RALPH RESTORES THE SPEEDER...
1 OCTOBER 2016
Today, at the request of Richard F., curator of the Petaluma Trolley Living History Railway Museum, I tarped the Speeder. I notified him by email and added, "It's like the TARDIS on Dr. Who. It's bigger on the inside."
He emailed back: "Where's the sonic screwdriver stored?" I informed him that we're "Still negotiating with the Darleks for its return."
Cost: $() (I found some tarps under the old Windsplitter and cord in the kitchen. Hopefully, the NWPRRHS gents won't mind.)
Note to self: I'm rehearsing how I'll respond to myself on those days I think:
"What the hell was I thinking?"
RESTORATION PHASES - The Master Plan
9 OCTOBER 2016
Received the following Instant Message from Darren D. in Tennessee:
"Ralph, at one time you could contact Harsco Track Technologies at Fairmont, MN and they would look up the information on that serial number for you. I am not sure if that service is still available or if the plant is still open there. The closest information I have to your serial number denotes your car being built in 1945. Do you have the serial number from the water jacket or engine block?"
11 OCTOBER 2016
Today I called HARSCO RAIL in Columbia, South Carolina. Spoke with Drew in the Fairmont Parts Dept. Told him I was looking to track down the history of a Fairmont Speeder we're restoring here in Petaluma, California. I recall he responded, "Whoa." With a chuckle, I responded, "Yeah, not the sort of request you get every day, I'm sure." He put me in touch with Denise who gave me a snapshot rundown that, I predict, will save me a lot of time in the early stages of the restoration process. Turns out that after all Fairmont Speeder production moved from Minnesota to North Carolina, some time later, NARCOA (the North American Railcar Owners Association) donated money to build a room to house all the historical records on Fairmont Speeders back in Martin County, Minnesota. Denise said that the Martin County Historical Society (MCHS) will research the car's records and provide me with a 'History Card' which includes the year the car was manufactured, options that came with the car, and who the car was first sold to. "Sounds like I hit the jackpot," I said. She then provided me the phone number and a name, 'Jim,' at the Martin County Historical Society. Jim put me on the phone with 'Lenny'. I repeated my story to Lenny. He said they would need the Car #, Engine # or both and added, "We have hundreds of thousands of records." He asked me to forward him my request by email but took down the Serial # that I took off of one of the aluminum embossed plates that Gus C. of the NWPRRHS provided me when he handed over a large Manila envelope back in August. The envelope contained a photocopy of the original 1929 Fairmont Speeder owner's manual (more than 200 pp!) along with assorted plates that had been removed from the exterior of the Speeder back in or about 1999-2000 when he first acquired the motorcar from an owner in Rohnert Park, California. I sent the requested email to Lenny and CCed Gus C., Mike M. (both of the NWPRRHS) and Richard F. (curator of the Petaluma Trolley Living History Railway Museum. By the way, during the call with Lenny, when he heard that I was a member of the Petaluma Trolley Living History Railway Museum, he further inquired. I informed him that we restore beautiful railcars and that we're currently planning a very big fundraiser to save the Water Street Trestle -- "We're raising $5 million." He seemed intrigued.
1 OCTOBER 2016
Received a call today from Guy H. in, if I recall, Oregon. A member of NARCOA (the North American Railcar Operators Association), Guy was responding to the series of letters I sent out about a week ago to names of motorcar restoration enthusiasts whose names I had secured from 12 or so pages of online motorcar groups dating to on or about 1999-2000, contained within a Manilla envelope that the Fairmont Speeder's owner, Gus C. provided me back in August 2016. That Manilla envelope, byi the way, also contained photocopied pages of an original Fairmont Speeder owner's manual, copyright 1929, with a printing date of 1935. Howard was beyond helpful in prepping me for my restoration efforts. He emphasized that he was speaking from personal experience only. From his vantage point, he said there are basically two approaches to restoration:
-- Correct the motorcar mechanically;
-- Stay within the NARCOA rulebook of what's required of a restored motorcar.
(Note: I have not yet acquired the NARCOA rulebook nor joined the organization, but I intend to do that soon.)
I asked him if restoration worked much the same way as antique automobiles in which, if I recall, more than 15% new parts would knock the restored vehicle out of the award-candidate category. His response was unanticipated and intriguing:
"We don't get involved with 100% restoration because reliability and safety are the most important (considerations). You can make modifications and enhancements within limits." Okay, so that made my job a bit easier. I interpreted his advice to mean I wouldn't necessarily have to track down all original parts. There would be room for, for example, wiring that wasn't sheathed in cloth. His point, as I understood it, is that in keeping with the original intent of these vehicles, operation and reliability trumped aesthetics. Interesting. A little like a cold water wake-up call, this put a whole new spin on what I thought might be my intent: to produce a beautiful looking restored car.
