THE NEW FLOOR HAS ARRIVED (some assebly required)

After much discussion it was decided the we should start on the floor.  This would help "clean-up" the place, in that we could add rebuilt components permanently, the pieces that were removed to facilitate the car's move could be re-hung.  It would also be a solid platform for those working on the car's interior instead of using sheets of plywood tacked to the cross beams. 

Bruce and Freddy come to an agreement, we will build the floor. 

 

 696's original floor was made from three layers of tongue and groove pine covered with "battleship linoleum". This is a very sturdy product still produced in Europe. I do not know where to find it here in Canada or what it would cost. I did see ads for linoleum in an art brochure and also in a high-end home décor magazine but nothing for industrial use.

Funny thing, I did have battleship linoleum in the kitchen of a home my wife and I owned.  The house was built in 1922 and had the original linoleum floor including an linoleum/asbestos pad for the wood stove to sit on...but I digress.  

For the sub-floor we used two layers of marine grade 3/4 inch plywood.  The top layer will be tongue and groove pine...300 year old pine donated to us by Log's End. 

Like everything else in this project, the flooring could not start until we first did something else beforehand.  We first had to fill the steel C-channels and line the outer edges with wood.  This took time for the carpenters had to cut the pieces to fit around the steel parts. More cuts and notches to the wood had to be made in order to accommodate rivet and bolt heads, rub rails and other obstructions. 

Because the vertical posts on the front platform went straight down to the frame it was decided to do them before starting the floor.  To stabilize the front posts we had to build the roof frame work before stating on the floor.

One of our young helpers is edging and filling the C-channels with wood

Steve is cutting and fitting the front edge.

All the vertical posts had to be installed before the floor could be laid.

 

Next, the vertical posts had to be secured and the best way to that was to built the roof frame and install it before the floor could be started. 

 

Two views of the front steel plates we had made long ago so we installed for fun.  It was also a good place to store them.

 

Here we have Ken and his trusty PL gun doing all the work.  Ken's roof will be installed before he starts on the floor.

 

Ken is the only volunteer to have "groupies" that is how good he is!

 

The roof framework is installed...now can we finally start on the floor, please?

 

Yes we have started installing the floor!

 

Paul, Ken and Rhéaume cut an one inch edge on one short and one long end of the plywood so they would interlock.

 

I know, you thought, I thought, we all thought the floor would finally be finished but Ken, Paul, Steve and Ted had other plans.

 

They wanted to install the four corner posts and six interior posts first.  They cut the key hole then added a key to the post.

As one can see, this took a lot of time, to notch then fit, then cut some more out in order to get the perfect fit.  They did a great job.

 

...then late one Friday afternoon Rhéaume came to say, " Drop all your hanging parts, we are going to lay a floor tonight! "

 

Layer 1 of the floor being installed for good.

 

The plywood had all been dry fitted first. We made sure that there would be room for expansion and for the twisting and turning of the car body when it is rolling along down the track.  Next, came the Sikaflex first on the ribs, then on the plywood's overlapping joints.  Screws then were installed to hold the first layer down.  The screw heads were counter-sunk into the wood.

 

Before the second layer of plywood went down, IKO Stormshield was rolled over Layer 1.  Layer 2's plywood was then laid perpendicular to Layer 1.  Again the joints were treated with a liberal dab of Sikaflex then screwed down in place.

 

The sub-floor is done and all the side posts installed.

 

With the subfloor completed Paul Rhéaume and Ken thought that 2 days would needed to finish the final layer of the floor not including the staining.  I would then be able to drill hole from the bottom up through the new floor and drop in the proper length carriage bolts to hang the equipment from.  Also with the floor installed, the proper height of the seat mounts in the wall could be determined. 

 

Roofing paper was rolled over the subfloor before the pine was laid.  The tongue and groove pine was first tapped into place with a wood block and rubber mallet, then nailed with an air gun.  This exercise went very well and the job was completed in no time.  I even was able to drill a few holes and install some items with Rhéaume's help before the day ended.   

 

Ken picking his pine...nothing but the best for his floor.

 

Ken supervising his man Paul as he lays the roofing paper...nothing but the best for Ken's floor.

 

Ken making a slight adjustment...nothing but the best for his floor.

 

"I couldn't do it without you." Ken says to Paul and Rhéaume with his left hand's fingers crossed.
 

The floor is done. Photo by Ken Hollington.
 

The first Wednesday night after the floor was finished Ken, Ted and ---- sealed and stained the floor.  We will add a third coat of stain as well as Varathane as the project comes to an end.  With the floor done it sure shows that progress has been made on the rebuilding of OTC 696.

 

After Rhéaume and Paul quit, HR sent Ken new men to finish the floor.*

The End...the floor is finished! 

*P.S. Paul and Rhéaume also came back.

 Paul is keeping the floor dust-free. Photo by Ken Hollington.

 

 





Shop ready to roll, at last.

In September of 2012 our new work season started.  These formal work sessions run on Wednesday nights from September through June.  We also worked the odd Saturday in order to finish special projects or participate in Open Doors or local train shows. 

Peter and I working the 696 booth at Ottawa's Open Doors weekend.  We are at the new OC Transpo Industrial Avenue garage.

