FINALLY getting around to fixing this car up...



I know for sure that it was used on a shallow slope in a small bootleg mine in the northern field. It has an unusual feature, in that the door end has an additional brace that extends the door hinge out a few inches away from the body of the car...



Some of the bolts are frozen in the holes so we know which side the wood was on. The bolts also tell us that the door was made from 2" thick boards. I've been going around and around trying to figure out why someone would extend the door hinge like this...



The two possibilities I've come up with are:

1. maybe the door opened inward for some reason? I can't imagine why this would be useful but I have heard of cars being loaded through the door in extremely thin seams but I don't believe that would have been the case at this mine. Inward opening might make the door self-locking, but would definitely make dumping the car difficult.

2. maybe the door "capped" the end of the car, instead of fitting between the sides like almost every other end-door car in the world?



Has anyone come across this hinge style before? Any thoughts on what I'm missing here??

John

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-Thou shalt not little vein-

That's interesting about the door, I got no ideas. I do like your sketching! . Looking forward to following the project! May have to swing out for a weekend and play soon!

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Come over to the Dark Side....... We have Cookies!

I have no idea about the door either. It's funny how you run across stuff doesn't make since to us but was the perfect design for whoever built it (or it was a lousy design and thats the only one). Cool project, I'll be keeping an eye on this one.

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May all those who have gone before us have a carbide lamp with an eternal flame.

The tipple would probably be the best explanation... sucks its not there.

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This ain't longwall... this is long hole!