[PRCo] Pittsburgh Rys car 4398

[Fred Schneider]

For those unable to get there ...

I had meetings yesterday at PTM with the docent training committee and
the education committee, and that gave me a wonderful opportunity to see
how the overhaul of 4398 was progressing.  I love receiving Bruce Well's
"weekly" reports but seeing is so many times better.

My initial reaction was, "My God, it's self supporting."   It's resting
on cribbing at the bolsters.  It doesn't sag.   It looks like a
streetcar.  And it's probably less than 5% St. Louis Car Co. 1917 by
weight and more than 95% PTM.   The roof carlines and the letterboard
are original and Justin showed me two small pieces of original steel in
the frame.    Justin, Jeff, Ralph and company were riveting in the
center door step well and the posts between the center door leaves.
What a heat sink that steel body is after sitting in an unheated
environment.  A bright orange rivet could be placed through the steel
and it would turn black in about 5 or 6 seconds .... tells you just how
much time Justin had to hammer it in place.