Gunns-Great to see that your "wee beastie " is still taking shape. Isn't restoration fun ? Still the sence of accomplishment at the end of the day , espeacially knowing that you are bringing history back to life is just the cate meow !
Rob
update for 11/11/06
Today we fitted what we hope is the last of the bushings in the brake rigging on the tender trucks. Also work continues on the ground level fill system.
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/529/IMG00015.JPG
here are a set showing truck 13.
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/529/IMG00017.JPG
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/529/IMG00018.JPG
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/529/IMG00019.JPG
Work continues. (Grin)
More to come,Gunns
David-Hi again , we are still plugging along.Last we had heard the mayor is weakening his position ie his constituants are none to pleased with him. He and his leading rivals are now decidiedly more for giving us a break, so time will tell.An E700 HSR and a E700 TTC are soon to leave the property, sorry i don't have the numbers of them right off the top of my head. We will be keeping the old 1953 HSR Brill and likely one each of the other HSR and TTC one's.
Rob: speaking of fund-raising, how are you doing with tax load on the new barn?
Which trolley busses are gone?
--David
JR-Hey I resemble that remark Actually working on the electrics isn't all that clean, you've been in our workbarn, gets a tad greasy and grimmy in the pit when one's trying to change out traction motors or do general truck maintenance. Lucky for me I'm not that meachanically inclined, I tend to be the gopher when I'm in the shop. As in gopher that spanner set or gopher the welder etc etc. I wouldn't say that you werer "shanghied" more like railroaded
Are you guys currently fund raising for a roof over your heads though. It would be a shame to do all the restoration and still have to leave the equipmnet out in the elements, snow rain wind and sun are murder on the upper surfaces.
Rob,
Thanks for the update. We are still beavering away outdoors as much as possible as we still have no enclosed shop space. I moved the filter housings and oil cooler screens from the DL-701 to my work so I can use the machinery here when the weather gets bad and finsih the bits for reinstallation next season(seems odd to refer to a 3' x 5' enclosure as a "bit").
I got selected to join the mechanical department (maybe more like shanghaied) and will start with more maintainence on the rolling stock. Had one of the Budd cars over the pit to change filters and check over so I've now abeen baptised with diesel as well. Yeah you're right - electrics are less messy. Also had to change out one of the 3" lower radiator hoses and of course the low drain bung is rusted/jammed solid. We got clever there and ran a couple of 55 gal drums into the pit and bodged a drain system so we didn't create an environmental disaster.
Last week it was the turntable giving us fits but that was just a tighten up until we can take it out of service and block it up to fix properly. I find the new experiences a challange and interesting compared to working on the race cars with their itty bitty parts. And yes Rob - this is all your fault.
CUL,J.R.
Well time for yet another musuem update.As stated above the fall restoration season is in full swing. earlier this week OSR45 our big burly linecar was out doing it's thing with ex TTC subway flatcar RT28.Five new mainline poles have been inserted replacing an equal number of poles from the lines first building in 1953. Thes were used poles when the museum recieved them ! they certainly didn't owe us anything. Now we have all new poles ( 10 yeasr or younger )along the mainline. Several more in the yards still need to be replaced but they are being done in order or urgency ie who has more drie rot or woodpecker damage.Eventually all cement poles will replace the wood ones but the costs of the cement ones are alot more than wood at the moment.
In other news two of the displayed trolley busses are finding new homes. So on eof the e700's is heading to a new US based Home and an E800 is also wending it's way west.Currently the two CP newsprint boxcars are nearing completion they have been sealed and drywalled inside ( roof and walls ) wiring and HVAC installation is continuing as well. Thes cars will be the new home of the musuem's paper archieves picture and other, and will act as a heated and AC'ed research area for our members.Currently plans are underway to aquire two baggage cars from CP. Thes will be set up to display paper artifacts for the general public ( one car ) It;s hoped that the second will be set up with some film and movie viewing equipment which will enhance the musuem experiance for the general public.We are begining the initial fundraising for this program now.
