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12/14/2003
- Christmas Tree train rides a success...
For the second year in a row, the R&GV RR Museum
has run caboose rides in cooperation with Remelt's Evergreen
Acres Christmas Tree farm. The rides were a real success
and mark a great partnership between the museum and this "online" business.
And even nearly 12 inches of snow did not stop the train
from running today.
With the snow falling, RGV1654 waits for passengers at the Remelt's loading area
during the 2003 Christmas Tree Train Rides.
10/25/2003 - The BIG DIG continues...
The Big Dig '03 continued this Saturday using mostly the museum's restored
1968 Cat D7E. Take a look here and check out our Big
Dig '03 - Week #3 photo gallery.
The R&GV Railroad Museum's Cat D7E in the dirt!
10/18/2003 - The BIG DIG continues...
The Big Dig '03 continued this Saturday using equipment from the museum's historic
construction equipment collection. Even though the museum did not have the use
of the donated hydraulic excavator from the weekend before, a lot of dirt was
moved the old fashioned way. Take a look here and check out our Big
Dig '03 - Week #2 image gallery.
The R&GV Railroad Museum's Bay City Model 65 dragline goes to work moving
dirt.
10/18/2003 - Roofing...
Other progress was also made around the museum. More finishing touches including
more roofing shingles were added to our former New York Central Crossing Shanty
that has seen a lot of restoration work this year.
Cutting and fitting shingles.
Nailing them in place.
10/11 & 10/12/2003 - The BIG DIG begins...
In order for the tracks to reach the R&GV RR Museum's Restoration shop, several
thousand cubic yards of dirt must be moved from the north end of the shop and
placed on a fill to the south of the building. Over this weekend, our BIG DIG
was begun using a hydraulic excavator that was loaned to the museum for the weekend
and other equipment from the R&GV Railroad Museum's historical construction
equipment collection including our Cat D-8 tractor and tractor pan. Take a look
here and check out our Big Dig '03 -
Week #1 image gallery.
Loading out...
Taking its first bite! Our Cat D-8 and its Cat tractor pan takes it first bite
of earth on top of the fill. This was the first time the pan had been used
and many of our guys said the first time they had seen one of these in use
since the mid-60's. Operating a little piece of construction history.
9/27/2003 - Moving the track...
To help facilitate some excavation around our restoration building, some track
had to be moved out of the way. Since this was a possibility, the track was constructed
in a panel fashion to make moving them easier. Here are some pictures of the
movement of two of the panels using our Army Lorain crane.
Up in the air! The first panel is lifted. The second panel to be moved is in
the foreground.
Placing the first panel out of the way.
The second panel is lifted.
The panel is swung over siding #6. This siding will be staying where it is.
Almost there.
Touchdown! The second panel is stacked and awaits eventual re-installation.
9/6/2003 - New York Central crossing shanty restoration continues...
It has been a very productive summer for our NYC crossing shanty restoration
project. The shanty now has all new skirting to help support it and is seen here
getting a complete roof replacement.
Daylight... Part of the roof has been removed to be replaced. The roof was found
to be in very poor condition so a complete replacement was necessary.
A close-up of the removed roof with the 1st new board in place.
Project leader, Charlie Marks, nails down some of the new roof boards.
8/24/2003 - Diesel Days 2003 a success!
Diesel Days 2003 was a great success for the R&GV Railroad
Museum this year. With over 1050 visitors over the weekend,
it was our busiest Diesel Days weekend and our second largest
weekend ever!
Thanks must go out to our partner museum, the NYMT, for all their help at their
end getting visitors ticketed and loaded on track cars. And we must thank all
of our volunteers for their work both before and during the event. All we can
say is THANKS!
Ready to go! The engine line-up awaits the start of the operations on Saturday
morning. Lehigh Valley Railroad #211, 50 years old this year, was running,
but was not operated for the event . Visitors, however, were allowed the tour
the cab and hear the 211 idle.
