Narcissus Restoration Update - 2017 Summary

Jim Mackell, Ed Dooks, and Don Curry tighten the grips on a

steamed ash roof rib to secure the rib in a specially made form

that will hold the rib to maintain a certain arch for installation

in the Narcissus. PWM photo

The Narcissus 1912 Project Blog will have its second full calendar year under its belt as 2017 comes to a close. Total page views are currently at 113,000 at the end of this first week of December (2017). The blog was created to reach out to a large number of folks through the power of social media to introduce them to the Narcissus Restoration Project. The Narcissus is a luxury, high-speed, wooden electric interurban that operated in Maine.

The Narcissus was built in 1912 in Laconia, NH, and operated on the Portland-Lewiston Interurban (PLI) between the two cities from 1914 to 1933. Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus from Lewiston to Portland on August 18, 1914. 

The blog posts include updates on the restoration of the National Register of Historic Places, Narcissus, which is currently taking place at Seashore Trolley Museum's Donald G. Curry Town House Restoration Shop in Kennebunkport, Maine. Posts also include topics; on the connections that Theodore Roosevelt has here in Maine, the PLI and its connections to the communities it served (Portland, Falmouth, Cumberland, Gray, New Gloucester, Auburn, and Lewiston), the builder of the PLI, W. S. Libbey, other electric railway systems in Maine, and people of Maine that had an impact on the electric railway development here in Maine.

Click Here to go to the Narcissus Project - 2017 Outreach & Research Summary

Hopefully, these posts will engage readers and become engaged in the Narcissus project, promote the project, and perhaps support the Narcissus financially, as the restoration continues over the next few years. For information on donation options, scroll down the page until you come to that section.

2017- Another Year of Progress

 Ernie Eaton observes the pressure exerted on one of the
forge-welded carlines in the roof of the narcissus. The sag in
the carline was due to the weight of the trolley pole assembly
on the roof and the weakened ash roof ribs. DGC photo

  See many of the roof ribs on Narcissus missing. Only 10 had to

be replaced. All others could be repaired, then sanded, stained,

primed, and put back into place. PWM photo

 Most of the roof ribs have been reinstalled.
PWM photo

 On the left are a pair of ash wood roof ribs with their tenons

prepared to match up with the mortises. A forge-welded-carline
seen between the two ribs. PWM photo

The fairing compound was applied to the original

roof rail segments. After the fairing compound

is sanded smooth, a final coat of gray-colored

primer will be applied to the rails. Then these

segments, with their mortises, will be matched to,

then secured with stainless steel screws to the

corresponding roof rib tenons. PWM photo

The gray-colored primed rail segments have been secured to

the roof ribs on the left side of the roof. PWM

Gray-colored primed roof rails have been secured to the

right side of the roof ribs. PWM photo

A new steam-bent rail will need to be made from ash wood

to join with the original side rail on the left side. This

new rail segment bends to conform to the curve of the

vestibule roof. Mortises will be cut into the new curved

rail that will meet and match with the protruding

tenons of the vestibule roof ribs. PWM photo

Old-growth poplar wood was acquired for use in making

replacement roof boards for the Narcissus. The poplar

was milled to specific dimensions. Jim Mackell (L) and

 Dick Avy (R) ran each roof board through the machinery

to cut the "tongue" along one edge and the "groove" along

the opposite edge. PWM

Click Here: for the full story on acquiring the old

growth poplar.

In recent weeks, volunteer John Mercurio has been

repairing, sanding, staining, and priming the

remaining original roof boards, as necessary.

Staining is done on those boards that are on the

main roof. PWM photo

Priming of the remaining, original roof boards

 will be used on the roof. It extends out over the

clerestory windows. The soffit. These boards are

directly exposed to the elements of the sun and

other weather conditions.

PWM photo

These original poplar roof boards will be repaired, sanded,

primed, and reinstalled. These particular boards were

originally in place on the edge of the roof. You can clearly

see remnants of the dark Pullman green paint on the boards.

The left and right sides of the roof edges extend out over

the ornate leaded stained glass windows in the clerestory.

This roof extension area is commonly called a soffit.

The undersides of the roof boards used on the soffit are

exposed to the elements, hence the need for paint.

PWM photo

Two shorter sections of original roof boards from the soffit area

were used to pull samples from for professional paint analysis.

Click Here: for the full story. Image courtesy of

Sutherland Conservation & Consulting

Initial results from the paint analysis clearly show the original

dark green in the pores of the woods.

Image courtesy of Sutherland Conservation & Consulting

Same sample as seen in the previous image, but using regular light.

