Restoration Week, June 4-7, 2012

By Karl Schaeffer, Rod Bunyard and Don Paulson

Fourteen people worked a total of 309 hours this week and importantly accomplished a great deal in restoration. They painted Motor 1, GG4, the caboose, the outfit car and the stock car. They finished all the work scheduled on M1 and GG4 and then some. Much track work was added to the program due to a change in the plan for transporting GG4 to Golden on Monday the 11th. I want to give a special thank you to Don Paulson, Bob Meyer and Rod Bunyard who all did an excellent job as team leaders. Their initiative, industry and leadership was instrumental in accomplishing all the results achieved. It is said an army runs on its stomach and special thanks To Jim and Kathy Pettengill for providing food and beverage all week.

Below is a photo of the work crew on the last day after four days of hard work (l to r: Don Kellogg, Stuart Harrah (kneeling), Bill Ellicott, Bob Meyer, Jim Pettengill, Karl Schaeffer, Gary Wolf, Rod Bunyard, Tom Hillhouse, Michael O'Connell, Chris weiser, Don Paulson, and Bill Pratt.

Below are some highlights of work accomplished on Motor 1

Painted the wheel chain red and added a red "handle"

Removed the old "coffin" and built a new one.

Installed angle brackets connecting the rear panel to the side panels.

Refastened window bracket on passenger door.

Painted the wood and metal black in box and cab (inside & out).

Polished the nickel plated surfaces.

Painted the bottom of the radiator silver.

Repainted the bearing blocks black.

Repaired the headlights and left horn.

Held training session for motormen.

Loaded the Motor on the trailer and moved it to the parking area.

Waxed the green metal areas. (Hood, cowling and sides, sanders)

Prepared poles for white flags.

The crew working on Motor #1 included Michael O'Connell, Stuart Harrah, Rod Bunyard

(leader) and Don Kellogg.  Karl was consulted several times and helped.

Restoration Work on Goose 4 and Other RRRM Cars - First Three Days

On Monday, the crew washed the south side of the Goose box and applied lettering and decals. They painted the concession area in the Goose box, attached sanders to the front, and primed and painted molding around the windows. The light bracket was attached to the front of the Goose box and the Goose stove cleaned out.  Goose motormen had a training session.

On Tuesday, the team washed and applied lettering decals to the north side of the Goose box. Angle braces on the awning were repaired and new rubber gaskets added to the windshield. The south side of the caboose and the work car received a new coat of paint. The west platform of the caboose was scraped, sanded and re-caulked and steps to the stock car repaired. Repairs were made to the drop doors on gon No. 702.

On Wednesday, the crew painted the south side and north door of the stock car, as well as the west caboose platform and door. The drop bottom gondola door blocks were installed and a hole on the east caboose platform partially filled. They sanded and repainted the west caboose door and painted the pilot and fenders on the Goose bus body.  The crew added a new panel to the rear door of the Goose box.

On Thursday a lot of track work was done getting the track aligned and extended so that the goose could be loaded onto the semi tractor trailer for shipment to Golden the following week. Finally, another Goose motormen training session was held for the eight goose motormen.

Here are several photos of the group at work:

1) Bill Pratt (l) and Bill Ellicott (r) after finishing some repair work on drop bottom Gon No. 702.

2) (Top to Bottom): Chris Weiser, Don Kellogg, and Bob Meyer after finishing work on Goose No 4.

3) The paint crew at work repainting the south side of Caboose 0575(l to r): Don Paulson, Bill Pratt, and Campbell Stanton

4) Goose No. 4 Letteriing Crew (l to r): Don Kellog, Chris Weiser, Karl Schaeffer and Bob Meyer

5) The Motor No. 1 Crew (L to r): Michael O'Connell, Stuart Harrah, and Rod Bunyard.

6) Tom Hillhouse (l) and Bob Meyer admiring the new door molding on Goose No. 4.

7) Gary Wolf (l) and Campbell Stanton admiring their silver paint work.

8) Carrying rail to the new track (l to r): Don Paulson, Chris Weiser, Bob Meyer and Rod Bunyard

9) Track Laying gang (l to r): Stuart Harrah, Karl Schaeffer, Rod Bunyard, Chris Weiser and Bob Meyer.

10) Laying the final piece of rail (l to r): Chis Weiser, Karl Schaeffer, and Bill Ellicott.

11) Jim Pettengill setting up one of his and Kathy's wonderful lunches.