Another 50 year old... USA 1843 pushes the museum's Erie caboose around Scanlon's
curve along the museum's demonstration railroad.
The last of the three 50 year birthdays was for NKP79. Here #79 pulls the museum's
restored Penn Central transfer caboose during the 2003 Diesel Days event.
Also operated, ALCO RS-1, Eastman Kodak Company #9, descends the hill block with
a combination of museum volunteers and Diesel Days visitors.
USA 1843 pulls into the loading area with Erie C254 during Diesel Days 2003.
8/24/2003 - An added touch...
Thanks to the RIT
Model Railroad Club,
and specifically project leader, Joe
Werner, the R&GV Railroad Museum
was the recipient of some very nicely
decorated step stools that were painted
and lettered to match some of the museum's
equipment. Building on a concept that
museum member, Chris Hauf, started
with the building and painting of matching
step boxes for ALCO RS-1 EK#9, Joe
ran with the idea and improved on it. With
sponsorship from the club and its members
along with some painting and lettering
assistance from Chris, the stools were
debuted during the Diesel Days weekend.
Take a look! Kudos to Joe and his helpers
and the RITMRC for their generous donation!
Ready for passengers to board Erie C254.
Here is the stool for Penn Central transfer caboose #18526.
The C254 with the new step boxes ready and waiting for passengers.
Lehigh Valley #211 was the third piece to receive a matching set of painted and
lettered step boxes.
8/22/2003 - Ready for the big weekend!
Our two ALCO roadswitchers, Lehigh
Valley #211 and Eastman
Kodak Company #9, sit on siding #6 waiting their chance to be part of the
R&GV RR Museum's 2003 Diesel Days event
on August 23 & 24.
7/26/2003 - Getting organized
Like everything, sometimes you just need to take some time to get yourself organized.
Work this weekend was on going to that end. A new railroad truck storage track
has been built so we can consolidate our spare trucks which are in storage in
various areas around the museum. Here we have our Lorain crane loading one of
our spare freight car trucks in preparation for movement to our new truck storage
track.
One of the museum's cranes begins the pick of one of our spare freight car trucks.
Touch down! The trucks rests on one of the Museum's flat bed trucks.
It is being secured for movement to the new truck storage track.
7/5/2003 - Signals...
Part of our work on our demonstration railroad is to create
a working signal system that demonstrates a wide variety
of signal types which were used on the railroads that
served Rochester. Currently, we have several dwarf signals,
a semaphore to guard our hill block and two sets of signals
around siding #6 which is at the top of the hill out
of Industry yard. For the July Rochester Chapter NRHS
meeting held at the R&GV RR Museum, our signal department
got some of our signals lit up for the night. Currently,
the signal system is awaiting power installation which
is part of our Restoration building project so they are
run temporarily off of batteries.
Our semaphore guards access to our hill block.
A close-up of the semaphore mechanism which was recently repainted.
Out of the cab of Eastman Kodak Company #9, the signal shows red over red, so
we stop with our train, MDT12549 and PC18526, to get permission past the stop
signal.
A closer view showing the red over red indication on this former Erie Railroad
signal.
7/5/2003 - Working around the museum
Due to the holiday weekend, the museum was rather quiet this weekend with only
a crew of about 15 people working. However, several jobs did get done including
gutter cleaning on our shop building, painting of our semaphore, and repainting
of our museum sign.
Museum volunteer, Bernie Cubitt, touches up his hand-painted R&GV RR Museum
sign.
Using one of the museum's two bucket trucks, volunteer Scott Gleason cleans the
gutters on the museum's shop building. The goal for 2003 is to have serviceable
tracks into both sides of the Restoration building.
While he had the bucket truck out, Scott also repainted the mast of the semaphore
controlling entrance into the hill block from the Industry yard.
6/30/2003 - NYMT
take a big step on Rochester 437
The New York Museum of Transportation took
a large step in the restoration of Rochester
streetcar #437. The car body was recently craned off its storage cribbing
on to cribbing above a new set of trolley trucks on live rail!
