Railroad Forums 

  • Official Naugatuck Railroad thread (NAUG/RMNE)

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New England

Moderators: MEC407, NHN503

 #972121  by Otto Vondrak
 
The Naugatuck Railroad is operating a full calendar of special events and regular trains through the end of the year... Check out our Schedules page and come out for ride!

http://rmne.org/schedule/

-otto-
 #974573  by oibu
 
So at the risk of being just another foamer who gives a crap about anything and therefore asks a few questions now and again, and thinks it reasonable to give answers to your potential audience rather than get p!ssy at them for showing interest, and understands that at times such information may not be desirable to publicly divulge and should therefore just be courteoulsy left well enough alone, and who -may- or -may not- buy a ticket DEPENDING on the outcome of said questions and answers, I'd like to know what unit(s) the Naugy is/will currently be relying on this fall? Still using the FL9?

And just for general curiousity, since I couldn't find any further reference to same, what is the general timeframe for this reported equipment move from Essex? (just would like to know when more goodies might show up on the Naug, nothing more, nothing less, your mileage may vary)
 #974811  by Stag Hound
 
Question #1
The FL-9 will be on the train for the forseeable future and is the assigned power of the "Northern Lights Express."

Question #2
The vast majority of the equipment will be coming on rubber tires, not steel. In fact, a few pieces have already made their way and will continue to do so over the course of the next few months. Although not to the scale of the Steamtown move from Bellows Falls to Scranton, we are facing similar hurdles. A incredibly dedicated, albeit small, group of volunteers has been working on the project since early spring (and even before) and will continue to do so till the job is done. While the work is far from glamorous, it is rewarding. Keep in mind, we are preserving not just locomotives and rolling stock but dozens of railroad artifacts which will help tell a richer, more complete story of New England railroading.

Our goal is to educate and preserve. I, of course, share your enthusiasm for FL-9s as well as all of the historic pieces in our collection. But even beyond pictures or general curiosity, it is our job to tell put the "story" in history. An FL-9 alone does not tell the story. The locomotive is just a "fact" and we all know how much we enjoyed memorizing those in class. The responses which you have obviously observed are just out of a general frustration relative to difference between the "stuff is cool" vs. "it is an integral part of the greater industrial history of New England." It is what I like to call the "Hiearchy of Railroad Preservationists" (credit given to Maslow of course). We, as a group (and I mean this for the entire community) need to think more wide scale relative to "What exactly are we doing here?"
 #974864  by Otto Vondrak
 
oibu wrote:So at the risk of being just another foamer who gives a crap about anything and therefore asks a few questions now and again, and thinks it reasonable to give answers to your potential audience rather than get p!ssy at them for showing interest, and understands that at times such information may not be desirable to publicly divulge and should therefore just be courteoulsy left well enough alone, and who -may- or -may not- buy a ticket DEPENDING on the outcome of said questions and answers, I'd like to know what unit(s) the Naugy is/will currently be relying on this fall? Still using the FL9?
Understand your point, but all of that to ask if the FL9 was running? :-) I for one understand your concern, but reasonable inquiries that are tempered with a dose of common sense are always welcome. What is currently pulling trains is no secret... In fact, you'll be pleased to know that the FL9 is placed on the south end of the consist, which is optimal for photography. Though, even if you come out just to shoot pictures, I encourage everyone to please purchase a "souvenir" ticket to help us defray the cost of operation. There are many wonderful photo ops along the line, check out my Flickr set:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ottomatic7 ... 974695660/

Your donations and patronage help keep the trains rolling, for which we thank you. If you come out on a weekend I happen to be there, I'd be happy to show you around, too.

-otto-
Just a RMNE Volunteer
 #975010  by CannaScrews
 
A little dose of sarcasm is good, tempered with awe.....

Those who have been around the block a few times do have a tough enough hide to see past the present dilemmas and focus on the future.

"They're coming to take me away, ha-ha"
Napoleon XIV
 #975160  by oibu
 
"but reasonable inquiries that are tempered with a dose of common sense are always welcome"

Otto, obviously in certain cases such was not the case...not singling out anyone or any post. Just sayin.
 #975281  by oibu
 
actually, as far as power I keep hoping that "some day" the RS3 will be back....

