Hello all,
I am hoping some of you might be able to help me out a bit. I have
found a retired CB&Q NE12a Way Car for sale, but the car has been
partially stripped and is in need of a major renovation.
A bit of background is in order on this. My dad was a traveling
equipment operator on the CB&Q. He started in 1953 and retired from
the BN in 1985. In the "old days" the CB&Q assigned bunk cars to
many of the equipment operators and families were allowed to stay in
them also. I spent many of my youngest childhood years growing up in
our bunkcar (along with my six brothers and sisters) which was built
from a 40' wood outside braced boxcar. Dad always said he wanted to
buy his bunkcar when it was retired, however it was scrapped before
he had the chance. Afterward he had often talked of buying a way car
to put on the home place but the financial strain of raising seven
kids never allowed that. Dad passed away in 1998.
Now that I have found this car, I feel I have the opportunity to
fulfill my dad's unrealized dream. My intent would be to restore
this car to the original condition it was in when in use on the
CB&Q, and most likely to donate it to a museum (in my dad's name)
upon my ultimate demise. The car is stripped beyond what I would
normally consider tackling but it appeals to me for a few other
reasons, the car was built in 1959 (at least as indicated on the
consolidated stencil) that is the year I was born, it was built in
the Havelock shops in my birthplace city of Lincoln, Nebraska; it is
very possible that it was on the erecting floor the day I was born.
Structurally, the car is sound, the cushion unit is out but for
display it isn't a problem. If the car would go to an operating
museum this would need to be looked at but I'm not considering this
to be a problem now. The main problem with the car is the interior
is stripped. The previous owner removed everything from the cupola
forward, including the stove, fuel oil tank, conductors desk, and
bunks. The cupola is complete on one side but on the other, all of
the lockers that support the cupola seat have been removed.
Unfortunately all items removed went right to the dump about five
years ago.
My questions for you are to do mainly with aquiring the needed parts
to restore the interior. I can have the sheet steel for the lockers
fabricated in a steel shop. The doors might present more of a
problem, the latches seem to be a unique design, I have noticed that
some other way cars or cabooses use the same latches, are they
available somewhere or are there used items available? Also does
anyone know where any of the other parts might be available? I think
that with some good drawings I can build or have built many of the
easier items such as he bunks and the conductors desk. I would need
to find the proper stove.
Does anyone know of any specific drawings, or even photos of the
interiors of these cars? I know there are a few of these cars in
captivity, I'm not sure how many are complete. I plan to visit a few
to get measurements and photos. Unfortunately that takes time and I
don't have much of that.
The current owner has offered me what I consider to be a great deal,
but it has a very short window of opportunity. He also wants to see
the car restored but, if I do not take it, the car will become a
cabin on a lake.
Any help anyone could give me would be greatly appreciated. The
restoration will be paid for out of my pocket and will probably take
10 years or more. I just want to make sure this is a viable project
before I commit to it. I don't want to find that interior materials
are so hard to find that I give up the project and turn it into a
cabin myself.
Thanks in advance for any information you might have.
Rick Briney
Sturgis, SD
Proud son of a Burlington Man
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