Problems with paint job given Engine 209 three years ago

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville has come to the rescue of its railroad history icon, Engine 209, which was suffering the effects of weather and some faulty paint.

Last week, passing motorists on West Academy Street noticed the 75 year old Gainesville Midland locomotive was beginning to look a bit splotchy.

The paint job was peeling off less than three years after a $75,000 restoration of the Railroad Museum, which included a paint job that was supposed to last ten years.

City Public Works and Lands and Buildings Maintenance supervisor Jim Hamblen said the paint was not sticking to a replacement galvanized steel boiler jacket.

"We thought we had a paint grip type product but it turned out to be imperfect," Hamblen said.

Hamblen added the weather did not help much either, with the sun beaming down hard on the exposed southwest side of the engine.

Public works Director Adrian Niles the city was going to find some better paint.

"We're going to have to strip it off and put a new treatment on and then paint it over.

Apparently the city didn't waste anytime; Saturday arrived and the peel off was gone, with fresh paint covering those bare metal spots.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/1/205772