I described what I knew so far about the Speeder and that I was under the impression, based on photos of other Fairmont Speeders I had seen online, that the motorcar probably dated to the 1930s. He said, "Well, it's certainly pre World War Two. (It wouldn't have been made) during World War Two because the break and throttle levers (which he noted from the photos on my web site) have aluminum" (which, his accent suggesting Irish, Scottish or British and the emphasis he put on the syllables, made the word sound far more poetic and lyrical.) He also noted that this conclusion was suggested by the fact that the Speeder I'm restoring is water cooled vs. air cooled. He recommended that I:
-- piece any damage to the frame; do not weld but bolt in replacement pieces;
-- replace the frame rails;
-- use rolled steel;
-- transfer bolt holes; [I'll have to get clarification on that.]
-- paint it and put it back in;
-- the engine will have to come out for general restoration;
-- do a compression check before removing the engine;
Guy noted that the engines on Fairmont Speeders were first designed in 1918 and that the first engines employed ('INAD' -- can't make out my notes) bearing for load of drive belt and that up to through the early 70s, meant that there were three sets of bearings. From this, he concluded that, "Yours is probably older."
He also recommended that I:
-- fix the ignition;
-- rebuild the simple carburetor and to contact Fredericksburg Shops for this;
-- dismantle it to level[(must clarify this].
he noted that the chances that the fuel tank is going to give me problems are "pretty high." I should consider replacing the fuel tank; they are widely available.
I told him that I had heard from a young mechanic who I struck up a conversation with a few weeks earlier at a laundromat in Santa Rosa, that I should acid bath the engine. Guy said he thought that acid bathing the engine would be a bit extreme whereas having the tank cleaned with hot water through a power wash would probably be sufficient.After all, "if the engine has compression, there's not much more to do other than to take apart the carb and check for rust."
I also noted that my online research indicates that many Speeders of the type I'm restoring appear to have fabric roofs and fabric sides and that the one I'm restoring has a metal frame on the sides and roof that suggests it must have held something, otherwise why would it be there? Guy confirmed that the early cars did, in fact, have fabric roofs. "These cars came with a range of versions. Some had no front, others, no top; there were options for side curtains."
We discussed transmission issues (here, intended to mean anything that plays a role in the motorcar's movement). Guy noted that the wheel bearings do not have seals so when I pressure wash the car, I will want to protect the bearings from water and dust. He also noted that the bearings are "a pain in the a-- to replace" and that I must adjust the shims.
I asked how hot a temperature on average the motor runs. He said that nowhere on the engine does it get above 212 degrees since it is water cooled.
As for paint, Guy recommended 'high quality rattle paint."
Guy also graciously provided me the name and phone number of a NARCOA member closer to my area recommending that I connect with Steve P. in the San Jose area.
11 OCTOBER 2016
Wow! That was quick. Received the following email today from Lenny T. at the Martin County (Minnesota) Historical Society. Needless to say, I got my money order in the mail right away. Very exciting development!
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Ralph,
I have the information you have requested. Please send a check in the amount of $10.00 payable to MCHS mailed to the address in my signature line below marked ATTN: Lenny. Let me know if you want a PDF e.mailed to you as an attachment or if you want a hard copy via U.S. mail. If by U. S. mail, please indicate the address where you want it sent. It will be sent upon receipt of payment.
Thank you!
Lenny T.
Executive Director
Martin County Historical Society
304 E. Blue Earth Ave.
Fairmont, MN 56031-2865
.
14 OCTOBER 2016
Lenny came through!
Tonight, I discovered the email below with a pdf attachment in my inbox. Although I cannot upload the pdf to this site (I'm working on how to convert it to a jpeg image file so I can upload it here), the yellow, ruled History Card indicates that the Fairmont Speeder was manufactured on June 8th, 1945, and first sold on June 18th, 1945 to the 'Central Califronia (sic) Traction Company' in Los Angeles. The car was shipped to a "W.L. White - General Manager, Car Shops" in Stockton, California on June 19th, 1945.
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Lenny T.
Attachments1:21 PM (8 hours ago)
to me
Ralph,
See attached – hope it helps you!
Lenny T.
Executive Director
Martin County Historical Society
304 E. Blue Earth Ave.
Fairmont, MN 56031-2865
www.fairmont.org/mchs
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Turns out the CENTRAL CALIFORNIA TRACTION COMPANY is still in the train business! Their site: cctrailroad.com. I just wrote them via their on-site correspondence fields:
Hello.
