Chug A Chug A Choo Choo! – Lead and Asbestos Abatement of 4 Classic Railway Cars for City of Cheyenne
Chug A Chug A Choo Choo! – Lead and Asbestos Abatement of 4 Classic Railway Cars for City of Cheyenne
“Train enthusiasts rejoice! The 15th St. Railroad Experience Project was recently awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to relocate and renovate three historic train cars as part of the project’s multi-phase, multi-year initiative. The grant will ensure phase one of the project comes to fruition and is funded by the American Rescue Plan. The awarded grant of $618,400 will relocate three railcars – a historic locomotive, a business/passenger car, and a caboose – to the City-owned area along 15th St.
Once relocated and renovated, each railcar will be on display as historic artifacts into Cheyenne’s past with the potential to serve the Cheyenne of today and tomorrow as space for retail, dining, and small business use. The grant will be matched with $154,600 in local funds and is expected to create nine jobs and generate $500,000 in private investment. Total cost for relocating and renovating the railcars is estimated at $773,000.” – City of Cheyenne
The four railcars that Orion will be responsible for are:
UP 906200 – Diner Car 1926
Built as 300 series Diners in 1927, renumbered to 3600 series Diners (36 seats) in 1940-1942, they were modernized and remodeled to 4600 series Diners (46 seats) in 1947. Exterior details suggest that these cars were converted and renumbered from 3600 series and converted into the 906200 series and were streamlined and modernized heavyweight diners that were listed as “built from salvage,” in 1972. UP 906200 was assigned to Cheyenne wreck train, as of November 1974. This project involves stripping the cars down for exterior and interior repainting, repairing and replacing any rotten wood and steel, and making the roof watertight.
Southern Pacific business/passenger cars 7077 & 7078
These cars will be moved from Cheyenne’s Union Pacific rail yard to 15th St. to be displayed with Locomotive 1242. This project involves stripping the cars down for exterior and interior repainting, repairing and replacing any rotten wood and steel, and making the roof watertight. The 7077 & 7078 are 85-feet long, weighing 140,000 pounds.
Union Pacific 1959 Caboose 812
The project involves moving the car from Cheyenne’s Union Pacific rail yard to 15th St. Restoration will include exterior paint stripping, patch welding where required, and new interior and exterior paint. The caboose is 40-feet long, weighing 70,000 pounds.
The city has hired Orion Environmental Inc. to work on the Asbestos and Lead Paint Abatement Project for the Cheyenne Railcar Project. Per the work contract, the city will pay Orion for its services via its General Reserve Funds and an Economic Development Administration Grant. Work on the project is set to be completed by Dec. 6.”-
This project is truly unique for Orion, and we’re excited to begin work on October 7th of this year. The project will follow a strict timeline, starting with lead removal on the caboose, followed by exterior asbestos abatement. The work will then proceed to the two Southern Pacific business cars, and lastly abatement of the Union Pacific dining car, including both asbestos abatement and lead scraping. All cars will receive updated paint, either on the exterior or interior. Throughout this project, we will not only apply our extensive experience in lead and asbestos abatement but also contribute to preserving history and revitalizing the 15th Street area of Cheyenne.
Make sure to check back over the coming months for progress photos and updates!