Just Around the Corner

Unlike most electric cars, the ends on CA&E cars curve up over the train door, so that the end tack moldings and corner pieces if any have curves in three dimensions. Getting everything to fit correctly is a challenge.

Today I started by fitting the first corner piece, and replacing a section of roof boards that was partly missing.  This takes a while, but the result looks good.  The next step will be to make the end tack moldings, and I plan to buy the wood tomorrow.  The corner blocks were deliberately made too big, so there's considerable rasping and sanding that needs to be done.

Then it was back to the toilet section.  New wood was installed on the upper roof.  I had to drill out some screws, but the ventilator was finally disassembled.  It took a while to figure out what had to be done, since everything is coated in a thick layer of tar.  I can understand why the Trolleyville guys left it in place. The lower half includes the flange and will have to be removed to install the canvas correctly, of course, but at least I can now get at the parts I need to bend in order to remove it.  The ventilator itself needs some serious body and fender work. 

With the upper part off, though, at least it's much easier to install the next section of rail to support the upper tack molding.  I also put primer on the upper edge of most of the lower tack molding, so next time these parts can be painted black.

And you can see where the corner piece was removed so the back could be painted, before it's permanently installed.  So progress is being made.

Meanwhile, the bilevels are back on the track, and the dramatic wreck has pretty much been cleaned up.  I didn't get around to taking any pictures of it, though.  Maybe Saturday.