Omemee - Story of Another Railway Car (5 of 7)

Preliminary Work & Public Access

In the meantime, the car was able to be worked on right away, and made ready at the earliest opportunity for public access. This included installation of the museum security intrusion and smoke detection systems, as well as a new electrical service The interior was cleaned, and the roofs were redone at the same time the original upper clerestory windows were uncovered.

Work on improvement of its appearance began immediately since the car was in a high-profile location on the highway downtown. The modern insulbrick which covered the original wood was carefully removed and the wood repaired, primed and painted. The original arched (Gothic Sash) windows over the regular lower windows had been removed years before and covered by a metal flashing. The screws were removed and the metal sheathing taken off, revealing the space when these original leaded glass windows had been. New wooden frames were constructed with a special textured glass installed to emulate these important architectural features. The car then appeared much as it used to. The existing interior lights fixtures were re-connected to the new electrical service,

Its dedication is planned for the railway centennial in Cranbrook, Aug.23rd at which time the car will be open to the public. Its companion car Curzon will be available for viewing as well.