Image courtesy of Sutherland Conservation & Consulting

Interior of the Narcissus as seen in 2014. Paint samples

were taken from the floor. were taken to be analyzed.

You can see the outline where the seat pedestals were

in place on the floor, the interlocking tiles in the center

aisle, and the ceiling panels (headliner) in the center and

along each side of the ceiling. DGC photo

Click Here: for the full story on the seats

Ornate gold leaf fleur-de-lis decorations are in each corner of the

center ceiling panels. Two gold leaf lines extend from and connect

to the fleur-de-lis in each corner of each center panel. The side

panels each have gold leaf lines that travel along the perimeter of the

entire length of each side headliner. Paint samples were taken from

a center panel and from a side panel for analysis.  PWM photo

Museum volunteers Jim Mackell (l) and Carl Mabee (r).

Removes a 3-ply veneer side ceiling panel from its mold.

This particular panel is for use in the 1901 M & B No. 41,

but a similar, but much longer mold will be created for the

Narcissus side ceiling headliner panels. PWM photo

One of the very long original side ceiling headliners

supports as it is being assessed before being

reinstalled in the Narcissus. DGC photo

Volunteers Mark Forman and Donald Curry are installing the

headliner support for the left side of the Narcissus center

ceiling above the clerestory window openings. PWM photo

There are arched mahogany strips that cover the connecting edges of

the ends of the center ceiling headliner panels. These strips are nailed

to the roof ribs and to arched mahogany pieces in the corners. DGC

With the center ceiling headliner panels removed, the larger arched

mahogany pieces in the corners are visible between each clerestory leaded

stained glass window. Also, the much smaller arched pieces attached to

the roof ribs are visible above the pairs of arched mahogany pieces. PWM

One of the mahogany strips from the ceiling with one

of the arched mahogany pieces still attached. PWM

The original arched mahogany pieces were cleaned with

denatured alcohol by volunteer Dana Frisbee. PWM

A few of the arched mahogany pieces have labels on their inside face.

These pieces will be repaired as needed before having coats of a

 shellac mixture painted on the sides and edges that are visible to the public.

PWM photo

One of the small arched pieces is still attached to a roof rib.

The small pieces are not made from mahogany and are not

visible to the public. They will be repaired or replaced as

necessary. PWM photo

The cleaned-up arched mahogany pieces are now ready for repair.

The one missing piece was still attached to an arched mahogany

strip and joined the other pieces in short order.

DGC photo

Volunteer Carl Mabee repaired each of the arched mahogany pieces

as necessary. CM photo

All were repaired with initial coats of the shellac mixture. CM photo

The beautiful finished product. PWM photo

Restoration shop technician Ernie Eaton mixes up a
fresh batch of a shellac mixture that is used on the

cleaned-up original mahogany wood used in the interior of

the Narcissus. The mixture includes shellac flakes

and denatured alcohol. DGC photo

Volunteer Tom Robertson is working on one of the beautiful mahogany

boards from the interior of the Narcissus. Notice the contrast in the

opposing ends of the board. The board is first cleaned by using

denatured alcohol to remove dirt, grime, and old layers of shellac

and/or varnish. After drying. DGC photo

One of the original mahogany arched strips in the center

ceiling headliner is seen here attached to the arched

mahogany piece in the corner. Also seen is one

of the original light sockets. PWM photo

On Friday, December 8, 2017. The larger original mahogany arched strips and

the narrow strips that needed repairs were picked up by

Carl Mabee, to take back to his home workshop for corrective surgery. Carl

would also work on creating a template for making any replacement

strips needed.  The next few images are the first few steps

in the repair process. For updates on Carl's progress, look for them in

future blog posts. PWM photo

"Doctor" Mabee wasted no time in making initial repairs.

CM photo

Each piece requires adaptations to manage the repair.

CM photo

Steps in making smaller repairs. CM photo

Using a sharp hand plane is a must. CM photo

CM photo

CM photo

CM photo

CM photo

CM photo

To make a completely new, large mahogany arched strip

requires a lot of preplanning. Here is a prototype using

a three-ply veneer as the test material. CM photo

CM photo

CM photo

Some of the mahogany boards from the interior passenger

compartment have decorative inlay wood of Holly with Ebony

on each side. These boards have been cleaned with denatured alcohol.

PWM photo

Donald Curry applied a coat of the shellac mixture to the original mahogany

boards from the interior of the Narcissus. PWM photo

Donald Curry applied a coat of the shellac mixture to the original

mahogany boards from the interior of the Narcissus. PWM photo

An original mahogany "button". These decorative buttons

were used to cover holes in the original mahogany boards.

 The holes were for additional light bulb sockets

that were never installed by the builder of the Narcissus.

