Fantasy B&M museum location and your 5 must have locos/cars

More good points. I suppose in sticking with the "fantasy" theme I should not have made that gon comment; money and volunteer effort would not be critically scarce resources. My pragmatism was coming through. Going to places like the IRM out here in IL saddens me. With respect to the museum folks, it seems to be about quantity, not quality. And there are not enough resources to restore and maintain it all, so everything suffers. To Stag's point, railroad preservationists really need to rethink rationalization... and maintain a balance between historical importance and crowd pleasers. Unfortunately as time goes on, railroad equipment from the "golden era" will become increasingly irrelevant in the minds of the average tourist... or even fan. (Look no further than Trains Magazine: How many articles about pre-1940s railroading do you see? Heck, even Classic Trains only goes back to the 20s.)

Cowford wrote:C'mon Mr Malone, this thread certainly is in the "dreaming" category (uhhh, see title). And speaking of dreaming, you think that people would be compelled to visit a museum that featured a bottom drop gon?

A rusted, unrestored drop-bottom gondola? No.
A restored, pristine drop-bottom gondola, maybe, but probably not (I'm talking Joe and Jane Public and their kids).
A restored drop-bottom gondola that was part of a display explaining how the railroad moved goods, how homes were heated with coal that might have come to the coalyard in that gondola etc etc, well now you might be in business.
And that display would cost a lot less than restoring the gondola, assuming you have space for it. Which in this fantasy B&M museum would not be an issue

My B&M museum would have an operable RDC. Ideally 6214 with the little kitchen in the baggage space, serviceable.

I think the land the Portsmouth engine house is on could be gotten cheap, but access would be difficult. In Dover, the old engine terminal still stands, but much of what you'd wish was saved is gone.

Not to be picky, but the B&M RDC with the kitchen was the 6212.

Here are three photos, including it running on an inspection trip to Portsmouth.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/Locopi ... px?id=7046

B&M Listing from Houghton's RailImages

6212 RDC2 BUDD 6501 9/56 Sold to the MBTA 12/76. Unit had a
kitchen in the baggage section of
car. Destroyed by fire in 1984.

Since your handle is "MissThe MEC", let's address the MEC stuff at RMNE, particularly the restored MEC low-side gon!! And one of the three MEC steel boxcars is also restored. MEC 557 (Alco RS-3) is slowly getting a paint job, started last season and will continue as resources permit in 2012. MEC (well, PTCo.) crane 198 is a regular worker and was restored and painted in 1998 (it has a great "in-use" look now!). There are 8 MEC items at RMNE, including MEC plow #70. So, the largest collection of MEC/B&M "golden era" stuff is in Connecticut!

H.F.Malone wrote:So, the largest collection of MEC/B&M "golden era" stuff is in Connecticut!

Much to the chagrin of this Mainer who can't get down there but I am VERY happy and thankful that it's being so well-protected and well-taken-care-of.

H.F.Malone wrote:Since your handle is "MissThe MEC", let's address the MEC stuff at RMNE, particularly the restored MEC low-side gon!! And one of the three MEC steel boxcars is also restored. MEC 557 (Alco RS-3) is slowly getting a paint job, started last season and will continue as resources permit in 2012. MEC (well, PTCo.) crane 198 is a regular worker and was restored and painted in 1998 (it has a great "in-use" look now!). There are 8 MEC items at RMNE, including MEC plow #70. So, the largest collection of MEC/B&M "golden era" stuff is in Connecticut!

I had no idea the museum had that much MEC stuff. I knew about the RS-3 but not the rest.
You just recruited a new member.

Welcome aboard! And everyone thinks RMNE is "all New Haven, all the time" !!!

Totally delusional fantasy dept: Iron Horse Park. Assuming Pan Am relocates their headquarters and a multimillion donation from a super rich B&M fan pays for cleaning up the residue of hazmat at the site and he/she funds re-laying track between Iron Horse and Bedford depot and restoring the 6211RDC to run fan trips on the branch. Ahh, and while we're at it, bring back the reformatory branch for the occasional run of that unmentionable B&M steamer which will be bought and restored from CSRX pulling vintage B&M coaches up to and including the two newly refurbished Budds presently "in the woods" at Iron Horse. And since we have a huge budget, install the Winton from the B&O museum in the Flying Yankee and have Iron Horse as it's base of operations for it's many excursions in New England and beyond. Dream (or nightmare) over.

