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Well, the paint job
is now complete and the overall restoration is nearing completion!
On September 5, X201
emerged from the shop with 4 coats of Sherwin Williams Sher-cryl HPA
“Safety Red” paint and one coat of Sher-clear 1K clear coat. The
yellow-belly masking was removed leaving a striking contrast between the
yellow bay window and the red car body.
On September 16, I
began to apply the lettering and miscellaneous car markings. The
consolidated stencil, wheel inspection decal and end-of-car numbers were
applied.
X201 was returned to
revenue service on September 23, 2006. As seen in the roster photo below,
the correct SR numbering and lettering has been applied. The original
lettering reproduced very carefully. I sketched and measured the
individual letters and numbers to the nearest 1/8”. In 1:1 scale, I drew
the numbers and letters using AutoCAD software. The CAD file was emailed
to Reidler Decal Corp. in St. Clair, Pennsylvania. Reidler specializes in
graphics for the railroad industry. I ran across their ad in a railroad
publication and gave them a shot. I felt comfortable with Reidler since
they produce railcar graphics, logos, misc. car markings, etc for railcars
day in and day out. The decals were printed on 3M Railcal, a very fine,
amazingly thin vinyl. The letters and numbers were cut perfectly; almost
too perfect since the original lettering was some sort of paint “tape”
that SR slapped on the car body in rough fashion. I made the mistake of
applying the lettering on a windy day, which I will never do again. I
ruined the “U” on one side and had to break into my spare set to complete
the job.
A note about decal
costs, etc. The total cost of the lettering, consolidated stencils, and
wheel inspection logos was $337.65. This included the set-up fee and the
decals themselves. Each individual decal becomes less expensive as the
quantity increases. Therefore I was able to order an extra pair of each
decal at a fraction of the cost of the initial set. My thinking was that
if I kept the extra decals in a climate controlled closet, they would be
good the next time around (although I’m now minus a “U”!). If anyone out
there is restoring a SR caboose, I would highly recommend Reidler for the
lettering since they have the SR caboose lettering on file now. The only
thing necessary would be to measure and sketch the other numbers – 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. I would be happy to assist anyone with that. I also
have the design and CAD file for the correct “ACI” label, or bar-code,
unique to X201. Due to the intricate details of the ACI label, this decal
was priced to me at $218 per pair , so I have placed that purchase on hold
to see how my budget goes on the remainder of the project.
Moving to the
interior…..The entire interior has been repainted with Rustoleum Smoke
Gray, which is very close to the gray color used by the SR for caboose
interiors. This part of the project was not hard, just time consuming.
You come to appreciate all the uneven surfaces, conduits, rivets, corners,
etc that are present after the third day of painting. I’d like to thank
my buddy T.C. Vickery for his help in painting the interior. I’d have
given up about half-way if not for Tommy.
The marker light
lenses have been installed. I ordered new lenses from the McDermott
Corporation in Chicago, the producer of the original marker lenses on the
SR cabs. A pair of lenses was just over $50…..ouch!
The next photo shows
the first interior stencils have been applied over each door and each
large bay window. I verified the correct font height by measuring the
stencils in a couple of derelict SR cabs at NS’s Norris Yard in
Birmingham. Also, I was able to sand through the paint and find X201’s
original stenciling over the door. The new “X201” stencil was created
from the same CAD file mentioned above, but scaled to the correct 2”
font. I had this cut in vinyl at the local graphics shop, removed the
characters and used the remaining outline as a stencil. Thanks to fellow
museum member and friend Jeff Murphree for this idea. The stencil cost
was $4.80.
The last photo for
this update shows X201 on October 14 bringing up the rear of the day’s
“Pumpkin Patch Express” excursion at the Heart of Dixie RR Museum. The
L&N Historical Society Special took the siding for the regularly scheduled
Pumpkin Patch train to pass. The Special was part of the events of the L&N
H.S. Convention held in Birmingham last month.
Remaining work for
next update:
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Complete interior stenciling
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Exterior stenciling ( 2” COMP SHOES, BLT GANTT MFG
9-71, and Safety slogan above steps)
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Solar panel and marker light refurbishment
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