The Laconia Car Company. PWM photo

The interior mahogany on the interior of the Narcissus. The

ornate leaded stained glass clerestory windows are clean, and after

drying, received coats of the shellac mixture. PWM photo

Donald Curry cleaned the mahogany in the clerestory area.

PWM photo

Seen here in the smoking compartment of the Narcissus during the
opening of the 2016 Teddy Roosevelt Days event are Dan and Rose Vallee.

Some of the restored mahogany pieces were temporarily put in place in the

window opening for the special photo opportunity. Sadly, Dan Vallee

passed away on September 1, 2017. Dan was a great friend and will be missed.

Dan grew up in the Narcissus. His father, H. Henri Vallee, purchased

the body of the Narcissus in the late 1930s and used it as the family summer

camp for nearly 35 years. While dating Rose, Dan first introduced Rose to his

parents while they were living in the Narcissus. Rose and Dan were married

for 50 years. Photo by Patricia Pierce Erikson

Click Here for the full story of Daniel A. Vallee

In this photo from the 2016 Teddy Roosevelt Days opening tour of the

Narcissus, you can see the original mahogany sash, with the original brass

components in place in the bulkhead window openings. The glass had

not been installed, nor had finish coats of the shellac mixture been applied.

Photo by Patricia Pierce Erikson

Click Here for the full story on the 2016 Teddy Roosevelt Days

One of the eight original bulkhead windows from the

Narcissus. Volunteer Jim Mackell did exemplary work on

the windows. PWM photo 

Volunteer Jim Mackell also repaired the eighteen original passenger

windows. The sash was in varying degrees of disrepair,

most without glass.  Jim is now making the remaining eight

passenger windows from scratch. The brass components seen in the

image above are original. Several of each of the three components

will need to be cast. The quantities are needed for all twenty-six

passenger windows. PWM photo

Click Here: for the full story on the passenger windows

Click Here: for the full story on the brass components

Volunteer Lary Shaffer will be making the eleven mahogany

sash, for the large, ornate leaded stained glass
"eyebrows" that are held in place over each pair of
passenger windows by the arched poplar exterior frame, Lary
repaired the original frames (seen in this image).
Two sets of frames to replace the missing frames. Making the 
poplar frames and the mahogany sash is a complicated,
time-consuming task. PWM photo
Click Here: for the first of four posts on repairing the frames.

During the 2016 Teddy Roosevelt Days event, the right side of

the smoking compartment had many original components

temporarily put in place. The large leaded stained glass "eyebrow"

in its original mahogany sash. In place by one of the repaired

exterior poplar frames (seen here in gray primer). 

The vertical sheathing boards, above the "eyebrow" and next to

the restored original passenger windows, were in place. PWM photo

DGC photo

    Later in 2016, plans were made to begin assembling estimates for materials needed to restore the interior of the Narcissus. As all twenty crossover seats will need to be made from scratch. The cost of metal components to construct the seats was a high priority. The interlocking

tiles on the floor of the smoking compartment and down the center aisle of the passenger compartment needed additional research. As the removal of the bolster began, a thick, tar-like substance was cleared from the center of the floor approaching the number two end, where there were no interlocking tiles in place. It is not known when the tiles were removed from the floor on that end of the body. Based on the deteriorated condition of the tiles that remain on the smoking compartment floor, one can easily assume

the tiles in the passenger compartment had become brittle and broken up into pieces that had to be removed. The number two end of the Narcissus was where the main entrance was located when the body was Vallee's summer residence. Perhaps that increased the breakdown of the tiles on that end?

Making access to the bolster meant cutting through the

tar-like substance on the floor. PWM photo

Tar-like material was removed from the floor along the center aisle

where interlocking tiles were once in place. PWM photo

The interior of Narcissus's sister, PLI coach, Arbutus.

    The photo above shows the cross-over seats, the interlocking floor tiles, the ornate fleur-de-lis in the corners of the center ceiling panels, and luggage racks along the entire length of both sides over the large

leaded stained glass "eyebrow" windows. Mahogany components of the interior have been ongoing for some time. Focusing on the major components will become more of a focus later in 2018/2019. You can see the mahogany boxes positioned over each passenger window. Each box holds a curtain that can be pulled down or retracted. We have most of the original boxes and curtains, though their individual condition has not been evaluated yet. Current fundraising efforts will now and in the foreseeable future be for materials and work needed to restore the interior of the Narcissus.

One of the curtains from the Narcissus. PWM photo

The cross-over seats in the Narcissus were originally made by the

Heywood Brothers and Wakefield Company.

