Steam & Excursion > Ft.WRHS Acquires Ex-Cp Observation Dome Car

 The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society has acquired a former Canadian Pacific dome-sleeper-observation car that will be assigned to its Indiana Rail Experience excursions.
The car, Riding Mountain Park, is being restored at the society’s shops in New Haven, Indiana.
The overhaul is expected to cost $250,000 as workers address issues with the HVAC systems and spruce up the interior furnishings.

A private donor contributed the money used to purchase the car. The society is seeking donations to be used to pay for the car’s overhaul.
It is the third streamliner era rail car the FtWHS has acquired this year. Earlier, it bought two former Pennsylvania Railroad cars, Collinsville Inn and Franklin Inn, from the Washington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.

Riding Mountain Park was once a regular on the Toronto-Vancouver Canadian.
It has much of its original interior and artwork and has for the past decade been in storage on the Adrian & Blissfield Rail Road in Michigan. From the akronrrblog 

VERY NICE !!!

SOUNDS LIKE A REAL GEM... 
WELL PRESERVED?

Neglected electrical equipment can present persistent, annoying 
intermittent problems. ..... can chase those tor years...

?Original, Self contained electrical power source; OR, 3-phase, 440v,  from a  'head-end' generator?

​W.

it is still a  DC steam car iirc

dan Wrote:
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> it is still a  DC steam car iirc

Correct.  Should still have the original steam heat/DC system.  

Most important aspect of reliable steam system is 
'operating' element of steam-condensate traps'

The function of the traps is to confine the steam in the car heating's
piping.  The traps contain an alcohol-filled, sealed, simple bellows... 
Water, from the car's heaters,  is cold, allowing the bellows to contract..
....opening the drain slightly...

Steam is HOT, expanding the bellows, stopping the draining.
Typically, the bellows reach a steady-state ---- with a very small, steady 
wisp on condensate, blowing continuously.

Sloppy maintenance over time, + failure to replace malfunctioning 
trap bellows...leads to extensive exterior moisture clouds, blowing in the wind..

Old story around places like Washington Union Station:
"The B&O heats their trains by running steam thru the cars;
  Pennsy heats their trains by running the cars thru the steam!...."
HA!

​W.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/22 11:41 by wcamp1472.

Yep, new electric baseboard heat will be needed to replace the steam heat.