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Good luck to you, Madison. I sure hope that you are successful in your endeavor. Any transportation related item that old and that is still in existence deserves to be rebuilt and preserved. Remember, I've heard this before: "If an item was once built: It can be built again." Try to stay as faithful to the original as you are able. I realize that there is another McKeen car in existence, up in Nevada, but that car has none of it's original mechanical equipment. Don't know where you can find an original McKeen motor and drive system for this car BUT, don't give up trying.
Paul Fischer
The Nevada Museum tried to find the old mechanics, and searched at least to the
Toledo area of Ohio, where one was turned into a restaurant that burned....guess
they had no luck. That dawn of civilization engine and drive train would have been
as much of a pain to operate today as it was when new. I hope the Nevada one
keeps up appearances wuth the external appearance of the front truck, anyway?
Preservation of this is warranted, available correct drive train, or not. Steamers that have no chance of ever rolling again are preserved statically all over. God forbid, but anything happens to the body of the one in Nevada and at least something could be re-assembled.
Mr. Fisher, Thank you for your advice, I will try to keep as much original material as possible, but when it comes to the trucks, I will build them to the original plans, but I am planning on placing a 350 H.P. Diesel hydraulic drive in the car.
Colorado Hirailer, The NSRM was trying to find the trucks of the Lakeside and Marblehead Railroad McKeen Car #1, which lasted up till around the 60's when it caught fire, and destroyed the attached building. The car it's self didn't get badly damaged, as it's was made of all steel. As far as I know, the car and trucks have been scrapped, the car post '60, and the trucks post '50. If you could, I would like you to email me at admin@mckeencar.com.
Adriatic, Yes, and the thankfully I can fake the power plant with a diesel, as building a new engine from scrap that didn't work in the first place would be useless. Now, if an original motor truck, rear truck, and engine turn up, I would use them, but even them, I may want to convert the car over to a more reliable design. As for the rest of the car, it will be restored to a factory like condition.
I think I'm adding a visit to your car to my bucket list, wish me luck
.
Just email me at anytime (after I get the car) and I would gladly give you a tour.
Originally Posted by Adriatic:
I think I'm adding a visit to your car to my bucket list, wish me luck.
Best of luck with your endeavor, Madison. This is a highly ambitious project and I admire your dedication.
When I was younger, I helped with raw metal restorations on early 1920s road vehicles that looked much worse than this McKeen when we began.
The only reason it doesn't look that bad is because the metal isn't there to look bad. about 70% of it will have to be replaced.
Originally Posted by Adriatic:
When I was younger, I helped with raw metal restorations on early 1920s road vehicles that looked much worse than this McKeen when we began.
I think that the restoration of this car will be a little bit like the guy who was selling George Washington's original axe that he chopped the cherry down with. Over the years, they've had to replace the handle about three times and the axe head twice, but it still is George's "original" cherry tree axe.
Paul Fischer
Here, thankfully, most of the body and frame is still there, sadly, I think that only the center frame can be saved.
Originally Posted by fisch330:
I think that the restoration of this car will be a little bit like the guy who was selling George Washington's original axe that he chopped the cherry down with. Over the years, they've had to replace the handle about three times and the axe head twice, but it still is George's "original" cherry tree axe.
Paul Fischer
Originally Posted by Mill City:
Best of luck with your endeavor, Madison. This is a highly ambitious project and I admire your dedication.
Wow, that's what Bill Murray in Ghostbusters would have referred to as a 'Unique fixer-upper opportunity'...
Reminds of Doyle McCormack's ALCO PA project or a few airplane restorations which started only with a bent up main spar and a builder's tag.
I can't read the full article, and maybe it's mentioned there, but...
There appear to be vestibule doors at each end. Was this car converted to a trailer of some type?
Sdm4, the car was,converted,to a combineation car around 1935, and thats when the doors were cut into the front and rear end of the car.
Thanks Madison.
Originally Posted by Madison Kirkman:
The only reason it doesn't look that bad is because the metal isn't there to look bad. about 70% of it will have to be replaced.
"Welcome to the world of rusty metal working!" (time to keep an good eye on your tetanus shot records 
)
The V&T McKeen Car never had a Winton engine. It was sent to the railroad
from the factoey with a 200H.P., stantion, double block, striaght six, 5600
C.I. engine, built by the McKeen Motor Car Company. That engine lasted to
the end of the of that car in 1946. As far as know, only Riotti. Samet,
and McKeen engines were the only engines ever used by the factory. I have
a,freind up at the N.S.R.M., and he says some of the members dont know what
they're talking about, so if thats where you got that infomation, then
thats why your wrong.
On Nov 19, 2014 2:27 PM, "O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum" <alerts@hoop.la>
wrote:
from the factoey with a 200H.P., stantion, double block, striaght six, 5600
C.I. engine, built by the McKeen Motor Car Company. That engine lasted to
the end of the of that car in 1946. As far as know, only Riotti. Samet,
and McKeen engines were the only engines ever used by the factory. I have
a,freind up at the N.S.R.M., and he says some of the members dont know what
they're talking about, so if thats where you got that infomation, then
thats why your wrong.
On Nov 19, 2014 2:27 PM, "O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum" <alerts@hoop.la>
wrote:
well, thank you so much. I've deleted the post. So sorry to have posted such erroneous information. Wonderful to be corrected by an authority.
Oh, I've had much worse false statement. Most people say things like, oh, it doesn't have portholes, it has to be GE, or things like that. Where did you hear that though?
Originally Posted by mtnhi7:
well, thank you so much. I've deleted the post. So sorry to have posted such erroneous information. Wonderful to be corrected by an authority.
Originally Posted by Madison Kirkman:
Oh, I've had much worse false statement. Most people say things like, oh, it doesn't have portholes, it has to be GE, or things like that. Where did you hear that though?
And one cool thing to add, the same McKeen Engine was used in the V&T over the years, and had acquired over 500,000 miles on it.
Originally Posted by mtnhi7:
well, thank you so much. I've deleted the post. So sorry to have posted such erroneous information. Wonderful to be corrected by an authority.
Madison all i can say is good luck with your project. so many on this forum complain about the younger generation not being interested in trains as well as being only interested in their I-phones, computers and x-boxes. well here's a young man who obviously has a plan and definitely interested in trains.
At least I brought hope back to the table, and thank you for your comment, I don't play much X-box, but as you can tell I do a lot of computer work, especially since I have done all of my website work by myself.
Originally Posted by 69nickeycamaro:
Madison all i can say is good luck with your project. so many on this forum complain about the younger generation not being interested in trains as well as being only interested in their I-phones, computers and x-boxes. well here's a young man who obviously has a plan and definitely interested in trains.
