New Roof for the Hopewell Depot

I spent Saturday afternoon at the Maybrook RR Museum. Pete MacLachlan never made it to Maybrook. A couple miles from his home somebody ran a red light a T-Boned him. Pete wound up in the hospital and his car was totaled. The last word we got was that he was released from the hospital and was complaining because he had no car to go anywhere. I am sure that Pete will add this incident to his stock of stories to tell.

Meanwhile we filled in for Pete by showing extra videos and telling stories about railroading and how to restore an old train depot.

That is a shame and I hope Pete MacLachlan is okay. I know someone who just met Mr. MacLachlan at the Danbury Museum. Pete took the time to share some of his New Haven, Penn Central and Conrail stories. Very friendly man and a real class act.

Get better quick Pete!

I just talked with Pete McLachlan on the telephone and he is OK and at home. He is without wheels at least for now but assurred me that he will have another Ford in his future. He sends his regards to the good folks in Hopewell Junction and Maybrook.
Noel Weaver

8-8-2012 Hot and sticky August weather but the work continues on the east bay windows and the inside floors. We also greeted Joey, our newest tour guide. He seems to be a walking encyclopedia of local history. He already has experience as a tour guide at the Van Wyck house in Fishkill.

The next work session will be Saturday 8-11-2012

8-11-12 With the threat of thunderstorms, the crew worked mostly inside on the basement access hatch. They did some outside work on trim stips on the east wall.

Next work session will be Wednesday 8-15-2012

8-15-2012 It was very noisy around the depot on Wednesday. The County Rail Trail maintenance crew was there with power tree trimmers, lawnmowers, weed whackers and leaf blowers. At the end of the day the area was spic and span.

Our work crew added new windows to the east wall and bay. In addition, they put lift handles on the basement access hatch.

We are now part of the IBM Matching Grant Program. If you are an active or retired IBMer and send in a donation, be sure to include a completed matching grant form with your donation.

The next work session will be Saturday 8-18-2012.

8-18-2012 On a sunny Saturday we finished the trim strips on the east wall and rearranged the inside to begin adding wall beadboard to the agents office.

We also accepted donations of antique telegraph parts and an operating model steam engine.

We are looking for volunteers to set up a catalog system for all of our donations. We have the forms and the procedures. Now we need the hands to set up the catalog.
Anybody interested ? Call me at 845 221-9330.

8-22-2012 Our work crew spent most of today sanding the floor boards in the ticket office and the agents office.

Next work session will be Saturday 8-25 2012.

8-25-2012 It was a good day for finishing some of the trim strip and working on the interior beadboards. We also got a donation of a set of crossing lights from Fishkill Plains. With a little clean up etc we might get them working.

We also welcomed a new tour guide. She is a Girl Scout and went right to work talking to people from the Rail Trail.

Save the date. I will be doing another railroad talk and slide show on 7 September at the Clinton Historical Society meeting in Clinto Corners (the former Quaker Meeting House). The show will start at 7:30. The public is invited and the subject will be three lost railroads of Dutchess County.

The next Hopewell Depot work session will be Wednesday 8-29-2012.

8-29-2012 It was beautiful blue sky day at the depot today. We had visitors from the Rail Trail and donation of a parcel scale used by the Hopewell Depot agent. We also acquired a signal pole and ladder.

Meanwhile work continued on the inside paneling boards for the museum section. We now have dedication plaques for all thirteen windows.

The next work session will be Saturday 9-1-2012.

This is a reminder to all those considering attending our fund raising dinner dance on October 20. Reservations are due by September 15th. We hope to see many of our friends there at Anthony’s in Hopewell Junction. Our guest speaker will be Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and music will be provided by d.j. Dave Anthony. A five-course meal will be served. Cost is $75. per person. If you have not received an invitation and would like to go, please let me know via email with your snail mail address and we will gladly send you one. [email protected]

9-5-2012 After some morning rain, the day turned out to be beautiful. Work continued on the walls of the agent's office and also on a new deck for the baggage cart.
Next work session will be Saturday 9-8 2012.

Don't forget there will be a railroad slide show and talk at 7:00 PM Friday 9-7-2012 at the Clinton Historical Society meeting. It is open to the public and the subject will be Three Lost Railroads of Dutchess County. The meeting will be at the old Quaker meeting House in Clinton Corners.

9-8-2012 With off and on rain and sunshine, we managed to assemble and bolt down seven new benches on the depot deck.
The first visitors to try the benches were a family from Sweden. They will be heading back home to Sweden next week.

We also had a donation of a candlestick style phone for our museum displays.

The next work session will be Wednesday 9-12-2012.

Next Saturday, 9-15, is East Fishkill Community Day. Our volunteers will be split into three groups to man the depot, man the table at Community Day and pull the baggage cart in the town parade. If you are interested in joining in the fun, let us know.

9/12/2012
Most of today's work around the depot was getting ready for East Fishkill Community Day on Saturday. This banner will be in the parade with our baggage cart and yours truly in my conductor's uniform. Rain date is Sunday 9/16.

Our volunteers will be split three ways. One group at the depot, one group at the Community Day tent and the third group will be in the parade. We need any help we can get to cover all the bases on Saturday. If you have some time and want to join the fun just show up at the depot around 11:00 AM Saturday morning.

We will also be reminding people that there is still time to make reservations for our fund raising dinner dance on 20 October at Anthony's catering in Hopewell Junction. For information, call 845 221-9330.

Come on down to Community Day and join the fun.

9-15-2012 We had perfect blue sky weather for the East Fishkill Community Day. Our baggage cart team won a second place trophy in the parade. The tent crew talked to people all day and the donations were generous. We made a few new friends and got a couple new volunteers. Meanwhile the depot crew hosted people from the Rail Trail. It was a fun day for all.

9-19-2012 After yesterdays storms we had a brisk fall day at the depot. More work was done on the museum walls and we got a donation of an engineers oil can for the museum. Among the visitors today was a group on bicycles from Montreal Canada on their way to New Orleans.

There is still time to make reservations for our fundraising dinner-dance, Oct. 20, 7 p.m. at Anthony’s Catering in Hopewell Junction. If you didn’t get an invitation let me know. You can send a note to: [email protected] We will send out your invitation ASAP.

The next work session at the depot will be Saturday 9-22-2012.