Wood You Believe IT?

OK, so I'm getting desperate for catchy titles. Just keep reading...

I trimmed and installed two more sisters today, on carlines which already consist of a 1 3/8" wood carline and a 3/8" steel piece, so the single sisters are attached with lag screws. Otherwise, it's exactly the same procedure as before, so these are final installation photos only.

While it was cold today, as long as the sun is shining even part of the time, it's pretty comfortable up on the roof. Then it clouded over, and it was time to repair to the wood shop.

I machined the tongues and grooves on about 80 linear feet of roof boards. To the left is the setup on the table saw. The blade is covered by the work, and only rises about 1/8" above the table. I have clamps to hold the fingerboard in place so the work is held against the fence and to prevent kickbacks. Notice the nice push handle somebody has made for us. Safety first! To the right, a sample of the old wood is matched to the new.

And then, here we see a test fit of some new wood on top of the roof. This is going to work out just fine. I need to repair two or three more carlines before installing roof boards.

I also have a plan. Once the roof is covered with canvas, how does one tell where exactly the carlines are? This seems to have stumped the railroads, since the saddles are sometimes slightly off center, and their screws may miss the carlines completely. I think I will start with a test assembly of saddles and running boards before installing the canvas, so everything is lined up perfectly, then disassemble it. After installing the canvas, the kit will be put back together, and everything should line up according to plan. If you've got a better idea, please let me know.

Tim Peters was also working in the wood shop on doors for CRT 1268. To the right is one that is already finished.

And to follow up on Frank's previous post, here is the IT caboose in its new location where the old oil sheds used to be. It serves as a bunk car for museum members who want to stay overnight. Now it even has its own little outdoor washstand. That will be real useful this winter!