Messages

31

Work and Events / Re: WW&F No. 9 - Official Work Thread

« on: December 08, 2015, 09:44:35 PM »

A visitor five or ten years ago told me that he was a young neighbor of Alice's -, and that they did in fact steam up #9 - have no idea whether he was speaking the truth.

32

Maine Narrow Gauge RR Co. & Museum / Re: Monson #3

« on: November 30, 2015, 02:56:33 AM »

I opened my Sunday Newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, and found an AP photo of Monson #3 and the Polar Express Train with the headline - "Full Steam Ahead for Polar Express' Holiday Season" on page A11.

"Steam emerges from a vintage 1913 locomotive as the Polar Express gets under way Friday in Portland, Maine. The popular train, based on the well-known children's book, has rides scheduled throughout the holiday season for about a mile and a half along Casco Bay to the 'North Pole' ".

33

Museum Discussion / Re: A visit to the National Archives

« on: February 22, 2015, 12:08:34 AM »

I find I still have the Val Maps for the KC , Monson and WW&F on my computer. If anyone wants copies, please contact me by email. I gave paper copies of the SR&RL & B&SR to the Archives many years ago.

34

Museum Discussion / Re: A visit to the National Archives

« on: February 21, 2015, 07:26:02 PM »

Our Archives in Sheepscot has Valuation maps for all the Maine Two-Footers - and a disc of all the Sanborn Maps of the two-footer towns.

35

Museum Discussion / Re: A visit to the National Archives

« on: February 20, 2015, 09:42:34 PM »

I visited the National Archives four or five years ago and scanned all ICC filings by the WW&F and got digitized maps for all the ICC Valuation drawings filed. They are in the Archives at Sheepscot.
Once our archives is fully computerized and a large format printer is procured, they can be reproduced for researchers.

36

Museum Discussion / Re: Community Calendars

« on: February 06, 2015, 11:42:21 PM »

DownEast Magazine, and Yankee Magazine.

37

Other Narrow Gauge / Re: Cuban 27.5 gauge 2-8-0

« on: January 02, 2015, 10:37:41 AM »

Actually, you see all kinds of narrow gauge steam stored in three different places around Havana. The official line is they are being saved for a railroad museum to be built in the future - but I think they are there to be sold to the highest bidders.

38

General Discussion / Re: Maxim Fire Trucks 100 Anniversary Show

« on: September 24, 2014, 10:11:59 PM »

That 1927 pumper looks just like the one that spent 30 years lowering the insurance rates at Quonochontaug Central Beach in Charlestown RI. I got to drive that truck many times as a teenage - it was stored in my Uncle's Construction Business Garage.

39

Museum Discussion / Re: Parking Lot finishing touches

« on: September 20, 2014, 10:05:42 AM »

Our mile long driveway over in Nobleboro has been surfaced with crushed up asphalt for three or dour years now and it has done wonders in firming up the surface and preventing potholes. It does not look like a paved road, and is hard to tell from ordinary gravel.

40

Museum Discussion / WW&F Dairy car on America's Test Kitchen

« on: September 01, 2014, 08:01:28 PM »

I just watched an episode of America's Test Kitchen featuring a segment on Lobster Rolls. Lo, and behold, there is a shot of the show's host at Red's Eats in Wiscasset sampling one of Debbie Kronks Lobster Rolls.
Debbie's dad was one of our staunchest members and supporters in Wiscasset when he was alive.

And there is a nice pan shot across Route 1 that ends up with the Turner Dairy Box Car in the center of the frame. I wonder - no, it couldn't be - if Steve Hussar had any influence on this episode. (He probably filmed it as one of his day jobs is as a cameraman for this show.

41

General Discussion / Re: Gravity Switching - A Grave Mistake

« on: May 12, 2014, 05:33:25 PM »

In the early 70s, Penn Central built their hotshot Piggyback trains (SV6, 8 & 10) departing Chicago with a caboose on the East of Cleveland portion of the train and another caboose on the Cleveland set out at the rear of the train. While pulling into one the the Fast Freight tracks at Collinwood Yard in East Cleveland, a yard conductor would climb aboard the cut-in caboose, and a brakeman would run alongside the "pin" and call the engineer of the inbound train for a "little slack" and pull the pin and tell the engineer to pull ahead. The rear block would then (with closed angle-cocks) drift into the adjacent fast freight track. The through train inbound crew and outbound crew would then change "on the fly" at about 4 - 6 MPH, and depart without ever stopping.

This practice went on until early Conrail days when a conductor making the move was killed. This ended the practice that management had allowed with a "blind eye"

42

General Discussion / Re: Gravity Switching - A Grave Mistake

« on: May 12, 2014, 02:27:18 PM »

As former System Director of Operating Rules for Conrail - I am appalled at the suggestion of "dropping" any kind of cars. The big railroads always had a complete prohibition on dropping of passenger cars - whether occupied or not, and after I and others developed the NORAC rulebook - we prohibited "dropping" of any cars at any time.

The accidents I can relate would fill a large notebook because of this very bad practice.

43

US Two Footers / Re: Bucksgahuda and Western Railroad

« on: December 23, 2013, 02:37:42 PM »

I believe Tom Bauer has been a member of the WW&F.

44

Volunteers / Re: July 2013 Work Planning

« on: July 14, 2013, 08:23:44 PM »

My oldest son from Napa, California rode the train today with his wife and two sons - 8 & 5 years old - and all reported a wonderful time -although they missed out on a cab ride. Maybe next year!

45

Bridgton & Saco River Railway / Re: OK, Guys, Another Question

« on: June 29, 2013, 10:03:12 AM »

There are many pictures of B&SR passenger trains pulling all the way into the Jct station. After passengers detrained is when train backed up and did the run around.  The same locomotive and equipment would then ;eave  as #4.

Making a dutch drop of the train did not take but a couple of minutes - and even allowed time to water the engine.