Subject: Suppliers of Specialty Items (5/27/1993)
[11/5/86] At the Milwaukee convention, we had Mr. Steve Lamb of Diesel Power Equipment Co. speak to the last meeting of the shop committee, and to those members who desired to attend. He presented a slide show and lecture showing the application of the Deutz diesel to 7 of the Union Pacific business cars. Diesel Power builds these units as complete in themselves, so that each one may be interchanged with any other one after disconnecting a few leads and lines. A dual instrumentation system is utilized, so that the units may be completely read and operated from inside the car, just as well as outside, and so that each unit can be run, even when disconnected and removed from a car.
If you are interested in such a system, you may contact Mr. Lamb at Diesel Power Equipment Co., 4511 South 46th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68117.
[3/24/88] The Tourist Railway Association has recently published a manual entitled "Passenger-Car Maintenance Instructions Volume I Running Gear, Part I". This volume is 88 pages long, and contains reprints of passenger car truck repair data from the International Correspondence Schools, Canadian National, and Amtrak. The cost is $12, and if you would like to purchase a copy, please write directly to the Tourist Railway Association, P. O. Box 24841, Denver, Colorado 80224 and enclose your check. The price includes postage.
[8/15/88] Builder's Blue Prints - Through the courtesy of David Jones, I was able to contact Pullman Technology Inc., and found that they have available virtually all of the blue prints ever produced by the Pullman Company for the building of their various passenger cars. In addition, because they have recently been purchased by Bombardier, along with what was left of the Budd Company, it is believed that Pullman Technology Inc. now has or shortly will have available all of the blue prints of the cars built by the Budd Company.
They have been willing to sell 8 x 10 black and white photos made from the original negatives for $10 each, a list of drawings and building specifications for each car for $35, blue prints for $15-$35 each, depending upon how large the prints are, and they also charge a search fee of $25/hour for digging out the information for you.
If you are interested you should contact Mr. Thomas J. Cashmer, Pullman Technology Inc., 16412 Lathrop Avenue, Harvey, Illinois 60426 and provide him with the builder, the railroad for whom built, the car number and name, the date of building, the lot and plan number, the type of car, and any other information which you can get which would help him find the materials which you need, at the minimum research expense.
[9/26/88] HEP Cleat - Raymond Clauss, a new supplier, distributed literature showing a new rubber cleat which will hold the three 4/0 cables in a triangular fashion to standard electrical construction channels. Literature may be obtained from Mr. Clauss at 25 Winding Way West, Morrisonville, Pennsylvania 19067.
[9/26/88] Stainless Signage - Reproductions of 10 stainless steel signs typically found in Budd and Pullman cars are now being manufactured. These include such old favorites as "For Pullman Passengers Only" and "Kindly Flush Toilet After Each Use Except When Train Is Standing At Station". Literature is available from David Jones, Dixie Railroad Corporation, P. 0. Box 9981, Savannah, Georgia 31412.
[1/26/89] Lounge car ashtray stands - David Jones, P. 0. Box 9981, Savannah, Georgia 31412 is trying to get together a group of people to provide sufficient orders to purchase a number of the round rings which go on lounge car ashtray stands. These are the solid ring, and the perforated ring which has the holes for drink glasses. He hopes to provide a stainless set of one of each ring for about $99, if he gets sufficient orders to bring the price down. He also seeks anyone who would like to go in on an order for various stainless steel signs for your car.
[6/26/89] NYC Window Frames - I have received a note from Les Kasten advising that the New York Central was the only post war purchaser of window frames which would fit both Budd and Pullman built cars. Les is attempting to get a group together to pay for the tooling to have the R. E. Jackson Co. manufacture the windows. The idea would be that the New York Central car owners would own the tooling, and split the costs of making the frames in bedroom, roomette, and hallway sizes. Les estimates the tooling costs at $700, and the individual windows at $325-350. Those who joined the group later would either have to buy their own tooling, or pay some sort of surcharge to use the purchaser group's tooling. If you are interested, contact Les Kasten, who generally has an ad in each issue of Private Varnish.
[12/26/89] NYC Window Frames - I need to correct my last bulletin concerning the tooling for window frames which is being spearheaded by Les Kasten. This is to be a group purchase. What I did not make clear was that these window frames are for emergency windows, and not for the regular window frames. Amtrak has required complete FRA glazing of the American European express cars, including emergency windows in each of the separate sleeping rooms. This is a standard which they also require of their own equipment. So far, these requirements have not been extended to the ordinary privately owned car. The rationale for requiring complete FRA glazing on the American European express cars is that they are operated daily in regular Amtrak service. Most private cars are not, and our equipment remains exempt under the FRA regulations, for the moment. You may wish to consider installing Lexan MR 5000 in your windows, just as Amtrak does.
