08/05/2025
Now that Sedalia Parks & Rec. have picked up their train cars, we are ecstatic to share the work that we’ve done over the past year on the two cars.
After sifting through over 500 photos and videos, here are the highlights of this large undertaking. The train cars had been well loved by the children of Sedalia. When the pair arrived at our shop, we quickly noted the dents, dings, scratches, and when we began to look closer, we located large areas of rust and other damage. They had been repaired previously, but the repairs didn’t hold. So began the long journey to restore these train cars for children to enjoy for years to come.
After pinpointing the areas that needed the most TLC, we began removing and repairing the damaged metal. In some instances, areas had to be completely rebuilt from scratch. Our team member, Everette, is excellent at metal work and enjoyed the challenges. We also had W B Young Co. scan and laser cut patch panels for the entry sides where the windows are located. The majority of the cosmetic doors had to be rebuilt, nearly all of the tops of the booths were repaired, and Everette sculpted the top of the caboose and its tail light from metal by hand. Trim was also added to the cars at the top and bottom. The trim was added with hundreds of rivets, half of which we went back to trim and sand off smooth.
After the train cars were sandblasted by Phil Perkins at Blast to the Past and returned to us, we began the layers necessary. The frames were epoxied to prevent rust and to provide a base to work from. From there, the cars were skimmed with filler and tediously sanded by hand until entirely smooth. The sanding of the cars was by far the most time consuming step. Any imperfection will be highlighted when painted, so we worked hard to make the surface impeccable. This step filled in all of the scratches and dings from over the years. The cars were then primed and meticulously masked with tape for each new color of paint that the paint company and Sedalia Parks and Rec had met and decided upon. The amount of tape that this project required is extensive, and the amount of time that it took the team to mask the details off is immense. Our team takes great pride in the details of our projects.
Everette and J worked in tandem to mix and spray the texture onto the inside of the booths for extra protection. Due to the frequent use and elements that these train cars are exposed to, our team was very determined to add all of the protection possible. While damage will still be likely, we hope to minimize the extent to prolong the life of the train cars.
After being painted, the work was far from finished. The paint was polished to a beautiful shine. We had the plexiglass pieces for the windows cut by Solar Pro Tint N Tunes in Warrensburg. The windows were done with precision and fit perfectly. We installed each window with several screws by hand.
Once we put the finishing touches on the cars, Sedalia Parks and Rec sent a crew of men to pick them up and transport them. We are thrilled to have these train cars finished and back to the city of Sedalia. We appreciate Sedalia Parks and Rec hiring us to refinish these train cars to last for years to come.
