Restoration News

By Ted Kornweibel
Superintendent of Restoration

Restoration of the Museum's historic rolling stock is proceeding on several fronts. These are all low-cost but high visitor impact projects. Our goal is to provide Campo visitors a real Museum experience in the visitors center (display building).

Two of the four pieces of rolling stock in the center of the display building are fully and beautifully restored: the Santa Fe RPO car; and the Fruit Growers Express wood reefer. The other two cars in the center are of great interest to visitors, but do not present as polished an appearance. So we have begun renewal of the army guard car (G-10). Joe and Troy Shelly, Frank Stites, and Ted Kornweibel retrieved its bunks from the upper yard, where they had been thoughtlessly dumped in the weeds some years ago, and primed, painted, and reinstalled them. Once a missing window is replaced and other windows repaired, we will repaint and letter the car's exterior, which faded badly during its years in service on the Miller Creek run.

The bigger project is making the Rockdale, Sandow & Southern Jim Crow car more presentable. This will not be a full restoration; rather, we intend only to repair the most glaring defects, and then paint and letter it. (Real restoration will require major grants, a full woodshop, both professional and volunteer labor, and several years.). Credit Joe Shelly with the idea for this project and possible sources of untapped volunteer labor. New volunteer Don Elwell and Ted Kornweibel have begun by remounting the steps and beginning repairs on the end doors. Frank Stites has also contributed to this effort.

A small, but significant restoration project is the two-sided San Ysidro depot bench. Past visitors to the display building may recall it as furnishing charming but rickety seating for folks on the walking tours. Well, it pretty much fell apart several months ago. It has taken a good deal of work and ingenuity to put it back together, especially given the extensive warping of the several pieces of 2 x 8 stock which join to make up the ends. Don Elwell, Joe Shelly, and Ted Kornweibel started the process. Bob and Sandy Schussler pitched in as well. But it took the skills of master-woodworker Frank Stites to complete the project. If anyone reading this would like to take on a short but satisfying job, we now need to sand and paint the bench. This would be a great way to test your interest in restoration.

Last, but certainly not least, is the need to rehab the exterior of our wood Chesapeake & Ohio caboose, which has sat out in the open for years. Over a decade ago, Frank Stites and Ted Kornweibel installed all new siding on the shack, which was then painted by the late Norm Hill. But Campo's intense sun has left it looking pretty forlorn. But a rescue is at hand. Museum VP for Facilities Larry Rose is spearheading its renewal. The caboose is now in the car barn, where Larry will oversee sanding and repainting. The interior is in perfect shape just the way master railroad restorer Norm Hill left it years ago. The exterior wood is in good shape also needing only to have flaking paint removed before sanding.

If you know Larry, you know that the job will be done right. This is a perfect indoor job for the coming hot summer months. The scaffolding is already in place on track 13 in the car barn so come on out. Give Larry or Ted a call to join this project You'll help accomplish a significant goal for the Museum, and work, under Larry's supervision, with another master craftsman. Larry has already donated all the supplies necessary for this project so we don't even have to beg this time.

Finally, guests in the visitors center now have ample seating while viewing the rolling stock exhibits, thanks to a donation of church pews arranged by VP for Museum Services Dick Ruppert. Ted Kornweibel trucked them to Campo and assembled them with the assistance of Dick and Joe and Troy Shelly. Admittedly, they don't look like depot benches, but they certainly add to the comfort of museum visitors.

The Museum is moving forward. And in case you didn't know it, the Restoration Department has been functioning without pause for way over two

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