Author Topic: Stumbled upon this on YouTube  (Read 1163 times)

Bruce Wilson

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Stumbled upon this on YouTube
« on: January 06, 2025, 07:25:33 PM »
A prompt came up on my screen for the YouTube channel "American Giants".
The story began under the title of "Finding a giant Santa statue under a collapsed barn".
Film footage showed a fiberglass Santa and a tender from what looked like Cog Railway locomotive No.8.
I wondered if a salvage job had been done where items from a New Hampshire transportation museum had been rescued.

As it was a short film, I decided to watch and in the process ruled out my suspicions. What the video showed, was a site in northern Vermont geared towards refurbishing enormous fiberglass Santa's, Paul Bunyans and the like. Additionally, there happens to be a small two foot gage railroad on the property. A steam locomotive is shown  (possibly a Henschel), some home built cars and a gas-mech'l Plymouth engine.

I had been watching a video about the initial restoration of a well thrashed '32 Ford  five window, when the prompt came in.

Maybe a forum reader can supply details of the Vermont two-footer?





Wanted: Copies of correspondence and photographs from "first generation narrow gage railfans" such as Linwood Moody, Dick Andrews, Lawrence Brown, Ellis Atwood, H.T. Crittenden and others. Interested in all two foot (U.S.) rail operations, common carrier, industrial/mill and park/museum.

Ed Lecuyer

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Re: Stumbled upon this on YouTube
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2025, 07:35:10 PM »
Ed Lecuyer
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Bruce Wilson

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Re: Stumbled upon this on YouTube
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2025, 07:58:39 PM »
Thank you for putting up that link, Ed.

I just watched the video again and compared an old Edaville Railroad "Santa" postcard to the restoration project shown in the video.

I had the Mike Robert's Productions card, published by Bromley, card no. SA1277. There is a difference in the mouth, but maybe if I had a barn fall on me, my mouth would be tweaked some from an earlier image.

Can't help but wonder if that is the old Edaville Santa Claus, sold at auction in 1992 and taken up to Mont Vernon, New Hampshire and now getting a rebuild.
Wanted: Copies of correspondence and photographs from "first generation narrow gage railfans" such as Linwood Moody, Dick Andrews, Lawrence Brown, Ellis Atwood, H.T. Crittenden and others. Interested in all two foot (U.S.) rail operations, common carrier, industrial/mill and park/museum.

Olin Anderson

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Re: Stumbled upon this on YouTube
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2025, 11:24:08 PM »
According to Steamlocomotive.info this is Henschel and Sohn No. 22361
https://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=1468
I find it interesting that the small industrial train that was listed for sale, and described here some 20 years ago, is also on this property. This includes a caboose, flat car and locomotive for the "Katahdin Lumber Co."
Have Fun,
O.

Bruce Wilson

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Re: Stumbled upon this on YouTube
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2025, 01:28:46 AM »
Thank you Olin. From Steamlocomotive.com, mention of a 2023 Facebook post discussing this locomotive. May have been at the Silver Dollar City Amusement Park, Branson, MO.
Wanted: Copies of correspondence and photographs from "first generation narrow gage railfans" such as Linwood Moody, Dick Andrews, Lawrence Brown, Ellis Atwood, H.T. Crittenden and others. Interested in all two foot (U.S.) rail operations, common carrier, industrial/mill and park/museum.

Gavin Dalessandro

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Re: Stumbled upon this on YouTube
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2025, 11:06:35 AM »
I could be wrong but I believe the flatcar at timestamp 3:58 was one of the two that we in Portland that we sold a few years ago.

Bruce Wilson

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Re: Stumbled upon this on YouTube
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2025, 11:42:57 AM »
Gavin, is that a Magor built flat car?  And did the Maine Narrow Gauge collection include equipment from the Biddefird Terminal two foot operation and rolling stock from Edgar Meades "Etna & Montreal" railroad? I know Edgar gad a home built passenger car and German steam locomotive, was there anything else do you know?

Wanted: Copies of correspondence and photographs from "first generation narrow gage railfans" such as Linwood Moody, Dick Andrews, Lawrence Brown, Ellis Atwood, H.T. Crittenden and others. Interested in all two foot (U.S.) rail operations, common carrier, industrial/mill and park/museum.

Gavin Dalessandro

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Re: Stumbled upon this on YouTube
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2025, 02:50:03 PM »
that's all I know but I would suggest asking either Griffin or Wesley Heinz they might know.

Bruce Wilson

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Re: Stumbled upon this on YouTube
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2025, 02:53:13 PM »
Thank you Gavin, I appreciate your help. I might like to railfan my way over through Vermont one day soon. It's been a long time and now I have a good reason!
Wanted: Copies of correspondence and photographs from "first generation narrow gage railfans" such as Linwood Moody, Dick Andrews, Lawrence Brown, Ellis Atwood, H.T. Crittenden and others. Interested in all two foot (U.S.) rail operations, common carrier, industrial/mill and park/museum.