Green Bay & Western 109 Update

Thanks to Gregg Wolfersheim for sending along a photo of his latest side project: Green Bay & Western 109. This attractive wooden coach, which by the way was built to what was effectively a Hicks Locomotive & Car Works design, had its interior largely restored by our old friend and "Project 308" worker Jack Biesterfield in the 2010s. But it's got some structural problems; doesn't really fit with our regular all-steel operating fleet; and doesn't have any seats, all of which are reasons it's not a great candidate for operational restoration. But Gregg and his compatriots have a plan: utilizing the largely empty, but very attractive, interior of car 109 as classroom space in Barn 3.

Here are some pics of the wood passenger car being refurbished for use as a classroom/meeting room. 

 The south side and east end of the car. Note the broken end beam.

Some of the typical deteriorating wood components.

Half of this side was opened up years ago by some volunteers [ed: not Jack] with plans to restore it.

Closer view. This is a steel underframe car. No truss rods.

This was the beginning of repairs where a 5 inch wood beam had been.

The steel was air hammered and wire wheeled.

Primer was applied.

Several 2x8's were applied and staggered. Carriage bolts hold them against the steel beam. The wood was treated with water seal.

A final layer of white oak was laid over the previous boards. The siding will be attached near the bottom.

Uprights are being spliced in to the window posts. Shorter ones under each window also. The two darker ones in the middle are original. They were still fairly solid.

 There are several more to go. The cupola's will be removed and the opening filled in for now.

 The interior walls and ceiling are in nice condition from earlier work done by Jack. A few new windows will have to be replicated for the ones that are missing.