Before you start you need to prepare a restoration report... covering the cars history, restoration options and plans.... Examples are available from several railroad museums... I would suggest The California State Railroad Museum (CSRM)... In addition CSRM is hosting the 1998 "National Railway Preservation Symposium" in March... This would be a good option to get a basic education in railroad preservation. Contact their foundation at (916) 327-8485 for information. In addition I would suggest you contact the Association of Railroad Museums (ARM) and get a copy of their recomended practices. While not a restoration guide it addresses issues of changing industrial artifacts in a museum setting... contact them at... ARM, PO box 370, Tujanga, CA, 91043 Randy Hees, President Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources (SPCRR) PO Box 783, Newark CA 94560 A not-for-profit museum specializing in preserving and interpreting the heritage of narrow gauge railroading of the Pacific Coast & equipment built by the Carter Brothers of Newark California. Operating the last regularly scheduled horse-drawn railroad at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont, CA. Visit my web page "The Birth of California Narrow Gauge" at http://www.netcom.com/~hees/NRRWGauge/main.html