Liberty Historic Railway, Inc (LHRy) is proud to announce the signing of a costly, but well worthwhile contract for the restoration of the main body section of the Trenton Trolley #288!
LHRy Chairman William McKelvey signed the contract on 17 January 2023 with Mr. Michael Lubrich, a well-known cabinet maker located in Manasquan, NJ, not far from the Trenton 288 restoration site. Mr. Lubrich has several decades of experience performing both millwork and architectural woodwork in his custom wood and metal fabrication shop. The methods of construction of the wood bodied #288 calls for exactly his type of experience and the expansive collection of millwork machinery his shop brings to bear.
With the removal of shrink wrap which encased the trolley, a thorough inspection by both the contractor and LHRy brought to light extreme weather damage to one side of the body that is far worse than expected, requiring the kind of expertise and resources Mr. Lubrich brings to the project.
Of note also is the fact that Mr. Lubrich is also well versed in metal work; a valuable asset as there is a substantial need for both bar and plate metal repair and replacement that will be required on this restoration. His welding and custom metal shaping skills as well as a wide assortment of specialized metal working tooling will be called to task since much of the unique metal framework and all the structural (concave and convex) curved metal panels cladding the exterior of the main body need to be reproduced and installed.
As a fully funded contract, this restoration is expected to be completed within one year. This is a complex project, the construction of the wall framing is made up of hundreds of small but very unique wooden frame members that must be accurately reproduced and installed. This contract also calls for the milling of all new windows, as well as many roof, ceiling and floor repairs. The installation of a modern roof membrane material will also be performed within this contract agreement.
While this Phase of the project is being funded by LHRy, additional funding will be needed for the rebuilding of the end platforms of the car to complete the full body restoration. Donations are always appreciated! Please see the link below.