Another day with good progress

I have been silly enough to set some of my own goals for this project. We are close to were I though we would be. I started the day continuing to remove more of the items from the interior starting with the lubrication system? The question mark is there because we are assuming that was what this was.

They sure build things sturdy!

All the welded joints in the interior of the locker had to be cut. There was little room but we got it done.

 The next item was the second battery crib in the locker that was next to the bench where the other electronics were stored. The floor in that was rotten too. The folks before us had welded a floor pan to the bottom of the locker to support the batteries. Hummm...let me think...welded over the rotten floors...that seems to be familiar... Anyway with little room to work it took a while to cut the welds and remove the plate.

 

 

Can you imagine??? More rotten wood?

All of it is rotten to one degree or another. It will all have to come out.

 

Removing the generator / Electronics?

This evening was spent removing the bench/ storage area that housed the generator and wiring for the electrical system.

There was not much to it but it was built to withstand a train wreck.

Not one bolt or screw can be unscrewed. They have been paint over or the ends of the bolt/screw has been mushroomed so the nut will not vibrate off. Soooo, that means that each one has to be cut off.

Message to self...Remember to keep a fire can near by. All the rotten wood makes wonderful tinder.

While grinding, I had to stop often to dampen the floor to keep the risk of fire to a minimum.

( yes, I learned that the hard way.)

We will be rebuilding the bench and storage area.

It will not be with the sheet metal and patches that were removed.

 

                           

It appears that this was the original area where the batteries were stored. The floor was rotten so that could be why the batteries were moved to the locker, next to the crib.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 It appears that the storage areas...lockers , were built at different times. Some on top of the interior wood and some areas the interior wood was installed over them.

Not sure how I'm going to do this one.

 

 

 

More Demo but with some big help!

Last evening was another Demo night.

I did have big help! I was given a Front Loader to help get the debris from the caboose to the dumpster.

I don't know if I have what it takes to be a full time operator but it sure was cool.

 

 

The heater was the first thing to be moved. They had it bolted through the floor and it was hard to be in the caboose and under to keep a hand on both sides of the bolt so...I cut them off.

 

 

Taking down the wood from the ceiling sure makes a mess.

 

Before the night was over, I had filled the front loader bucket twice.

That is my little helper, outside the door.

 

The floor has a lot of rotten boards.

They will need to be replaced 

 

The outside skin is rotten in many areas.

I am going to have to sandblast that and see what we have left to salvage or replace.

 

This is the vent pipe for the heater/stove.

 

When things were hung inside, they seem to like drilling straight through the roof and the side walls to mount things.

Those holes will be welded over.

I want to minimize all of the paths that water may have to the inside.

 

I ended the evening with the heater wall and the ceiling wood removed.

I am just under 1/3 of the way to having all the interior wood removed.

The center area will be next.

I don't think that will go as fast.

I have to contend with the lockers and the cupola

 

This is dirty work

Day two of Demo - some walls are exposed

I spent last evening removing the water tank, oil tank and the icebox, and removing some of the wood from the end interior wall.
The ice box weighted a TON!

 

It was raining all night and the holes in the exterior were very obvious.

 

Treasure!

 

 

I also evicted a lot of unwanted guests. The mud-wasps had set up shop, in great numbers. 

First night. Can you say Clean UP?

First night was spent cleaning.
I know you are saying ...WHY CLEAN?
Well I needed to see what I was going to be working with.
It really is a mess and that is just the inside!
The undercarriage will be another story.

I need to get everything out first and then patch and weld the outside to make it weatherproof before investing the time and money into restoring the inside.