Colorado again

Please post your trips here, past, present & future.
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Ian
Posts: 147
Joined: Wed May 23, 2012 10:15 pm
Info: 1962 Dormobile "Zuma"
Location: Malibu, USA

Colorado again

Post by Ian » Sun Oct 11, 2020 12:50 am

Just got back from a 7 week trip to Colorado. It was the usual 3 days out and back, a 2,000 mile round trip, socially distanced of course. Much of it was crossing Indian territory which has been badly affected by the virus - poor diet, obesity, access to healthcare and running water. Many villages were cut off and had curfews.
Snow in September!
Snow in September!
DSC02404A.jpg
Its warm in the workshop - darn cold outside!

The main event was the arrival of an 1889 Pullman tourist-class sleeper that has been under restoration in Colorado Springs for 11 years. It had arrived without bogies so we built a pair to the original 1889 design.
DSC02465A.jpg
DSC02466A.jpg
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Awaiting brakes. Those blocks of wood are temporary bolster spacers.

The only problem I had on the trip was the canvas is starting to show holes. Really, 58 years old and holes are starting to appear! Fortunately, it didn't rain at all. Anyway, a new one was ordered and arrived this week from Dormobile UK. Next job is to fit it which I'm not looking forward to...........

Ian
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RMS
Posts: 2236
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2012 12:02 am
Location: Near Wakefield, UK, in God's own Country!

Re: Colorado again

Post by RMS » Sun Oct 11, 2020 3:01 pm

As usual Ian, it looks like you had an interesting trip.

Any more photos?

I always look forward to your trip reports :cheers:

Good luck with fitting your new canopy - I've got one to refit, but should be easier than fitting a new one as I can just re-use the existing holes and it should line up!

Cheers,
Robin.
1967 109" Carawagon 200TDi
1972 109" SW Carawagon 2.5NA
1958 109" Carawagon 2.25P (project)
1972 109" Carawagon 200 or 300TDi (project)
1974 Dormobile 2.25D (project)
(Robin on S2C forum)
Ian
Posts: 147
Joined: Wed May 23, 2012 10:15 pm
Info: 1962 Dormobile "Zuma"
Location: Malibu, USA

Re: Colorado again

Post by Ian » Fri Oct 16, 2020 1:15 am

Here's a couple more pictures of the interior of the Pullman sleeper:
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The interior is oak - we had no plans and no interior, this has all been recreated from a period photo.

DSC02507-2.JPG
One of the bunks in sleeping position. The seats below convert into a bed too.

People were smaller in those days - 18" is all the width you were given, 2 people to a bunk. If you were over 5ft 8" tall, you would have had a very uncomfortable night. When finished, the carriage will join the historic train.
DSC02605A.jpg
The 168 out on a test run with Railway Post Office 064 and saloons 256 and 292, all restored by the railroad

168 was restored last year - it last ran 85 years ago and has sat in a park ever since.

Ian
User avatar
RMS
Posts: 2236
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2012 12:02 am
Location: Near Wakefield, UK, in God's own Country!

Re: Colorado again

Post by RMS » Fri Oct 16, 2020 11:54 am

That's a lot of nice looking wood!

Well done to the restorers :cheers:

Cheers,
Robin.
1967 109" Carawagon 200TDi
1972 109" SW Carawagon 2.5NA
1958 109" Carawagon 2.25P (project)
1972 109" Carawagon 200 or 300TDi (project)
1974 Dormobile 2.25D (project)
(Robin on S2C forum)
jkhackney
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:01 am
Info: It's not misspelled, it's American
Location: Interlaken, Switzerland

Re: Colorado again

Post by jkhackney » Fri Nov 20, 2020 4:02 pm

Hi Ian-

cool hobby!

It's great to see a marine blue Dormobile in Colorado! I guess I hadn't seen your previous trip report from 2016. I'm actually from Boulder and bought my Dormobile here 13 years ago in order to bring it back with me to Colorado when I returned ... which won't ever happen, as we've settled in Switzerland.

Snow in September, it used to surprise the out-of-state students at the University of Colorado, who'd arrive for school in August without winter clothing! :laugh:

My original canopy has a few holes due to brittleness, but its main problem is that it shrunk so much that the roof couldn't really be opened all the way. I installed the replacement from Dormobile Ltd too tight. It looked fantastic with the roof up, but when I closed the roof, it tore open in the seams at the bottom corners on the hinge side, front and back!! I also didn't manage to get the stripes horizontal. Be very careful when installing. I've since installed a complete roof kit with my friend on his 110, without tearing anything. So it can be done!

I bought a roll of original red-stripe canopy material recently from a person on ebay in the UK, and I intend to enlarge and repair my original canopy with it, and add zip-open windows on either end.

I've been thinking about shipping my Dormobile over to the USA for a tour. There's a ferry from Hamburg with several destination ports on the East Coast. The distances are so vast though !! I'm not sure we'd see much besides roadway. You'd have to really love riding in a Land Rover!

-Jeremy
Ian
Posts: 147
Joined: Wed May 23, 2012 10:15 pm
Info: 1962 Dormobile "Zuma"
Location: Malibu, USA

Re: Colorado again

Post by Ian » Fri Nov 20, 2020 11:11 pm

Hi Jeremy,

Any hints or tips you can pass on as to installing a new canvas? I did help TeriAnn Wakeman fit a new canvas to her Dormobile and I do have some notes from Dormobile who recommend taking the roof off. I have measured the existing canvas to give myself an idea of what goes where. Its not a fun job and I'm not looking forward to it.

As to Colorado, I've driven the Dormie there 7 or 8 times and enjoy the drive - mostly on 2 lane blacktops where I can, and I stay away from freeways as much as possible. Route 66 is a favourite detour and about my speed. What route are you considering?

Ian
jkhackney
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:01 am
Info: It's not misspelled, it's American
Location: Interlaken, Switzerland

Re: Colorado again

Post by jkhackney » Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:41 pm

Hi Ian-

well I pretty much followed the writeup(s) on TerriAnn's site but I think my best tip is to check the tension on the hinge side during closing! Install it loose and tighten very conservatively, checking constantly as the roof closes. What really helped was having another person open and close the roof while I observed/felt tension in the fabric. Maybe doing my first one, myself, was my mistake.

If we ever do a cross-country trip it would include the Great Lakes and hopefully all the way to Colorado. There's a ferry to Halifax or Baltimore (see my other post), so possibly a history trip for my kids via parts of New England.

Jeremy
Ian
Posts: 147
Joined: Wed May 23, 2012 10:15 pm
Info: 1962 Dormobile "Zuma"
Location: Malibu, USA

Re: Colorado again

Post by Ian » Thu Nov 26, 2020 8:00 pm

Thanks Jeremy. I will be very careful to check for tension with the roof both open and closed. I'm still debating whether to take the roof off or not. Either way, it isn't going to be a lot of fun!

Sounds like you have a great trip in your future!

Ian
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