TCDA No. 65 (Reefer) - Official Work Thread

[John L Dobson]

Were the windows an original featured of the cream car, or have they been put in for modern needs?

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Hi John,

     The WW&F's original milk car series; #65, 72 and 73 had windows.  They were built with one on each side to the right of the door.  The new car 65 is built from the original Portland Company plans with the 1913 milk car modifications made by the Wiscasset shop crew. 

Stewart

[Stephen Hussar]

[Kevin Madore]

When this car is completed, will it be something that the museum could actually run on the line, or will it be limited to being a display piece?   If it is "runable", is there a chance that the museum might actually do that before shipping it off to Wiscasset?

/Kevin

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Kevin,

     The car is being built to full Portland Company standards with WW&F freight trucks so it may be used on the line.  There is a plan to have a special train next month with the car in the consist.  An announcement will be made when the date is known. 

Stewart

[Kevin Madore]

Thanks Stewart!   Is there any plan to take freight cars out for Easter, or during Work Weekend?

/Kevin

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Kevin,

     We won't have any freight cars out this weekend due to work moving #9's frame Saturday morning.  The milk car will be outside during the Work Weekend but it's on shop trucks so it probably won't leave the yard.  The plan is to run a special photo freight next month when the  trucks and hand brake for car 65 are finished. 

Stewart

[Fred L. Kuhns]

 Stewart,  Will the Car # 65 have the Turner Centre Dairying Ass'n signage applied ?  Also, the wheel sets what is the difference between present and future ?   Thanks  Fred L. Kuhns

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Fred,

The car will be lettered for the TCDA on both sides just like the original.  Not sure how much of the lettering will be applied by the Work Weekend, depends on the weather and available volunteer time.  The car is on a set of Jackson & Sharp passenger car trucks.  The trucks are not complete so they are considered shop trucks which means the car will not leave the yard.  The car sits 2" higher on the J&S trucks than it will on the freight trucks.  The freight trucks are being built with some original WW&F parts.  New bolts will be made so the truck assembly can proceed.  The new nuts came in today so as soon as the bolts are made the final assembly will start.

Stewart

[Fred L. Kuhns]

  Stewart, The Turner Centre Dairying Ass'n signage looks very good.  The interior of the car with the white walls and stained ceiling, along with the wall lamp, will set the stage for the informational signage inside the car. Thanks again for all the hard work.   Fred L. Kuhns

[Fred Morse]

Stewart is putting many hours painting out the car and it really looks great. Once we get it to Wiscasset and have 26,000 car a day go by it we should really get a lot of exposure for our museum. I got the numbers of cars passing throuth Wiscasset from articles in the newspapers when the State was trying to bypass the town.

[John McNamara]

Can anyone elaborate on the plans to use interior or exterior displays to publicize the role of the two-footers in Maine life and to point visitors toward BRV, SRRL, MNG, and especially the WW&F?

-John

[Richard "Steam" Symmes]

My guess would be that most automobile traffic won't even notice it. I think it will appeal strictly to pedestrians in the area.  Having sat in that bumper to bumper "poke-a-cade" several times, I don't believe I'd be in any mood to pull off and check out some mysterious red object on the waterfront which says "Dairy" on it as part of its name. People might think it's just another ice cream stand. (hey, now there's an idea -- "Turner Centre Dairy Soft Serve").

[Fred Morse]

Maybe the people at Red's Eats will cross the road while munching their lobster rolls to take a look at the small boxcar, or looking out the window of Sarah's. Any publicity is always a help.

[James Patten]

It will be quite visible to people eating at Sarah's, or people that visit the little shopping area on the pier, and for people that are waiting in line at Red's.  People waiting in traffic southbound will probably see it for a while, unless visibility is blocked by some of the huts on the pier.  Northbound, there's not much time to see it.