[12/26/89] Plastic Lenses - Randy Parton of Denver Railcar has had a mold made so that he can vacuum form plastic lenses which very closely resemble those which were made for lounge cars and diners. These lenses are approximately 7-1/2" x 15" x 1-3/4" deep. If you are interested in purchasing these, write to Randy Parton, whose address is in the material recently sent you by Larry Haines.
[10/2/90] Pullman Technology - This company, who is one of our members, has, as I have previously reported, nearly all of the blueprints of the Pullman Company. They are now owned by Bombardier, which also owns the Budd Company blue prints. Therefore, they should be able to supply blueprints for most of the Pullman built and the Budd built cars. About 2 years ago I gave you an estimate of the cost of these prints, but they have now substantially increased. The reason is that the many rebuilders of cars have asked Pullman Technology for copies of prints, without understanding that Pullman Technology is still in the business of providing consulting services to car builders and rebuilders. Prints of the E and F sizes now cost $100, where only two or three years ago they cost $35. In spite of this, they have invaluable prints available, and if you need this information, you should contact: Thomas J. Cashmer, Pullman Technology, Inc., 16412 Lathrop Ave., Harvey, Illinois 60426.
[5/31/91] Maintenance Instructions - Car Bodies - About 2-1/2 years ago the TRAIN organization (Tourist Railway Association, Inc.) mechanical committee prepared a publication on running gear. They have now turned out Volume II which concerns car bodies. It is a series of excerpts from railway construction articles, car repair volumes, and an Amtrak SMP on repairing corrosion. Each volume costs $12 and is available from TRAIN, P. O. Box 460537, Aurora, Colorado 80046-0537. The editors are Steve Zuiderveen and Arne Frobom. If you do any repair work at all on older equipment, I recommend that you buy both volumes.
[8/31/92] HEP connectors - We have a new supplier and according to their brochure, they make the 480 and 2710 connectors, receptacles, plugs, extenders, etc. to Amtrak and AAR specifications. Dave Murray is the sales manager (formerly with Pyle National) and the company is Clements National Company, 6650 South Narragansett Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60638, 1 + 800/966-0016.
[8/31/92] Plastic Pedestal Liners - At the Galveston convention, Polymer Corporation handed out literature on their plastic pedestal jaw liners, which they said were adaptable for use on passenger cars. I have seen plastic liners on locomotive pedestals, but have not seen any on passenger cars. Bob Willetts (owner of the J. Pinckney Henderson) installed the Polymer liners on his car, and states that the liners now act as though they were teflon coated, and the suspension is much smoother and silkier than ever before. The liners are simply a C-cross section of plastic, with a lip at the bottom, which is held to the bottom of the jaw by the usual bolt which ties the pedestal legs together. There is no welding, nor further attachment necessary. I would be interested in other member's evaluation of these liners.
[5/27/93] Electric Tachometers - Larry Haines heard from an old company a few months ago. It is the Electric Tachometer Corporation located at 68th and Uppman Streets in Philadelphia, 19142. These people have been making speedometers for locomotives and business cars since 1916, and are still apparently in the business, and can repair their old meters and gear drives. So, if you need service, do not hesitate to contact them.
[5/27/93] Fabric and Window Shades - David Jones knew that I was looking for window shade material, and sent me a partial catalog from The Constant Hopkins Company, P.O. Box 147, Hollandale, Wisconsin 53544. This company is a very old supplier in the railroad trade, and recently had an ad in the Classified Section of Private Varnish. They are suppliers of fabric and a variety of window shade materials which fit everything from heavy weight Pullmans to light weight Amtrak sleepers. I understand they are looking for suppliers of diaphragms and rubber flooring for Pullman cars. A good source to jot down for your future needs.
[5/27/93] Step Boxes - I was able to visit the Texas Cannon Ball in Houston last week, and noticed that they had a brand new step box. It was not like the current Amtrak models, made out of aluminum pipe. But instead this was the old fashioned pyramid style, once made by Morton, and others. It is extremely light and very well made, and for its lightness was quite sturdy. I would venture to guess that it weighs about one- third of the standard old fashioned steel step box. The box was presented to the Texas Cannon Ball by Harold Schroeder, and I believe he got it from Power Parts, 1860 North Wilmont Street, Chicago, Illinois 60647, who had an ad in a recent Private Varnish.
Paul L. DeVerter II
Comments