Well update time again folks. Our last night show on the 28th was a solid success, despite the fact that the weatherman was incorrect in his assurances that the weather would be cool and clear. In fact we had a bit of fog and an annoying drizzle of and on, we still had over 750 people show up to be tromented by our haunted houses and cars So all in all a successfull wind up to our operating season. ! Thanks again to all the student volenteers and the restoration and operations crew.
Now it's time to clean up and begin anew the restoration season. new pole replacement will continue through out the fall and once it's too cold for outside work , the restoration shops will be the main going concern.
TTC TP-11 the snowplow will be getting the lions share of the work this year, hopes are to have the car operational by next fall.Other minor car repairs will also be ongoing but the plow is the priority.
TTC 416 the last remaining Richmond Hill York Radial car is also still taking shape in the restoration barn with roof and window restoration still humming along, door motors and some forst steps of rewiring are now underway as well.
Till next time
vachel23 wrote:it's really gr8. Thanks for the site.
Hey on in. I'm glad that you are enjoying this site. Feel free to pop by and ask questions etc at any time.
Hello again everyone.Nice to see that the museum's out there are still "ghugging" away <grin>
Kevin-Good to see you in here again my friend.Great news about your open house. It's always good to hear that new members and communities close to the sights are getting more involved with thier local railway history and attractions
Update for us : Last saturday was the first of our two anual Halloween Spooktaculars. The student volenteers did a tremendous job as always with the haunted barn as we had jam packed cars from 6:30 when the fun began to well after ten. We figure something like 650 people came through the gates for evening number one, which is typically the slowest of the two evenings. This saturday comming up the 28th looks to be even better weather wise and we hope to hit our usual over 1000 for it. So come early come often everyone that's in the area. Two frigthening haunted houses actually one haunted car barn and the new an dimproved haunted Gloster cars.
Kevin- Good to hear that you are still more or less on schedule.It's always interesting to find out what needs more work and time than one figures on when you start a restoration project.At our museum we often take on what seems to be a minor job and once the disasembly happens we more oft than not find more things that need to be done. caase in piont is our trake plow TP-11. Initially body and electrical work was all that was needed, that and we bought new wheels ( steel ) ones for it to replace the chipped cast iron ones. We knew that two motors needed rewinding so we pulled them at the same time. Turns out all 4 traction motors needed rewinding ( now completed ) and that the axles supports were cracked on one truck and found to be week on the other, so new parts have been fabricated and repairs made. last i heard the reassembly is well underway of the trucks and the body and electrical work is also approaching completeion. Hopefully by fall of 2007 the car will be painted and operable again. Four years after we figured the one year job would have been done.Just the way it is, when you work on restoring old equipment to operational status.
It looks like we will have the tender together this year, (Yeah I know I said that last year <G>, but we found damage to the brake shoe supports that requiered the dissasemble and repair of all the supports, 32 of them) currently we are finshing up the trucks and putting in a ground level water fill system on the tender. after tha it gets put back to gether, and painted.
Kevin
trolleyboy wrote: Hi guys, Nice to see that there still is some interest in the thread . Kevin-Good to see you come out from under the needlegunning The work looks like it's comming along famously. So do you have any more updates as to when that "black beauty" will being smoking it up along a ROW David-Nice to see you agin too.It is a bit tricky to track down some of the old favourites on the new and improved forum.No worries about the info, it certainly sheds some light on the original question asked so no harm no foul. In some ways I miss the TB's in Toronto and Hamilton, myself I used the HSR ones more frequently.Too bad that when te TTC yanked the TB service they didn't reinststitute streetcar service on those lines, oh well. Rob
Hi guys,
Nice to see that there still is some interest in the thread .
Kevin-Good to see you come out from under the needlegunning The work looks like it's comming along famously. So do you have any more updates as to when that "black beauty" will being smoking it up along a ROW
David-Nice to see you agin too.It is a bit tricky to track down some of the old favourites on the new and improved forum.No worries about the info, it certainly sheds some light on the original question asked so no harm no foul. In some ways I miss the TB's in Toronto and Hamilton, myself I used the HSR ones more frequently.Too bad that when te TTC yanked the TB service they didn't reinststitute streetcar service on those lines, oh well.
I've just located this thread again after the revamp!