Rochester 437 sits on one of its new trucks while the other end sits on cribbing
until some modifications can be made to fit the new trucks which are representative
of what 437 had in service, but not exact replacements.
Here we can see the truck behind the cribbing. The trucks are complete with traction
motors and brake rigging.
This was 437 just after delivery to the NYMT in 1997.
6/21/2003 - Hosting the Niagara Frontier Chapter NRHS
It was our pleasure on this day to host over fifteen members
of the Niagara Frontier Chapter of the National Railway
Historical Society. They came from their home base of North
Tonawanda, NY to visit both the Rochester & Genesee Valley
Railroad Museum and the New York Museum of Transportation. As part of the afternoon's
activities, the R&GV RR Museum ran its R&GV1654 and Erie caboose #C254.
R&GV #1654 on a photo run-by along the museum's demonstration railroad.
Members of the Niagara Frontier Chapter NRHS along with R&GVRR Conductor
Norm Shaddick ride the rear platform of Erie caboose #C254.
Back in the cab of R&GV #1654, we find Rochester Chapter NRHS President,
Jeremy Tuke, at the controls.
6/14/2003 - Back in service...
With switch #5 back in service after another day of tamping & leveling, it
was time to take out our former U.S. Military 80-tonner which now R&GV
#1654 for a test run. This loco was heavily damaged when it was shipped to
us and a settlement was never reached that would allow repairs to be made.
Thus, museum volunteers figured out how to make the engine function on one
traction motor per truck; the other two traction motors and gear boxes were
destroyed in shipping. The hope is someday the museum will be able to repair
the damage, however, this modification gives us an engine that can move on
its own.
The test run was successful and the
plan is to operate the loco for the Rochester
Chapter NRHS's monthly membership meeting on Thursday, June 19. Visitors
are welcome.
Please take a look at the pics below or watch the locomotive
in action in these two video clips (Out of siding #5
Windows Media File - (438K) / Climbing
the hill Windows Media File (903K)). Check out our other videos too!
R&GV #1654 at Reid's Crossing along the museum's demonstration railroad.
R&GV #1654 meets U.S. Army #1843 as #1654 backs into the Industry yard.
6/7/2003 - Finishing touches...
After the rebuild of the switch #5 frog between the museum's track #4 and track
#5 in our Industry yard, it was time to bring out our Jackson tamper and give
that new ballast a good tamping. Take a look at the pics below or watch the tamper
in action in this video clip (Windows Media
File - (464K)). Check out our other videos too!
Museum volunteer Norm Shaddick takes the controls of the R&GV Railroad Museum's
Jackson tamper. Norm has taken care of the majority of the maintenance on this
piece for many years and the machine really runs great.
Jackson tamper at work! The museum would like to eventually add more MOW equipment
to our collection like a ballast regulator, tie inserter, and a spiker.
Tamper sits on top of the newly rebuilt switch #5 frog. The R&GV RR Museum's
main line climbs the hill and curves to the right. The track in the distant left
is that of the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad. It was once the Erie Railroad's
Rochester Division.
5/30/2003 - Back on the road
After receiving some new vinyl lettering after its repaint, the museum's Fairmont
track crane was moved out of the restoration building and put back in service.
Here is a picture of the crane in front of the NYMT's car barn along with some
scans from a 1975 Fairmont brochure showing the track crane.
Track crane back in service with new lettering in from of the NYMT's car barn.
1975 Fairmont MOW catalog cover.
Fairmont "Derrick car" from the 1975 catalog.
5/18/2003
- R&GV Railroad Museum / NYMT operations start for 2003
On May 18th, the joint operating season of the R&GV Railroad
Museum and the New York Museum of Transportation started.
As a special treat, opening day was Casey Jones day and featured
the NYMT's full restored former Rochester Subway Casey Jones
track car.
Please take a look...
The restored Casey Jones track car waits between demonstrations at the NYMT.
Here we can see the Casey Jones along with one of the NYMT's former P&W Strafford
cars, #168. The #168 is fully operational and has run under wire at the NYMT.
