Official Valley Railroad Thread (VALE)

Anyone know the extent of the Great Republic's restoration, and if she will be ready for the 2018 season?

Interior painting for this year. Expected to be back in service by opening day.

Ah, Thank you! She was definitely looking a little worse for wear when I rode in her last July. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Two New Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAuCeRlz33Q" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM-oHKp7-Ew" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just got my hands on an original copy of the New York New Haven & Hartford's promotional "Yankee Clipper" book, which describes the history of the train and give images of its parlor cars. In it I found an image of our "Great Republic":

Very similar name to the Flying Yankee.

Would anybody happen to have pictures of the Middletown's interior in her current dining car configuration? Gathering images for an art project. Thanks.

Who would like to help with Phase II of the Friends of the Valley Railroad's restoration of New Haven Railroad Caboose C-540? Help is sorely needed:
http://friendsvrr.org/project/new-haven ... d-caboose/

Lee Carlson

Any news or progress on restoration of No. 97?

Been several years, would love to see her back on the rails.

"Word on the street" is:
"The Squeeze" in a few weeks, running by Xmass season...
but that's "UNOFFICIAL" word.

The Mass Bay RRE is advertising a Steam Extravaganza on 10/28:
http://www.massbayrre.org/Trips/ValleySteamExtra.html

The Mass Bay RRE excursion will be double-headed with 3025 and 40 on the point.
The excursion will "stop at Deep River, where 2-8-0 locomotive 97 (Alco-Cooke, 1926), freshly returned to operating condition this fall, will await our arrival. We’ll pose 97 with our train for a unique photo opportunity featuring all three of the Valley Railroad’s steam locomotives!"

Anybody know which car the NPE "First Class Car W" option is referring to? Saw this as an option on the NPE ticket selection page. Seeing as Car 1 is usually the Great Republic and A through D are the Middletown, Goodspeed, Wallingford, and Meriden, I'm not sure which car would be "First Class Car W".

One of the Timber Train cars is to be configured a parlor car.

Two videos of this year's Haddam Swing Bridge Special trips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8y-4Cx5RgU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhVM1nCCCL8&t=5s" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And another video from October:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdnyGEYn7fA&t=1s

Enjoy,
Lee