On the 3-wires: since the street seems to be used by both rail and bus routes, possibly the wires are separated so that vehicles can pass without pulling the poles off the wires.
Toronto trolley busues usually shared a wire with the streetcars, but usually didn't have overlapping services for any distance. I think there was a place on the Ossington route (NB at Queen) where the TB overhead separated from the streetcar for a jog over to the next street.
There was at least one place (Bay and Wellington) where TB and SC crossed and because the SC was on a one-way street, they used the other SC contact wire as a span wire for the TB (with insulators each side).
Sorry, not about museums!
Hi Bill aboard here. Come back soon and give us the ole run down on the why's and the what's of your museum.
HELLO, MY IS BILL .I WORK WITH THE BULLS GAP RAILROAD MUSEUM & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. WE STARTED IN 1989 WITH THE AS PART OF THE ARCHIE CAMPBELL MUSEUM LABOR DAY HOMECOMING. THEN WE GOT A GOOD DONATION 3 YEARS AGO AS YOU WILL SEE WHEN YOU VISIT OUR WEBSITE. IT IS www.bullsgaprailroadmuseum.org. WE THINK YOU WILL LIKE WHAT YOU SEE THERE.
Hi JR, you see this is why we work on electric railway equipment, the sludge isn't nearly as thick Sounds though however that you are indeed making some headway.One gets the feeling though that ALCO's just naturally wallow in their own juices, once she's up and runninf I'm sure it won't be long before it develops another nice coating of grime and goo.It's what we love about ALCO locomotives.
Good Evening All,
Just a quick update on DL-701 1402 progress:
The mechanical department got the unit moved over to the pit and work area adjacent to the turntable so we can commence degreasing/washing. There is no exageration places where the sludge/grime is over two inches thick and the minimum seems to be on the order of 1/2 inch,. Spent time scraping and ladeling gook into a 55 gallon drum then got out the pressure washer and got after it. Some 8 hours two gallons of fuel and a jug of degreaser later we've just started to get one side of the engine down to the paint although it is amazing to see piping and conduit emerge out of the slime on the floor. Almost like an archeological dig. We expect to spend at least two more days just cleaning the engine bay never mind the running gear and tanks.Does look like progress though. For sure it will be a while before I complain about our customers bringing in dirty cars for us to work on.. All for now someday I'll get the pictures thing back up and running. CUL, J.R.
Lets see time for a restoration news update. It's been quite a busy summer as far as ongoing restoration and repair projects go,some highlights.
TTC 416 - The installation of the vestibule roof wood continues.The strips are on aa compound curve and must be steamed and bent and tapered to fit properly. Several rotten window posts have been repaired / replaced and the refinishing and reinsatllation of the window sah continues.
CTA 48 - The reguaging of the track brakeshas been completed, as is the repair and reinsatllation of #4 drum brake. The auxillery power jumper feed switch was removed ( used to provide 600v DC to worl cars on the EL ) and reinstalled next to te battery box. The switch is now going to be used to isolate the batteries. Numerous other minor electrical repairs were also completed on the car,and it is now back in limited service.
TTC 4000 -The window mechanism repairs are now complete. A number of other small cosmetic upgrades are underway
TTC 2424 -The fian body prep is done to rpepare the car for painting in May.Unfortunatly the painter was busy and a ew one is being sorced, hopes are to have the car painted in August.
TTC TP-11 -Work on the trucks has resumed;with the brake heads and beams being dissassembled and cleaned / repaired. The broken transome plates on both trucks were repaired by a contract welder,whick now paves the way for reassembly of the trucks. A detailed work plan to complete the car has been developed, it is hopped that it will be completed and back inservice by June 2007.
LE&N M4 -Minor repairs were made to the roof after it had suffered some locolized deterioration. The car has been on display in front of the new Grand River Railway Shops ( barn 2 ) most weekends this summer.
L&PS 8-The west end brake valve has been overhauled, and a number of minor air leaks were repaired. The window sahes have all been repainted as well as the vestibule floors.
LE&N 797 -Work on the vest vestibule steps is nearly complete. Cosmetic body work is ongoing, as is the overhaul of the reverser and one of the main switch groups.