Agree with the sentiment about trying to support an operation even if just chasing/photographing. I may not always buy a ticket if I'm not riding, but I do at least try to find a donation box to drop a few bucks (the amount varies based on what I've got on hand plus the personal interest in a particular operation or project, or the amount of work I know a certain group has on their plate) in or make a purchase of a book or something at the gift shop. Disagree with the sentiment that volunteers are entitled to lambast one for asking a few simple enough questions, or criticizing rather than ingnoring a question on a sensitive topic, or taking on a holier-than-thou, "we volunteer, so what's your excuse you lazy loser?" stance- none of these is likely to win friends OR potential volunteers/donors. Just IMHO.
 #975306  by MEC407
 
I'll ask that those be the last words on that subject, as I don't want this to turn into another fight. I think everyone has had a chance to make their opinions clear and it's best that we not go back down that road again.

What are the current statuses of the following NAUG units?

1732 (does NAUG still have this? It's not listed on their online roster)
2203
2525
 #975368  by H.F.Malone
 
1732: out of service due to broken crankshaft. A replacement engine is in the Thomaston shop, undergoing a slow rebuild.

2203: in service, with some fine-tuning being done. It had some new engine components installed this year (injectors, pumps, governor). Some long-due cosmetic worrk was accomplished at the same time.

2525: stored unserviceable. Has cracked mounting feet on the diesel engine (credit GE's cast iron block vs. EMD and Alco's fabricated steel blocks), due to old impact damage. Replacement block on hand, priority for this work has been low.

529: needs a rebuilt water pump (the one in it now leaks). Also is just about at the limit (but not quite) for wear on some of the wheels. Replacement wheels are on hand, and water pump rebuild is not difficult. Re-wheeling is a considerable project, though. Maybe next season...

1508: this summer, it has been assessed, cleaned up, engine lubed and rotated, cooling system filled and checked for leaks (yes, another water pump to rebuild), air system checked for leaks. Needs a traction motor replaced due to some damage incurred during transit from Michigan.

Like all projects at these places, things move faster when there are more resources* to bring to bear on the projects at hand.

(*resources: time, money, people)
 #975373  by MEC407
 
Thanks for the info, HFM!
 #975507  by Otto Vondrak
 
oibu wrote:Disagree with the sentiment that volunteers are entitled to lambast one for asking a few simple enough questions, or criticizing rather than ingnoring a question on a sensitive topic, or taking on a holier-than-thou, "we volunteer, so what's your excuse you lazy loser?" stance- none of these is likely to win friends OR potential volunteers/donors. Just IMHO.
For the record, so do I! I wonder what provokes such reactions and feelings? Anyhoo, if you want to know more about the Secret Cabal of Railroad Preservation, please send me a PM (and make sure you know the secret countersign).

-otto-
 #975510  by Otto Vondrak
 
MEC407 wrote:1732 (does NAUG still have this? It's not listed on their online roster)
MEC407, sorry you couldn't find it, but it's listed here...

http://naugy.blogspot.com/2007/10/bosto ... -1732.html

I don't know why it's not showing up in the roster. I will investigate!

-otto-
 #975515  by Otto Vondrak
 
The RMNE embarked on another track blitz recently to add some capacity to Thomaston Yard Shop. Read about it (and see photos) here:

http://naugy.blogspot.com/2011/09/track ... -shop.html

-otto-
 #975528  by MEC407
 
Thanks for the 1732 blog link, Otto! I did come across that, but because it was dated 2007 I was wondering if anything had changed since then. (This is the roster I was referring to.)
 #975737  by Otto Vondrak
 
MEC407 wrote:Thanks for the 1732 blog link, Otto! I did come across that, but because it was dated 2007 I was wondering if anything had changed since then. (This is the roster I was referring to.)
Yeah, all the roster entries on the blog are dated 2007 because that's when I entered them. :-) And those blog entries feed the Roster page on rmne.org... Except for 1732's entry!

There are a lot of projects "in line" for work... But you know what's awesome? WE HAVE AN ENCLOSED SHOP TO WORK IN. I can't begin to tell you how much that helps move work along. Concrete floor, good lighting, insulation, and a real inspection pit...
  • 1
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 110