended) the museum’s mission.

Rather, I find that acquiring a single MEC boxcar with the intention of tastefully illustrating cross platform transfer- something that was essential to the form and function of 4/5 of Maine’s two-footers- seems very appropriate. When you want to interpret the function of narrow gauge Railway’s and how they served our society and economy, there is clear value in such a project.

Perhaps people are misplacing the desire to acquire the car as one focused on sentimentality for “saving everything old” or some similar idea, but I think the main purpose here is to enhance our ability to interpret the utilization of narrow gauge Railways.

All this being said, I’d like to consider myself interested, in favor, but cautious about how we proceed. Should we ever acquire more standard gauge rolling stock beyond this car? I’d say that is a resounding no, but the opportunity to acquire one to help tell the story of how these railways worked is a fitting one to pursue and I personally hope we do.

My words are worth little and are easy to spend and spin compared with the time and effort required for this project but if there was a group of people interested in championing this project and bringing it to fruition, and they had the time and skills necessary, then I support them wholeheartedly! I’d wager such an effort would find friends outside of our typical corps of volunteers and may even introduce some new ones to us!

John Kokas

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Re: MEC Outside Frame Boxcar 35039
« Reply #29 on: October 10, 2025, 12:06:59 PM »
I will acknowledge the mission related "transfer" of freight from Narrow to Standard Gauge and visa versa.  And in that strict sense I could support the project.  BUT, not at this time with so much on our plates and resources dedicated to existing projects.  If the BOD wishes to support the project I would like to see it as a separately financed and supported (labor & materials) project.
Moxie Bootlegger