Delighted to let you know that, with the help of the Martin County (Minnesota) Historical Society, we've discovered that the 71-year-old Fairmont Speeder I'm about to spend the next two years restoring here in Petaluma, CA, was first sold to you guys!
The details from the History Card:
The Fairmont Speeder was manufactured on June 8th, 1945, and first sold on June 18th, 1945 to the 'Central Califronia (sic) Traction Company' in Los Angeles. The car was shipped to a "W.L. White - General Manager, Car Shops" in Stockton, California on June 19th, 1945.
You can learn more about my restoration project, which is under the direction of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society (nwprrhs.org) and the Petaluma Trolley Living History Railway Museum (petalumatrolley.org) at: FairmontSpeeder.com.
If you have any information on W.L. White - General Manager, I'd love to receive it!
Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.
Regards,
Ralph Scott
'Help Ralph Restore the Speeder'
fairmontspeeder.com
E: ralphrestoresthespeeder@gmail.com
More on Central California Traction Company here.
Martin County Historical Society, Fairmont, MN
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17 OCTOBER 2016
Today, a member of the 'Abandoned Rails' Facebook group where members post eerily beautiful photographs of rails that are, it seems, more captivating in death than when locomotives and railcars raced over them, recommended that I join "Railroad Motorcar / Speeder Operators." It's a 'Closed Group," but I reached out to them and was soon granted membership. Then I posted a simple note about my project. I think I hit the 'Mother Lode" of Speeder restoration folk. I've been deluged with advice. Joe W. in Kentucky, who restored a model similar to mine and is also a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, turned me on to TrainOrders.com where someone ('wpjones') did what I intend to do: documented the entire restoration. He did it pictorially in blog fashion writing under the title: 'So, you wanna buy a motorcar?"
What a find! The author gives a play-by-play with pictures. I'm going to be all over this.
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20 OCTOBER 2016
After posting a Fairmont Speeder restoration project blurb on the 'Railroad Motorcar / Speeder Operators' FB group page. I received responses not only from speeder collectors from Kentucky to Auckland, New Zealand...I was contacted by 'Ken' of Petaluma who owns a collection of Fairmont Speeders, has a shop loaded with parts and tools, fired up his 1945 F.S. and has agreed to advise me on the engine overhaul step by step. An engineer by trade, he has a pretty amazing facility. Took him three months to restore the one he cranked up for me. Meanwhile another owner from Montana, who has a property in Santa Rosa with a Speeder in the driveway, will be back in NorCal in three weeks and has offered to come by the lot and review the '45 F.S. I'm restoring.
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16 NOVEMBER 2016
Been in conversation with several Motorcar restoration buffs and experts. Doug L. from Montrose, PA, who is also an employee in the mechanics shop at STEAMTOWN, has encouraged me with his assurances that this will be a really good project and worth doing. Ken, the president of West Coast Railroaders Group in Petaluma, CA, invited me to his shop on the west side of town to fire up a 1946 model of a similar 'S2.' Amidst a garage packed with tractors, motorcars and lots of parts -- lots of parts -- he had me inspect the inside of an engine to see that types of carbon deposits I'm likely to encounter when I dismantle the two-stroke engine on the Fairmont 'S2' I'm scheduled to begin restoring in mid to late December. After seven attempts, Ken cranked his motorcar into turning over, immediately convincing me that when 'maintenance of way' crews rushed to the scene of a problem, they could never pull this off covertly. These motorcars are LOUD. You can definitely hear them coming from the first put-put-put-put. They also kick out a lot of grey smoke. (See the video below.)
18 DECEMBER 2016
Why the hiatus? Petaluma has been plagued by rain. We've marked out the area in the Trolley Yard where we will move the motorcar, so that everyone can see the restoration in progress when walking down Washington Street, but the rain has made it impossible to pull together a crew to move it. Stay tuned....
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14 JANUARY 2017
After weeks and weeks of rain which set the launch date back at least two months, we finally move the Fairmont Speeder from the back to the front of the trolley yard lot at the Petaluma Trolley Living History Railway Museum. Only one casualty: While removing the blue tarpaulin, I slipped in the mud and tore up my right hand a bit. Well, they say you gotta put your blood and sweat into your work, so I'm off to a good start. Let the restoration begin.....
25 MAY 2017
After months of rain followed by two months of little to no rain, it's time to put up the canopy, the first step in the restoration. The canopy was provided by a grant from Kendra M. of Petaluma. It's a 12'x15' vinyl canopy manufactured by ShelterLogic. See what we did today.....