Infrastructure work is underway to bring regularly scheduled trolley rides to
the joint museum operations in the future. So stay tuned...
5/3/2003 - Back in service
After several months and a complete rebuild, the frog for the switch between
track four and track five has been reinstalled. It is now receiving some fine
tuning and new ballast, but it is back in service for track car operations.
Our New York Central crossing shanty also got some more
attention. While plans are underway to build a new base
to mount the shanty on, the building has been getting attention
and is starting to get some new paint in the form of tinted
primer.
Please take a look...
Frog at switch #5 is reinstalled and receiving some fine tuning and new ballast.
NYC Crossing shanty gets new primer.
4/19/2003 - Our track crane gets its new deck and more...
With a nice day, a lot of progress was made around the museum. Our Fairmont track
crane restoration project drew even closer to completion as museum volunteers
Chris Hauf and Jeremy Tuke installed its new wood deck. All that remains now
is a little paint touch-up and a good greasing. Then the crane can return to
service.
Chris was even able to sneak some work in on the BR&P caboose interior; assembling
the frame of the new bench in the one end of the caboose and adding two wood
pieces to the cupola cabinet walls. These pieces were seen in an un-modified
BR&P caboose and held three marker brackets. So we decided to add them, plus
they add strength to our cupola wall patches seen in previous news items.
Track work on switch #5. Ballast cleaning and tie replacement "the old fashioned
way" were the order of the day.
Please take a look at some of the pics of the day's activities.
Fairmont track crane with new deck. Rollover the image to see a close up of the
new deck.
BR&P 280 had its replacement bench frame put together. The original was removed
in the 1960's rebuilding by the B&O.
4/15/2003 - Spring arrived if just briefly...
Spring made an appearance with temps in the 80's for the first time in 2003.
Of course, within twenty four hours, we should be in the 30's. With the good
weather on tax day, however, many of the R&GV RR Museum volunteers took advantage
of it and our Tuesday evening work sessions.
Please take a look at some of the pics below and please take a look at a
short video of our restored Cat D7E in action.
With the better weather, the time has arrived to begin to wake up our construction
equipment and locomotives from their winter slumber.
Facing of the cabinets continued in BR&P caboose #280.
On the border of our property, a berm had been built last year. Museum member
and Buildings & Grounds Superintendent Dave Luca had spent the past several
days planting tree seedlings on top of the berm. The hope is these seedlings
will grow and act as a natural border with our neighbors.
4/12/2003 - Is it Spring yet?
Spring tried to make
a re-appearance today and the museum's volunteers took advantage
of it. Take a look at some of the pics of just a few of the
day's activities.
Facing of the cabinets continued in BR&P caboose #280.
The frog work continued as the final four rivets were being install prior to
being heated and "bucked" to tighten them up.
As the frog work continued, other museum volunteers worked on cleaning out ballast
around some of the switch timbers so they can be pulled out and replaced with
new timbers.
NYC crossing shanty paint prep work continued. Here museum volunteer, Dale Hartnett,
finishes stripping the paint on one of the six sides of the crossing
shanty. The shanty is getting a rebuilt roof and a new floor amongst other
items. The shanty will eventually be painted in two-tone green. Currently we
are researching whether the building would have had a cedar shingle or asphalt
shingle roof when it was constructed. Can you help?
A nice lunch time diversion. One of the museum members brought out part of his
telegraph equipment collection to show the volunteers. A variety of equipment
was demonstrated including a key controlled by the computer laptop. The demo
was very COOL! Stay tuned... A special event may
be coming to show this neat demo to the public.
4/11/2003 - So that's what it is supposed to look
like...
Ever since the R&GV Railroad Museum took
possession of its Plymouth Model BL gas-mechanical locomotive,
we have wondered what it looked like when it was new.
As it came to us, the sheet metal and body were damaged
or missing. Now through a contact made over the Internet,
a gentleman was kind enough to share a Plymouth catalog
for the model BL showing pictures of what it should have
looked like.
