4/12/2008 - Repaired...
Here we see the non-pressure brake cylinder head from the museum's GE 45-tonner RG&E #1941. The two brazed patches can be see here prior to final machining.

4/12/2008 - Painted...
With the final machining done, the non-pressure head along with the rear portion of the brake cylinder can be seen here in new black paint in preparation for cylinder re-assembly.

4/12/2008 - More paint prep...
Along with all of its mechanical work, the #1941 is also receiving a complete cosmetic restoration. Here we see Project Foreman, Joe Nugent, cleaning up one of the switching steps prior to priming, finish paint, and installation.

4/12/2008 - Bent!
Back on Eastman Kodak Company GE 80-tonner #6, we find another set of switching steps in need of help. In this case, the steps tangled at one point in their life with a track bumper and lost being bent up. As part of the work on EK6, it was time to repair these steps and bend them back into shape.

4/12/2008 - Heating them up...
Museum volunteer, Pete Gores, heats up one of the verticals on the switching steps. Once hot, a large wrench was used to apply enough pressure to reshape the step.

4/12/2008 - Straightened...
On the engineer's side, the grating had to be removed to make the repairs. Here we see the straightened step supports. By the end of the day, the grating was bolted back on completing the repair.

3/29/2008 - Changes out on the mainline...
For the past several years, the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum's partner museum, the New York Museum of Transportation, has been installing overhead trolley wire over the portion of the museum railroad which they own. The R&GVRRM owns up to approximately milepost 0.5 and the NYMT owns from there on although the museums share the maintenance and usage of the railroad. This winter with help from R&GVRRM volunteers and using R&GVRRM's equipment the NYMT has nearly completed the install of all of the poles along their portion of the railroad. Here we see a view looking north from Scanlon's Curve where you can see all of the newly installed poles to the right of the railroad.

3/29/2008 - Changes...
In these views, the newly installed poles can be seen at Scanlon's Curve and looking south toward the R&GVRRM. In this heavily wooded area of the railroad, it is sometimes hard to tell what are the poles and what are the trees.

3/29/2008 - Changes...
In this view of the pole install, we see a view looking south toward Scanlon's Curve from Reid's Crossing.

3/29/2008 - Changes...
In this view, we are north of Reid's Crossing looking south...

3/29/2008 - Changes...
Spinning around, we are now looking north toward milepost 0.8. This is the area traditionally used for the R&GVRRM's Diesel Days special event. It hoped that for 2008, the R&GVRRM's will actually meet NYMT's trolleys! Stay tuned...

3/29/2008 - Changes...
A telephoto view looking north of milepost 0.8 with BOCES crossing in the background as the tracks curve to the left.

3/29/2008 - Setting poles...
In this set of pictures, we find the combined R&GVRRM and NYMT pole crew digging the hole for the second to last pole using the R&GVRRM's auger truck. This hole was a fighter with steam rising from the hole when the drill bit was removed, but it finally relented and the pole was eventually installed.

3/26/2008 - Back in the shop...
We find Machine Shop Foreman, Kevin Klees, braising up the 1941's non-pressure brake head to build up enough new metal prior to machining back to round which should give this old part many more years of reliable service.

3/22/2008 - Rebuilt!
Again we find ourselves under the deck of ex-Eastman Kodak Company #6. This time, however, we find the same hand brake pulley all rebuilt with two new pins, a new chain, and brand new spring hangers to hold the chain up when there is slack. Nice work!

3/22/2008 - And at the other end of the chain...
At the end of the chain from the pulley above, a second pulley is found. This pulley also had its pin drilled out, the pulley cleaned and a brand new pin installed. We also see a second of the new spring hangers, and the new chain connected back up to the truck.

3/22/2008 - A little engine work...
The R&GVRRM's Fairmont A-series gang cars are the backbone of its Sunday operating fleet. Here we see one of the museum's cars, TC-2, in the restoration shop for some engine work. In order to remove the oil pan, the car, shown here, had to be blocked up and the front axle split in half to allow access to the oil pan. The museum is seeking another A series gang car to add to its collection. Do you have a car we might be interested in? Please let us know.

2/16/2008 - Time for some improvements...
With the engine shutdown for the winter, it was a great time to start looking at what repairs and improvements could be made to our ALCO RS-1 #9. Here we see one of the traction motor blower ducts that channel air from the frame mounted blowers down into the trucks and traction motors. From many years of use, the ducts have torn reducing the effectiveness of the blowers. So it was time to get new ducts made up.

2/16/2008 - Awaiting replacement...
Here we see the rigid ductwork after the flexible canvas duct was removed. The engine has four of these, and they all will be replaced before spring startup.

2/16/2008 - More locomotive parts in need of repair...
Inside of our restoration building, the museum's ex-Rochester Gas & Electric GE 45-tonner #1941 has been receiving both mechanical and cosmetic restoration work. As part of the mechanical work, it was time to COTS (Clean, Oil, Test, Stencil) the brake cylinder. Once removed, it became obvious the non-pressure brake cylinder head would need some work to rebuild one piece which cracked off and rebuild the hole in the center showing heavy wear from the hollow push rod.

2/16/2008 - And more parts...
Also in the restoration shop is the museum's ex-Eastman Kodak Company GE 80-tonner #6. The loco is receiving brake work including a full cylinder COTS on all of the truck mounted cylinders and a rebuild of the hand brake. Here we see one of the pulleys in the hand brake system. After attempts to knock the pins out holding in the pulleys, it was decided it would be easier to drill them out and machine new pins. Here we see a pilot hole drilled into the pin at the start of the removal process.

2/16/2008 - Cleaning up window frames...
As part of the work on the museum's passenger cars, all of the windows are receiving new glazing. This is a very complex and tedious process with the need to remove, retap, and replace MANY screws along with many pieces that make up the window frames to clean and rework. Here we see museum volunteer, Bill Blaesi, wire wheeling one of the pieces of one of the window frames. Necessity is certainly the mother of invention...

2/16/2008 - And back up in the window shop...
Once he completed wire wheeling the window frame, Bill headed back up into the museum's window shop where we see him re-assembling one of the window modules including re-tapping the many screw holes that hold the module together. Each module takes a $100 piece of polycarbonate. Want to help us and adopt a window? Make a tax-deductible donation online.

2/16/2008 - Snow now... Rail soon!
In this view looking north from the south end of the museum's property toward the restoration building, we see snow now, however, the museum plans to install both tracks leading out of the building out to this point to give the museum more track storage space. Interesting is that this area is now 20+ feet higher than it used to be as the museum has filled this area using the soil excavated from the north end of the building. That is a lot of dirt moved!

1/26/2008 - New siding progress!
As part of its "Building Tracks to the Future" capital fund drive, the R&GVRRM is working to raise the funds to build a 1400 foot siding west of the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad. This siding will eventually hold the museum's ex-New York Central 'Empire State Express' passenger car set once the work on the cars, currently stored up by the museum's restoration building, is completed. To get the process started, the museum has contracted with and paid for the installation of the switch that will feed the siding. To get the process started, the LA&L Track Department seized on some decent weather this January to build up the switch as a panel for a spring install in the mainline. In this view looking south toward the museum, you can see the new switch waiting install.

1/26/2008 - New siding progress!
In this view looking north, you can see the new switch and the LA&L mainline.