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Coach 11 has been converted from the pre-July 2008 WW&F Discussion Forum.
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Mike Fox wrote:Boothbay has started work on their new coach 11. A few light repairs and an as close to authentic paint as they can get. I have posted a photo on NERail of a side shot of it while I was in their shop. There is talk of restoring the roof to its original appearance with the glass. I looked inside and the framework for the glass was still intact in the spot that was open. This will be a car to go see in a months or 2.
Mike
Stephen Hussar replied:To follow up on Mike's post, I was able to get a couple of shots yesterday of B&SR coach No 11. The car looks great and absolutely perfect painted in "Old Pullman Green." The dark green color was discovered during the stripping process this past winter.
Dave Buczkowski replied:Steve;
Nice photos and nice work by the people at Boothbay. Not to be picky, but isn't the abbreviation for Delaware "DE" and not "DL"? (See the brass plate.)
Dave
pockets replied:Nice photos, Thanks.
Is there a reason for the longitudinal seating arrangement?
Greg B.
Stephen Hussar replied:Steve;
Nice photos and nice work by the people at Boothbay. Not to be picky, but isn't the abbreviation for Delaware "DE" and not "DL"? (See the brass plate.)
Dave
I noticed that too but chocked it up to how "Delaware" might have been abbreviated back in 1900, or possibly how J & S abbreviated it back then.
Dave Crow replied:Greg,
I believe this car was originally built as a combine. Edaville converted it to a full coach, so I'd guess they added the longitudinal seating. I believe our #8 has bench seating as well - probably a less expensive method of installing seting as compared to contructing cross-ways seating, whether from seat patterns or from old scholl buses...
Dave Crow
Joe Fox replied:The longtitudal seats also allow more passengers to sit in the same amount of space.
Joe
pockets replied:Dave and Joe,
Thanks for your responses.
I can see and understand the different sides of the accuracy vs cost vs capacity issue. The Maine museums are doing a tough job and doing it well.
Greg B.
Mike Fox replied:Yes. This car was converted from a combine and the seats are like that for capacity. You can really pack 'em in cheek to cheek. Plans are also to restore the celestery (??spelling) glass in the roof. The framework is still there.
Mike
Dave Buczkowski replied:All;
It may also be that the castings for the seat ends are expensive and hard to come by. It is my understanding that someday we'd like to arrange for castings for #8 to give it a more historic feel.
Dave
elecuyer replied:If the plan is to convert coach #8 to having seats, rather than benches, there *may* be a source of "narrow gauge" seats available.
In Glen, NH, the "Heritage New Hampshire" attraction (next to StoryLand) has now closed. It featured a mock "train ride" through Crawford Notch. The seats in the fake coach are (as I recall) about the right size for a two-foot coach. They certainly had the correct look and feel (if not a perfect match.)
*IF* the plan is to outfit #8 with seats, I suggest that we contact the folks responsible for Heritage NH to see if they will part with their seats.
-Ed Lecuyer
Mike Fox replied:That location has recently been sold along with Storyland. Heritage had closed last year but there are hopes in the area it will reopen this year. I don't remember the seats being narrow enough for a car like coach 8 but they very well could be.
Mike
pockets replied:If you've got one seat, you have the patterns. The casting cross sections are so small that shrinkage shouldn't be significant. There are 2-footer volunteers who have foundry connections.....Think Live Steamers...
Greg B.
Bill Sample replied:According to the roster on page 223 of Jones' "Two Feet to the Lakes" B&SR 11 was originally a Baggage/Mail/Express car. See photos and drawings on pages 248 and 249. Apparently Edaville first converted it to a combine and much more recently to a full coach.
MODLMKR replied:Nice photos and nice work by the people at Boothbay. Not to be picky, but isn't the abbreviation for Delaware "DE" and not "DL"? (See the brass plate.)
Dave
The DL is because I wasn't thinking when I made the plate, but I like the idea that it was done to look like 1902.
ron ginger
tomc replied:Ron,
Thanks for being so brave and fess up. I will go with you that it could have been done that way baack then.
Tom C.
_________________
Later;
tom_srclry_com
o anderson replied:wouldn't Delaware have been "Del."
Like Massachusettes would have been "Mass."
Pennsyvania "Penn." or "Penna."
Florida "Fla."
Alabama "Ala."
Mississippi "Miss."
Tennessee "Tenn."
Illinois "Ill."
Wisconsin "Wis."
Minnesota "Min."
Texas "Tex."
California "Calif." or "Cal."
There are probably lots of other abbreviations and double or triple versions, which led to the two letter standard. Was "DL." used with any regularity? This is getting way into errata so I guess we should drop the topic. I just wanted to bring up the Del abbreviation thing.
I think the best brass identification plates I ever saw were on the Sandley 2' gauge coaches built for the Brookfield Zoo circa 1969. Very ornate.
Mike Fox replied:I knew what the DL meant. And probably if you look back in the history books someplace, at one time someone else abbreviated Delaware the same way. Perhaps more than once. The plaque looks great no matter how it is abbreviated.
Mike