Pictured below is our BL as it was delivered
to us and as it was moved into our restoration building.
If you roll-over the images, you'll get to see what the BL
should look like as per Plymouth's catalog.
Plymouth Model BL as delivered to us.
Plymouth Model BL as it was moved into our restoration building & as it was
pictured in the catalog with all of its sheet metal in place. NOTE: The catalog
picture here depicts a narrow gauge version of the BL where our's is standard
gauge.
3/29/2003 - A little colder...
What started as a nice warm Spring day became rather chilly just around
lunchtime, however, it did not stop the work around the museum for the day. Take
a look at some of the pics of just a few of the day's activities.
Facing of the cabinets continued in BR&P caboose #280 including the repair
of the cupola seat back on the opposite side of the caboose. Rollover the image
to see the results at the end of the day.
The better weather has allowed some of our trackwork to start-up again. Here
we see the our nearly rebuilt spring frog which goes between siding #4 and
siding #5 in the Industry yard. The frog required extensive rebuilding including
re-riveting and bottom plate back together and the installation of all new
bolts.
This picture gives you another look at the frog and where it will be re-installed.
You are looking north up track #5. Just beyond the small ballast pile where
the rail ends is where the frog will be re-installed. To allow for operations,
a piece of rail has replaced the frog directly connecting Track #4 to the mainline.
In the background is the museum's Fairbanks-Morse
H12-44 #1843.
Work is underway to restore our New York Central crossing guard shanty. All of
the paint has been removed and some of the pieces like the window shutters
have been sanded and primed. The shanty is getting a rebuilt roof and a new
floor amongst other items. The shanty will eventually be painted in two-tone
green. Currently we are researching whether the building would have had a cedar
shingle or asphalt shingle roof when it was constructed. Can you help?
3/22/2003 - Another Busy Day!
With warmer temps again, work continued around the museum in earnest.
Take a look at some of the pics of just a few of the day's activities.
Facing of the cabinets continued in BR&P caboose #280 including the repair
of the cupola seat back which is now covered with new facing. This view will
someday include the caboose's coal bunker (against the wall) and coal stove.
With the better weather at hand and after receiving new support struts and a
rebuilt foot brake, our Fairmont track crane received a new coat of paint.
Hover over the image to see the results.
The exhaust/intake manifold for our Buda engine for our Plymouth BL continues
to get new flanges brazed into place by Kevin Klees. Notice the now machined
flange at the front of the manifold which was brazed in place last week.
3/15/2003 - A Busy Day!
With temps in the 50's on a Saturday for the first
time in many months, the museum really came alive with
all sorts of projects taking place. Take a look at some
of the pics of just a few of the day's activities.
Facing of the cabinets continued in BR&P caboose #280.
Our Caterpillar D-8 tractor was being started using its VERY LOUD pony motor.
Take a listen!
(MP3).
The exhaust/intake manifold for our Buda engine for our Plymouth BL gets new
flanges brazed into place by Kevin Klees.
And it was a nice day for caboose hop.
2/22/2003 - BR&P 280 restoration continues
Just across from where the Buda engine continues
to be worked on in the museum's restoration shop is the
R&GV Railroad Museum's former Buffalo,
Rochester & Pittsburgh
caboose #280. This caboose was the first piece in the museum's
collection; coming to the museum in the late 1970's only
to restored soon after its arrival to one of its B&O
paint schemes.
Many years of being outdoors had taken their toll on the
280, so it was decided to bring the caboose into our restoration
shop for a major cosmetic restoration including new wood
siding on one side (one side has already been done a few
years earlier), new wood on the part of the roof, a new
roof, and the return of the caboose to its BR&P configuration/paint
scheme.
Work this weekend included the facing
of the interior cabinets with new 5/16" tongue & groove
wood. The original cabinets were made of t&g wood. When the B&O shopped
the caboose in the 1960's, the cabinets were replaced in the same configuration
as the BR&P, but were rebuilt using plywood. Since they are in good condition,
we decided to simply face them to make them look like the originals.
