Steam Gauge Museum
(Page 4 of 4)
July / August 2005
By Barry L. David
The pick off the rail and load onto the trailer went surprisingly well. But like any project of this magnitude, there always has to be a catch. My catch was that I was unfamiliar with a little known Utah law that applied to heavy haul companies preventing them from being on the road during rush hour.
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It was 3 p.m. in the afternoon by the time the caboose was loaded so it had to sit until the next morning throwing off my crane schedules. I had not arranged for a crane the following day. Fortunately, the picking crane company was willing to drive the 55 miles, at 30 mph, to my location for $125 per hour, including drive time, both ways.
It was thrilling seeing the caboose coming across the river into Newton, Utah. There was a pilot car in the lead with a tall pole attached to the fender. The pole was extended to the same height as the load so as to identify wires that had to be manually lifted out of the way of the caboose.
Carefully, the crane operator swung the caboose off the truck and sat it on the concrete footings. Now the hard work began.
It would take almost a year to restore the caboose. A very kind mechanical engineer at BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) was extremely helpful in the restoration. He was able to copy to a computer disk many of the original blue prints and several original pictures of the caboose.
I had to run electrical lines and restore the exterior. I used polishing compound to remove the oxidation and a clear coat epoxy to seal the old exterior paint. I also had to freshen up the logos and numbering with white paint. I was able to fabricate several of the missing pieces including the grab irons and replaced the roof walks. I was actually able to find an original firecracker antenna and marker light on the Internet.
After the caboose was complete, I installed the display cases for the steam gauge collection. Railroad gauge displays include locomotive boiler gauges, brake gauges (locomotive and railcar), heating and lighting gauges, feed water and stoker gauges. Traction engine and early fire engine gauges are also a favorite of mine.
If you're planning a trip to the area, please write for an appointment.
Contact the Antique American Steam Gauge Museum at: P.O. Box 152, 161 S. 100 E., Newton, UT 84327.
The Antique American Steam Gauge, a Collector's Guide, printed by Astragal Press, is available through Farm Collector Books, click here for ordering information.
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