The interlocking tiles of the Narcissus PWM photo

The 1912 Portland-Lewiston Interurban shortly after having its

trucks removed. PWM photo

The trucks for the Narcissus are not original to the Laconia-built coach.

These trucks were found in Ontario, Canada, and with the help of then 
Maine Governor John Reed, the trucks were donated, to the Museum as a
gesture of international goodwill in 1965. PWM photo

All the metal components under the body of the Narcissus will

be removed for closer inspection.  PWM photo

We will save this piece to display in an exhibit. A cast of the

component will be made to replace this one. PWM photo

One of the bolsters. Each is made of metal

components whose nuts and bolts are rusted to a point

where the placement of certain nuts or bolts may take
hours of effort to remove. PWM photo

You can see the buildup of rust between the top of the bolster and the

body. The combination of the rusty bolt, nut, and expansion of rust in

the area makes the removal of the nut and/or the bolt a task for creative,

 determined, problem solvers. PWM photo

Successes are briefly celebrated when components finally

succumb and are freed from their rusty prison. PWM photo

In many cases, the build-up of rust has pulled the

head of bolts down into the sill, a significant

depth, making removal difficult. My

choice of words to describe the degree of
difficulty in removing many of these nuts

and bolts. PWM photo

In some cases, one must drill up into the bolt

body an inch or two so that the body can then be

released from its pressure. That makes for a

somewhat easier removal. Then the location and
position of the bolt under the body of the

Narcissus, a metal component, the bolt/nut may

be in, can make it less than comfortable in

drilling up into the body of the bolt. PWM photo

A rusted bolt that has been drilled 

out for removal. PWM photo

Rust is not a friend to the Narcissus or to anyone working on

removing the metal components from the Narcissus.

It is a challenging task, to put it mildly. PWM photo

Where the bulkhead is secured to the left side sill, which is

encased in channel iron. There is a concern as to the degree of

wood and steel deterioration along the thirty-seven-foot southern

yellow pine sill and the channel iron. We won't know the

extent of the deterioration until after the sill and channel

iron are removed, separated, and inspected. PWM photo

Restoration shop technician Ernie Eaton used a 20-ton

hydraulic jack (on the right) and the persuasive attributes

of a pneumatic hammer and various chisels to persuade the

side-bearing casting bolts out of the upper bolster.

Ernie Eaton photo

Ernie has a breakthrough on December 6! The bolster on the

number-one end, finally releases its final holdouts.

Ernie Eaton photo

Success on December 6.  The bolster on the number one end is on

the floor. Ernie Eaton photo

The rust grows under extreme pressure. When the component

is removed, the built-up, compressed rust is in layers. 

PWM photo

A job learned well, and can now be applied to removing

bolster from the number two end...ugh.

Ernie Eaton photo

This bolt and nut will need to be removed from this unbroken

component so it may be tested for reuse, or used to make a cast

for having a replacement made. PWM photo

Another image that generates the ugh response. PWM photo

The lower half of the bolster from the number 2-end
after being removed. 12-22-2017 Photo PWM

December 2017 photo of the number one end and the left side of

the Narcissus. PWM photo

December 2017 photo of the number one end and the right

side of the Narcissus. PWM photo

Thank you to restoration shop technician John Melanson (and

everyone who helped him) for tarping the pair of trucks (wheels
and motor assemblies) that were removed from the Narcissus. 
PWM photo

Thank you to everyone who helped me and the Narcissus during this year. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We continue the restoration work on the 1912 Narcissus, the only surviving high-speed, luxury interurban coach of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban. 

Click Here: Narcissus Restoration-Related Posts

Being more than a century old, the stately "Elegant Ride," Narcissus, is a gem.  This shimmering precious stone of Maine transportation history is brilliantly resplendent as it emanates so many elements of history, including time, places, people, and events that it was coupled to, that when just a smattering of its seemingly innumerable stories are shared, the contents captivate, fascinate, and then generate interest to learn more 🙋. The majestic Narcissus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Please consider joining the epic journey to complete the Narcissus Project by making a donation today!

Click Here: Donation Options

The restoration of this majestic icon of Maine's electric railway history is but one in a series of captivating stories containing an abundance of incredible coalition narratives.

Click Here: History-Related Posts - Narcissus and Portland-Lewiston Interurban

     The Narcissus is featured in the national Gold Award-winning novel, Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride. The "Elegant Ride" is the Narcissus. Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914, between Lewiston and Portland, Maine, while campaigning for the Progressive Party candidates.

Click Here: Bookstores and Businesses promoting the Narcissus Project

Independent book publisher Phil Morse, holding

Gold Book Award Winner plaque for

 Middle Reader category for The Eric

Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to

award-winning Maine author,

Jean M. Flahive