Interior restoration of our vintage Pullman passenger car Nickel Plate 90 is underway. Initial funding is courtesy of the recently awarded grant from the John H. Emery Heritage trust. Work includes replacement of the window shades, some seat repairs, replacement of damaged curved ceiling panels and putting the rest room back into working order. Check out the car restoration updates for our progress.
Past restoration projects include our own Nickle Plate passenger cars 62 and 90, Mt. Baxter and more recently NYC RR Business Car Number 4, America and cars for private owners as well. Currently we are working on windows and rusted window columns on Mt. Baxter with funds received through John Emery grants received last year and this year. The B&O passenger car in the top photo was sold and refurbished for use as an office. It can be seen in Hartville near the train station.
NKP 62 suffered some broken windows and exterior paint damage while it was on location in Mississippi last year for the filming of the ABC Network mini-series “Women of the Movement”. Volunteers have been working to replace the broken windows and also replace a few rotted window frames.
Replacement window frames and sills, made from mahogany, have been assembled to the glass panes, primed and painted and await installation into NKP 62.
“America” is returning to Cleveland in September after riding the rails throughout the United States for the past year on excursion service to an individual who used the car as his office on wheels while seeing the country. Maintenance and repairs will soon be underway to ready the car for possible excursion service in early 2023.
Volunteers were busy doing the preliminary work on our Pullman passenger car Nickel Plate 90 by removing window shades and seats along with removing the original commode from the rest room. Window shades are being staged for replacement and seats were removed for access to the curved ceiling panels and peeled paint beneath the windows. A few seats need upholstery work and all seats need a deep cleaning. The car returned to Midwest after five years away on excursion service and hopes are to turn it around by the end of summer.
