Much time has passed and many of the tasks are being repeated. We are moving faster. The roof edges are done and bolted down.

The remaining filler panels are replaced and more patches are complete. Two windows and a body patch to go.

Below are a few of the pics from the last few visits.

So there are these little panels on each side of the car. I thought they would be coving an opening... well NOT! I removed them and filled the holes and moved on.

Another patch

Window Fillers

I started a shorter day of work with the intentions of doing another window. Since I am harder on myself then anybody, i decided that unless I had a solid 7 hrs, I should not start that endeavor.

So, I decided to do one of the un-windows.

These were windows in a prior version of this caboose. The side of the car had eight lower windows.

At some point, four of them had been removed and replaced with a very thin sheet metal.

In its Hay-day

This is a sister to my car with all four of the windows on each side.

The decision was made to keep the fillers in place once I was only able to find one of the four additional windows needed to convert the spacers back to windows.

This is our car, many years ago and the fillers were already in place.

I started by grinding off the heads of the rivets.

There is a window frame, and a thin piece of sheet metal screwed into the frame.

This was not water tight and I am not sure who thought it could be.

Once the frame was removed, I made the choice to cover the entire opening with one piece of thicker sheet metal.

I did not see the need to re install the window frame. It was a mess.

There will not be a window ever put back here so I wanted to remove a potential other seam to allow water into the car.

I prepped each of the bolts and removed the square below the head so the would sit flat

I used a roofing/flashing material to bond the filler piece to the shell.

Three more to go! 

More spring snow and "yes", I do windows

The morning started with driving through the " flurries" they called for last eve. Sorry... these may be flurries by definition

but they are a game changer when it comes to welding

I decided to not work on the last section of roof so I would not be outside welding in that all day.

I moved my efforts to one of the four side windows.

Each of the four are an equal mess.

There are three parts to each assembly.

1. the window

2. The inner window mounting frame

3. the outer window mounting frame

There are three areas where water has been entering the car because the sealers have all failed and there were attempts to re-seal them without removing the window and sealing the surface of the seam.

I decided to make it two parts.

1. window

2. mounting frame

Doing this will remove one of the seams that could possibly leak.

I started by removing the entire assembly. I grinned off the rivets and removed the unit.

I removed the window from the frames

There was a lot of cleaning and scraping to do.

I welded the two frames together and sealed them together.

Then I cleaned and polished the window and got it ready to go back in.

then i had to prep the hole.

It needed to be cleaned and primed.

I installed the frame first and that was a blessing.

I was able to work on the bolts from the interior.

I applied a generous amount of roof flange sealer from Liquid Nails.

Then bolted in the frame.

Then...in with the window!

Looks nice and hopefully, water tight for 100 years!

Only three more to go!

(6 hours to do this...uhggggg)

Second Day of Spring , Snow and another section of roof to fix

It was a quiet snowy morning, serene and beautiful. The kind of morning from a Norman Rockwell painting… Until I realized how much snow I would have to remove to get to work!

There was about 4 inches on the surface of the caboose and on the top of the container that I use as a safe standing area.  Did I say safe??

Anyway, he first block of time was spent clearing snow and ice from the work area.

I needed the areas to be relatively dry before I can break out the welding machine. Somehow the thought of setting the welder on top of ice and snow did not feel right, but neither did sitting it in the puddles that the 50 degree temps would create later today…

Anyway… upward and onward!

It really was pretty on the way to the yard. I like the drive, just wish there was less of it.

I started the heater inside the car first. That helped with the ice on the roof.

Once clear I hoped it would dry fast.

The cut away was first, as always, I am amazed by the rust I find. 

Clean, grind and primed

I was a bit disappointed in the work today.

The roof , when cut away, " popped" and there were waves in the old roof line that gave me a fit.

I was able to support from inside but the welds did not look as good as the others.

But... it is done and watertight.

I was also able to get the other handrails done today.

Next... the last section of roof.