 

Teddy Dong also worked the show on Open Doors weekend.

Always lots of fun at Open Doors Ottawa both for the public and the volunteers.  Industrial Avenue Garage had new buses on display as well as a toy bus...

...but the old buses were everyone's favourite!

 

The followers of this blog would have noticed that I hadn't posted anything for a long while, the principle  reason was that there was no progress to report.  From the time the news that we had move to the time work on the car restated was about a year.  I myself still had to wait before I could begin where I left off.  I kept busy doing other jobs like completing the brake cylinder, handbrake and slack-adjuster.  Still I had to find other work because I could not mount my finished products on the car as the floor needed to be installed.

We break it and Rhéaume fixes it or gets a replacement.  He also get all the supplies for the group and sometimes he even gets to do some of his own work! 

 

 Georg milling the side of a journal box for the truck he is rebuilding.  I'm working on the lathe turning a new part for the handbrake.

 

 The new pin for the handbrake that I'm re-assembling.

 

The handbrake almost ready to be assembled.  At this point in time I still had to turn a new pin to hold the spool pictured to the left of the stand.  The thicker bar stock on the right will be used to make the new pin.

We decided we should complete the leftover hot riveting, first do the rivets at the four end corners, then replace the loose rivets or the poorly hammered ones which I am happy to report, were very few.
This would have to be done before the interior walls, floor and end platform could be started. 

The amount of riveting to do was relatively little and that we had now become "experts" (ha-ha) we just used our set of torches with our portable forge.  Although it uses lots of acetylene it works quite well for small jobs.



What's cooking, Mike?

 

Well, I'm baking a nice batch of hot rivets for you boys.

 

Rhéaume and Doug placing the rivet in the hole.

 

 Rhéaume and I tightly hold the bucking too against the hot rivet while Jim on the other side...

 

...hammers the rivet with the gun.

We (the royal "we") Are Back!

After a three year hiatus, "we" are back.   Although life got very busy both on a personal and on a professional level, the main reason for the hiatus was the move of the 696 Project from St. Laurent garage to the Merivale garage on Colonnade Road.   St Laurent needed the space which the 696 Project was housed necessitating our move.   The whole area north of Belfast road is being redeveloped by OC Transpo in order to accommodate the new LRT maintenance center.     
 
I estimate we lost about a year and half because of the move.  First of all worked stopped on the car because now the main priority was to pack up and get ready to move.  Second, all the work that I had done under the car had to be removed to accommodate the float that was to be used to physically move car 696.  The remains of the original 696 had to be secured for transport.  Added to all this work was the we also had to prep OTC car 905 for its move to Colonnade Road as well.

905 came to as a donation from a family that had made the car shell into a cottage.  The 696 Project group stored the car outside but added a second roof to help protect the care from the elements.  One of the good points about the move was now there was room to store 905 inside. 

Our new digs on Colonnade Road would be the former tire shop.  This shop was an appendage to the main garage.  It had a roll-up doors on both ends, shop air, plenty of electrical outlets including a few for welders.  It could also accommodate three cars with ease.  Other than the time we lost the end result was positive.

Once the move was complete it took about a year to get back to normal.  During that time junk had to be sorted, shelving erected then filled.  Workstations were made for Georg, Rhéaume and I, an office for Peter and finally a carpenter shop for Mike.

 Packing and securing everything we own and getting already by mid-December, 2011

 This included the dismantling of the protective roof over car 905.



The front of Building 696 also had to be removed in order free 696. 

 Yes I know we are suppose to be restorations experts but I have to admit where is something very therapeutic about watching big machines demolish things!  

The driver from Drummond Cartage & Excavation expertly slid the trailer into the bay...

then a few moments later he carefully pulled the trailer out with the new car body of 696 on board.

Drummond's Cartage & Excavation supplied transport for 696 new car body, old 696 and 905 all at minimal cost.  They also kept the new car body on the trailer in their warehouse for a few days.  This was needed in order to place 905 first in our new home.  Next, the old 696 had to be delivered and moved in.  Lastly, the new body of 696 had to be delivered.

OTC 905 being hoisted over the fence onto the trailer. 

OTC 905 arriving at its new home on Colonnade Drive. 

OTC 905 being readied to be lifted.  The nice thing about using the former the tire shop is that it is a run-through garage.  Once 905 is raised high enough the tractor-trailer only has to pull ahead and exit out the far door.

 

OTC 905 on a pair of dollies ready to be pushed and pulled into its place in our new shop. 

Meanwhile back at St Laurent, the old 696 is loaded and ready to be shipped to Merivale garage.

 

The unwrapped and blocked old 696 is waiting for the dollies off 905 this it will be positioned next to 905.

Georg is phoning everyone to let them know that we have moved!

 

 

Rhéaume and Georg  jack and level rear end of car while Mike keeps a close eye on the front.

 

 

                       Mike usually thinks "outside the box" but this time he "contained" his thoughts.

The move continues, we unload our containers of treasures and find place to store them. 

Georg moving 696's compressor while Peter is demanding, "Where the hell is my office!"  

Finally, Peter's office is in place. 

  By March 2012 we were pretty well all moved in but a few more months were needed to get set-up and rolling again.