H.F.Malone wrote:CVRA7 puts up a nice list of B&M stuff, and it pulls no comments from any of you guys. 14 pieces!!! That stuff is all REAL, and not fantasy-- in the hands of a preservation group and in a safe location, and always happy to have some friends to care for them. Where else is there so much vintage B&M equipment in one place??

Heck, a B&M diesel is in the RMNE shop right now as a major project. The RMNE was even awarded a grant for the work on the B&M diesel!

The RMNE won the award for restoration work in progress in our shop building on a diesel engine for Boston & Maine GP9 Locomotive #1732. This 1,750 hp road switcher locomotive was built by GM's Electro-Motive Division in May 1957. It was used in road and local freight service by B&M for decades and eventually purchased by RMNE in 1997 for use on our historic railway, the Naugatuck Railroad. The 1732 was used until late in 2001 when its diesel engine suffered a broken crankshaft. The painstaking and expensive process of removing power assemblies, heads, connecting rods and pistons and replacing with new and rebuilt pistons, rings and cylinder liners will be greatly enhanced with the proceeds of the ARS Founders Award supplementing a previous $10,000 grant received in 2005 and additional funding from RMNE. Working with our volunteers on this project, in particular RMNE's lead machinist Scott Lent, is well-known EMD expert Preston Cook.

It's all here in the roster... http://rmne.org/about/roster/

You really want to save B&M history? Get involved (and that does not mean, "drive down to Conencticut." There are many ways to support projects without actually being on site).

I don't know about you, but I prefer the tangible to the fantasy.

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:Get involved (and that does not mean, "drive down to Conencticut." There are many ways to support projects without actually being on site).

For those of us who can't donate money or participate on-site, how might we support those projects? (not trying to be a wise-@$$; I'm genuinely interested)

MEC407 wrote:

Otto Vondrak wrote:Get involved (and that does not mean, "drive down to Conencticut." There are many ways to support projects without actually being on site).

For those of us who can't donate money or participate on-site, how might we support those projects? (not trying to be a wise-@$$; I'm genuinely interested)

That is a very good question!

Of course, supporting a project you believe in with a monetary donation is always appreciated. So is driving down to the shop to pitch in and help out. But sometimes you can't always do that. Here are some other ways you can support a project...

1) Become a member. Preservation organizations thrive on "strength in numbers," and your annual membership dues go towards building a stronger organization.

2) Do you have information or resources you could contribute to a restoration project? Blueprints? Lettering diagrams? Shop notes? Photos or other data from a similar piece? Are you an allied historical group (like another railroad historical society) that could work with us towards a common goal?

3) Can't donate your own cash to a project? Maybe you can help us write grants or seek out other funding opportunities. Willing to make a few phone calls? Write a few letters? (Check with us before you start doing any thing like that, though)

4) Do you own a business that supplies something the museum could use towards restoration efforts? Can you make a donation of goods or services? If not an outright donation, how about wholesale cost?

5) Can't do any of the above? Then say nice things about us to your friends. I'm serious. Tell your friends what we're doing. Send them down here to ride our trains. We need to do everything we can to get the word out and build up support. We can't do it alone.

-otto-
RMNE Member At Large

Location: Dover, NH
-Easy access to I-95.
-Rail access via Amtrak Downeaster.
-Possible RDC excursions over the NHN.
-Great train watching of Pan Am, Amtrak, and NHN at one spot.

BUT heres what i think it should be

Must have items:
1. B&M 2-6-0 #1455
2. ST #77
3. ALCO #1186
4. a B&M RDC
5. some B&M Passenger Cars

NRGeep wrote:...Ahh, and while we're at it, bring back the reformatory branch for the occasional run of that unmentionable B&M steamer which will be bought and restored from CSRX pulling ...

Can someone fill me in, what B&M steam engine is at Conway?

Eric

ericofmaine wrote:

NRGeep wrote:...Ahh, and while we're at it, bring back the reformatory branch for the occasional run of that unmentionable B&M steamer which will be bought and restored from CSRX pulling ...

Can someone fill me in, what B&M steam engine is at Conway?

Eric

Well, the working 7470 is Maine Central. I could be wrong about the dead steam engines heritage?