CP 2211-19 -The ballast regulator had a number of electrical repairs done, and the plow brackets were welded back in place by the contracted welder. Painting is completed annd the unit is back in service.
TH&B 2204-16 -The tamper is undergoing a cosmetic overhaul including a majopr degreasing stripping and priming and painting.A number of electrical and hydrolic repairs are also underway.
A busy summer thus far in a nutshell.
Evening folks.
Dave- Thanks for chimming in , I had thought after the fact that that was likely the case. I suppose that several cities may have had the three wire system at some point , at least the ones that were, in the process of converting over from straight streetcar operation to trolley coach service.I've never looked thta closely at San Fran's Market Street overhead, I will have to take a peak at it the next time I get down there.
Ken - Hey thanks for stopping by.Hopefully your musuem's final location gets sorted out sooner as opposed to later. certainly keep us in the loop as it were reguarding your repatriating of that HEPC locomotive.
Well, thought i'd chime in here and mention our little group. I started the Niagara Falls Railway Museum about 11yrs ago, after working with other standard and narrow gauge railway groups in different parts of Southern Ontario. The NFRM has grown considerably over the past few years, despite the fact that we don't have a permanent home for our collection. We had 3 40' boxcars donated to us 4 yrs ago, and we currently use them for storing some of our larger items. The museum collection includes the 3 boxcars (all ex-CP Rail), 4 Fairmont A4D motorcars, an ex-C&O Fairmont M14 motorcar, a 1939 Nordberg single stone track grinder (ex-CN) an ex-CP Rail Pyke hand operated crane (built on a motorcar lorrie frame) numerous track lorries, and our newest addition, which will return to Niagara Falls in 2006 is ex-Hydro Electric Power Commission Alco 0-4-0ST #46. This is the last steam engine from the historic Queenston-Chippawa Project (Adam Beck Generating Station #1) of the 1920's. This locomotive is not operational, and our current plans call for cosmetic restoration only (unless of course we find that elusive money tree). The NFRM also has 3 other small track motorcars that are on a semi-permanent loan, and are used by members on motorcar runs. We run a yearly model railway show in Niagara Falls, which in 2006 drew about 800 people during the 5hr show. This is currently our main fundraiser, and we have recently received our charitable status.
Well, i think that's about it. Our website is http://www.nfrm.ca
Ken
Here's some information on our upcoming steam weekends.
Each trip is a one hour excursion making a six mile round trip train ride. Reservations recommended.
Adult - $14 Child -$8 (2 - 12)
Departure from Connersville Grand Central Station, 455 Market Street, Connersville, IN
Friday September 1
Displayed during day with 1:00 pm excursion
Saturday September 2
9:30am 11:15am 1:15pm 3:00pm 4:45pm
Additional special events
Sunday September 3
Monday September 4 - Labor Day
Departure from Historic Downtown Metamora, a 1838 Indiana Canal Town
Friday September 8
9:30am 11:15am 1:15pm 3:15pm
Special steam powered "Train To Dinner" to the Laurel Hotel from Metamora departing at 6:00 pm Call for more information.
Saturday September 9
9:30am 11:15am 1:15pm 3:15pm 5:15pm
Sunday September 10
The Whitewater Valley Railroad is an operating railroad museum dedicated to the preservation of a historic branch line railroad, to the restoration of railroad equipment, and to the conduct of railroad educational programs.
Visit us at http://www.whitewatervalleyrr.org
Hi Mike, a great couple or three shots as always. Thanks for sharing them.Interesting thought on that extra wire,you could well be onto something there !
Art, maybe the 3rd overhead wire was for 2-way traffic on rails, plus a bus.
Rob, here's 3 more old slides with transit.
Los Angeles 1952 partial view of PCC car
http://purl.dlib.indiana.edu/iudl/archives/cushman/full/P05738.jpg
Chicago 1958 elevated
http://purl.dlib.indiana.edu/iudl/archives/cushman/full/P10257.jpg
New York 1942 distant view of the El
http://purl.dlib.indiana.edu/iudl/archives/cushman/full/P02705.jpg
Mike
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