Update on the Sister Car

I recently received some photos from Karl Johnston via Laddie Vitek of work being performed at the Western Railway Museum in the only other survivor from car 205's series, car 202 (originally Interstate 262, later Portland Traction 4001).  This car was acquired by WRM directly from Portland Traction in 1959 and has called the arid Suisun Valley in California its home for the last fifty years, so it was spared the significant deterioration that car 205 suffered while in the rain forest near Seattle.  For a number of years it even operated at WRM, painted in Indiana orange.  Now a team of WRM volunteers is rebuilding the car and restoring it as Portland 4001. (I feel it's quite appropriate that of the two survivors from this series, the one in the Midwest is being returned to Indiana colors and the one in the west is being returned to Portland colors!)  All photos below are by Karl Johnson and may not be reproduced without permission.

At left: one of the first things WRM tackled was the roof, which was completely replaced.  Wow!

Right: this is the "before and after" view of car 4001's roof.

 And the canvas is in place, with roof boards being fastened down.  Beautiful!

Left: An overall view of the car showing the new roof as well as its Indiana orange paint job.

Right: More recent work has included needle-chipping the car.  This photo shows that car 4001 has the same rust problems that IRM's car 205 has, just not quite as bad.

Left:  Overall view of current work on car 4001.  Note that the roof is done, complete with "mushroom" roof vents and trolley base stands.

Right: An end view of the work being done on car 4001; note that the window sill has been removed.


Right: This is what the complete (sans seat) motorman's position on this series of car looks like.  Most of this equipment is in place on the 205 with the exception of the brake valve.


Thanks to Karl Johnson for sending along these photos!