Flatcar 118 repairs

[Brendan Barry]

118 has needed the end sills replaced for some time. During the work weekend white oak was delivered for the end sills and work started on 118 during the work weekend after the car was released from ballast service. Both end sills have been removed from the car and the brake wheel end of the car was found to need new draft gear beams. The new end sills are being prepped and new draft gear beams have been made.

118 disassembled on the turntable lead.



End sill removal during the work weekend. Oak for the new car parts is in the foreground.





Brake wheel end with the end sill and draft gear removed.





The other end with the end sill removed.



New draft gear beams.





One of the new end sills in the drill press.



Ichabod was set up to pull the coupler and draft gear out.



Coupler pulled out.





Close up of the info cast into the coupler.



Bottom of the coupler.

[John Kokas]

Are the coupler styles the same between #118 and the coaches?  Never bothered to look underneath to see for myself.

[Bob Holmes]

Brendan, your photos are as usual amazing...

[James Patten]

Are the coupler styles the same between #118 and the coaches?

Alas, no.  The equipment that was at Alice Ramsdells (flatcar and boxcar) have under-style coupling hooks (the caboose does too).  Coaches and all remaining equipment have pins that get pulled from the top.

My personal preference is the hooks from underneath.  It's much easier to disconnect, it seems we rarely have trouble with them when coupling.

[Philip Marshall]

If I'm not mistaken, the WW&F was the only Two-Footer that used bottom-operated couplers, so only the cars with original WW&F couplers (flatcar 118, boxcar 309, and the caboose) are bottom-operated.

(I assume the couplers on No. 9 are of SR&RL origin, and the couplers on coach 3 are from the B&SR via Edaville, which is why they're top-operated.)

[Brendan Barry]

Jason's pictures of 118's draft gear and coupler going back in.

New draft gear beams and cheek irons installed.





Retrieving and installing the coupler.





Coupler installed. The new end sill is sitting on top of the car frame with the buffer block clamped in place for drilling bolt holes.

[Stephen Hussar]

Awesome...the work, and the pictures! There's something happening everyday at the museum. I remember not that long ago that the place was completely "dark" Monday thru Friday!
SH

[Jeff Schumaker]

It looks like you've made quick work of 118's repairs.

Jeff S.

[Ted Miles]

folks,
         I am curious, when the #118 was re-built in 1989 were the end sills oak? This was long before the Copeland mill connection was made; so they may have been Douglas fir. 

It looks the new ones are now oak. This is a much longer lasting hard wood.

Ted Miles, WW&F Member

[Jason M Lamontagne]

The original car had southern yellow pine side, intermediate and center sills.  It had oak end sills, needle beams, and draft gear.  That is from the Portland Co specs. 

We use oak when oak was specified; we use Doug Fir when southern yellow pine was specified.

See ya
Jason

[Paul Uhland]

Great work, as usual.
Will 118 get some new paint, maybe linseed oil the deck?

[Dwight Winkley]

The "A" end still has to be rebuilt.

[Brendan Barry]

Hole locations being transferred from the old end sill to the new end sill.

[Emilio Lightford]

Hole locations and this awesome review of Blackwolf Pre Workout are being transferred from the old end sill to the new end sill.

Hey Brendan! How's it going, it would be good to hear an update!

[James Patten]

118 was completed sometime in late July or early August.  It's now back in service, we used it today on our train.