Childrens Museum Utica NY

[Railjunkie]

Was brought to my attention yesterday while in Utica, the museum would like to get rid of the 3 pieces of rolling stock it currently owns. The Women in charge dosent like trains and sees no use to having the equipment. Kids have climbed all over that stuff for years and there never been a problem until now.

[Otto Vondrak]

Was brought to my attention yesterday while in Utica, the museum would like to get rid of the 3 pieces of rolling stock it currently owns. The Women in charge dosent like trains and sees no use to having the equipment. Kids have climbed all over that stuff for years and there never been a problem until now.

Interesting! Was this offer made to you by someone representing the museum?

-otto-

[lvrr325]

So, what, this person doesn't understand the concept of a museum is so people can learn about history, and those pieces all have a history to them?

[Benjamin Maggi]

What a shame! I remember going there as a kid (my grandparents still live in Utica) and lately I have been meaning to take my wife there just to show her around. As a kid, they had lots of cool exhibits.. including the trains. If you take the trains away, the museum will lose a lot of its charm. Stupid move.

Overview of the Museum (from the rear). Just to the foreground left is an old NYC switcher that is on display.


As the engine (RS-5?) was in 2005. I know at one time it was a chocolate brown color.


Coach on the museum's side which you can/could walk through:


Rear of museum with Caboose

[Benjamin Maggi]

The Women in charge dosent like trains and sees no use to having the equipment.

Not trying to be technical, but are there multiple women on the Board or whatever who want the trains gone or just one woman? I am thinking of writing them a letter.

[Luther Brefo]

Easy there Tiger...

That equipment is not owned by the Children's Museum but rather by the local NRHS Chapter.

[Otto Vondrak]

That, and the original poster has failed to identify where this offer came from. So before we start lighting torches and storming the museum...

[lvrr325]

The locomotive is an RSC2, originally Seaboard Air Line, to Florida Power & Light, to the original incarnation of the Adirondack Railroad, which it's painted as today, after that it bounced around the Utica area for a few years as a parts source for the NYS&W and I think Rome Locomotive, but I'm not 100% on the details. In any case it never belonged to the New York Central. As locomotives go it's a fairly rare model today, although it's basically an RS2 with A1A trucks - it spreads the weight out some, making it more suitable to use on lighter track.

[ut-1]

I belong to the Utica & Mohawk Valley Chapter of the NRHS. Although I am not a very active member, I did read in the Chapter's most recent newsletter, "Tower Topics", that the Children's Museum gave the Chapter an ultimatum to remove the locomotive, dining car and caboose within 30 days. A dispute has been simmering between the Museum & Chapter for quite some time over utility bills. The head of the Museum happens to be a woman. Stay tuned....

[RSD15]

In any case it never belonged to the New York Central.

LV325 you are correct on the RSC,but I think he was referring to the steam engine as NYC.

[greenwichlirr]

Is the unit mechanically stripped on the inside or does it have any sort of slim possibility to come back to life in some way?

[Luther Brefo]

Is the unit mechanically stripped on the inside or does it have any sort of slim possibility to come back to life in some way?

As I understand it, she is pretty much a shell (she was gutted of some critical components like heads etc) but with the right kind of cash and time and effort anything can be made runnable.

[Railjunkie]

Well Otto looks like I was right on the money, try not to post rumors just facts. No

[Otto Vondrak]

Well Otto looks like I was right on the money, try not to post rumors just facts. No

I didn't want to go there, but since you asked, let's dissect your original post for facts:

Was brought to my attention yesterday

By whom?

The Women in charge dosent like trains and sees no use to having the equipment.

What "Women," and has someone gone on record saying this?

Kids have climbed all over that stuff for years and there never been a problem until now.

Agreed.

So all I'm trying to find out is who made initial contact with you, and who is the person at the museum who is seeking the removal of the equipment? That's all, no one's accusing you of posting rumors, just trying to get to the heart of the issue without being evasive and dealing with "they" and "them."

-otto-

[lvrr325]

My understanding is the RSC-2 when placed there was more or less complete, although not operable. At some point someone with the chapter took it upon themselves to remove and sell for scrap a number of parts from the prime mover, leaving it open to the air if not the elements. As a result it would need a complete overhaul to be operable again. But given it had been a parts source for a number of years by that point, who knows what else was bad when it came in.


Utlity bills? How much can it cost to run a few lights on those things? If it's that big of an issue, put them on a seperate power service and put it in the chapter's name.