Stacked in the yard at Rousseau Reclaimed in South Portland, Maine. A few of these beams are popular “sleeper” logs from a “bank” barn in Akron, Pennsylvania. This “reclaimed” poplar will be milled to make 13.5″ wide by 10-feet long boards for the exterior of the Narcissus. Then the painted poplar vertical, tongue and groove sheathing will then be attached to these boards as the exterior finish. Some of this poplar above will also be milled for the tongue and groove roof strips on the vestibules of the Narcissus.
The Narcissus on May 20, 2015, the first day it entered Seashore Trolley Museum’s Town House Restoration Shop. This image is looking at the number two end. You can clearly see where vintage poplar wood will be used to repair/replace the delicate tongue and groove vestibule roof boards that will be steamed and bent to a steep curve. You can also see where the 13.5″ wide by 10-foot long poplar boards are on the side. And finally, you can see the arched exterior poplar frames at the tops of the openings for the ornate leaded stained glass arched windows above the passenger window openings.
How steep is the curve? This is an image of the exposed roof ribs of the number two end vestibule of the 1912 Narcissus. Each of the original tongue and groove poplar roof strips was numbered individually, photographed as a whole, painstakingly removed, then assessed individually for consideration for repairs and possible reuse. The vintage poplar being supplied by Rousseau Reclaimed will be milled with tongue and groove, and to the proper thickness, and length.