Stop back soon for more updates on the
restoration of BR&P 280. As always,
we are always looking for any information that might help us with our restoration
including diagrams, drawings, photos, color info, and etc. Please drop us an email if
you have something to share.
New facing on the interior cabinetry of BR&P caboose
#280.
B&O C-2631 (BR&P 280) as delivered to the Rochester & Genesee Valley
Railroad Museum in the late 1970's. The B&O took over the BR&P in the
1930's. The B&O classed the BR&P cabooses as I-10.
B&O C-2631 received its first restoration by museum volunteer Curt Boyer
not long after it was delivered. Curt is shown here with the C-2631. Curt is
no longer with us, but his spirit for the 2631/280 lives on with us today.
2/1/2003 - Buda engine takes another step
The Buda engine for the Museum's Plymouth Model BL gas-mechanical locomotive
took another step toward start-up. The day started with the setting of the valves
followed by the engine's first roll-over using the engine's rebuilt starter.
It was a great moment as the engine rolled over and its oil pressure came up!
We are looking for the update soon when the engine will be running on its own.
R&GV Railroad Museum member Kevin Klees works on the
valves of the Buda engine. Kevin has done most of the rebuild
work on the engine including the machining of many new parts.
Take a listen to the engine rolling over.
(MP3 Format 107K)
Watch and listen the engine rollover.
(RealVideo 257K / MPEG1
226K)
.
A shot of the Plymouth BL as it was delivered to the R&GV Railroad Museum
several years back.
1/18/2003 - Museum volunteers attend Book of Rules class
As part of its ongoing safety program, the R&GV
Railroad Museum held a Book of Rules class today to train and
re-train those members involved in any railroad operations
around the museum.
A special thanks to our partner museum, the New
York Museum of Transportation, for allowing us to use their heated display
gallery. With the temps hovering in the single digits outside, the gallery
was a welcome place to attend class! Thanks!
R&GV Railroad Museum members attend Museum Book of Operating
Rules class.
1/18/2003 - Buda engine re-assembly continues
Work continues to re-assemble the Buda engine. This work day saw the
final touches put on the valves and the final pieces installed so the oil pan
could be reattached which was accomplished by the end of the day. The next
hurdle will be the construction of a new intake & exhaust manifold. The
many years of exposure was not kind to the original.
With that, a few other small parts, a temporary radiator
and some warmer temperatures, it is hoped the engine can
be started soon.
The Buda sits waiting the days re-assembly to start.
Work continues. New lifting rings have been installed in
the engine's head and the museum volunteers work on installing
the oil pan.
1/4/2003 - Museum volunteers start re-assembly of Plymouth
BL Buda engine
The R&GV Railroad Museum rosters a small Plymouth
gas-mechanical Model BL locomotive. This locomotive was donated
to the museum several years back in derelict condition; not
having run in many years. At the heart
of the little loco was a rather large 4 cylinder Buda gasoline engine. Seized,
missing parts and full of rust, the Buda engine looked like a basket case.
Over the past two years, a few volunteers from the R&GV RR Museum have rebuilt,
remanufactured, recreated and on Jan 4th started the re-assembly of the engine
in preparation for what we hope is future operation and the complete restoration
of the Plymouth BL. So here are some pics of the re-assembly that took place
on January 4th. Enjoy and look for more to come. And kudos to the R&GV
RR Museum volunteers who have made what looked like the impossible, possible!
The engine still carries its original builder's tag with
model and serial numbers.
The engine block is brought into the R&GV RR Museum's
Restoration Building after having one bore sleeved at a
local engine shop and then completely re-worked in one
of the R&GV RR Museum's volunteer's home shop.
The block sits next to the lower portion of the engine.
The block is mated back to the engine.
A few hours later, we see the engine really taking shape
with auxiliaries installed and the pistons being reinstalled.
The end of a great day's work as new nuts are installed to
hold the just installed head on to the top of the engine.
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