Streetcar 696

Thursday, March 1, 2018

The Trucks of 696

The Trucks consisting of the Wheels, suspension and motors of 696 were in poor condition. It is an ongoing part of the project to restore the original Motors.

At one point one of the motor assemblies was taken to Montreal to get an estimate for repairs. In this photo you can observe Rheaume Laplante giving his blessing to ensure a safe voyage for the motor.

Where we get some of the material and products.

We have been fortunate to obtain material and parts from old streetcars in the area. We have also visited streetcars that were converted to cottages.

This is a cottage in Quebec which was made from an 800 series streetcar. It was by visiting sites such as these that we are able to examine the detail and materials that were used so we can include them in our project.

By examining the cottages and the condition of the materials that were used on the original 696, were were able to determine the best products to use on the reconstruction. Even though the products were not those used on the original construction, It was determined that given the climate of our region and the possible exposure of the completed streetcar to the elements, the use of modern sealants and adhesives would be advisable.

This is one of our favorite primers for all surfaces. Holds up well and takes paint well.

This is a varnish substitute that's used on boats. It gives a very durable finish but it costs twice as much as the regular store bought urethane.

We use regular automotive body filler on the metal parts of the streetcar as well as the wooden areas. We determined that the special wood filler was just body filler with wood colouring.

Minwax is our choice for the woodwork stain. It gives us a colour match to the origonal

PL is my preferred adhesive. It holds well and can even cover up some of the minor mistakes that some of us make.

The Bar Keepers Friend is a product that we are using to soak the brass parts in. after the soaking the brass can be polished to an amazing shine.

Sikaflex is a very strong adhesive used mostly for installing auto glass. We used it to fasten the wood to the metal walls. Along with the screws we used, the wood is secured in place with no chance of rattles.