Private equipment collection at Colonie and Glenmont

"The question still on the table (and attempted to be answered by Otto): where could the stuff even go?"

"If we have no answer, who cares whether CP will allow it to hit live rail?"


True, but an "interested party" (and just because they don't post here doesn't mean there are none, at least for some of the stuff) would answer the "where does it go". Without a viable "interested party" the "where" doesn't matter. Find one and you'll probably find the other.

RS

"Junk Yard, Junk Yard, Junk Yard thats where it can all go! Put the money into something that can be used or still has some life in it!!"


Well that's certainly one opinion. (Or two.) Clearly some people disagree. And they are willing to put their money where their mouth is. I for one certainly wouldn't dis their efforts. In fact I respect their efforts and wish them well.

RS

WM = Western Maryland... they own the ex LIRR Alco FP-4 I think??

As for taxpayer dollars... check with the folks in Medina... they've been able to procure a good amount of state funding for the upcoming excursion service.

But for anyone who thinks preservation isn't a big deal - read the Rochester Chapter NRHS newsletter on the progress they're making on some restoration projects. It's slow going - but it comes down to manpower, dedication, donations, some out-of-pocket cash, and long hours to make it happen.

Much of the junk at Colonie and the power plant is too far gone for a small group of volunteers to make it happen. We're talkiing hundreds of thousands of dollars for a complete restoration. Even if you just want to move it to a musesum somewhere and park it on a siding and slap a coat of paint on it - you're in the 10's of thousands of dollars.

Hell - look at the HH660 the WNYRHS group got and the time and expense to get it up here (only to sit on a siding and deteriorate). Nuff said!

If i didn't have a car payment you better believe something down there woul be going home with me. Don't count me out yet. I just need to find a couple of ducks and get them in a row.

As for the fund raiser and grant comment:

Raise money to purchase

Apply for grant to restore.

It may take a little while but it's not impossible.

Matt G. - Yes it is impossible if you're looking to secure a grant for something that's going to be cut up next week. I sure won't stop you, but it will take more than putting aside your car payment to secure ownership of one of those hulks. No matter how many ducks you have in a row.

Preservation is not one man or his funds. It is a group effort. On many levels.

We're talking about the equipment at Colonie, not the preservation movement at large.

-otto-

There has been no talk of any of the equipment at Glenmont being scrapped anytime soon..(the two Electrics, the U25B and a RS3)
The imminent scrappings are the Colonie locos only, because they are on CP property and CP wants them gone.

the Glenmont units have worked their way into this discussion only because of their close proximity to the Colonie units, and the M&H chapter owns locos in both locations.

But the Glenmont locos are in no immediate danger at all..except from further rust, decay and continued neglect.

Otto Vondrak wrote:
RS-3- What's the WM group?

-otto-

Otto,
take a look here:
http://moosevalley.org/wmrhs/project302/Project302.htm

Scot

Interesting that this is all taking place within a ten minute drive of the USS SLATER, which probably has the very best teams of volunteer parts scavengers in the entire marine restoration world. But of course the SLATER is all Cleveland Diesel powered, they have no use at all for any of the stuff sitting at Colonie.

Hmmm... I dunno - from a tourist perspective, I think you'll find a WWII Navy Destroyer you can walk around on and explore a larger draw than a locomotive that you can only look at -- and thusly more attractive from a financial donor's point of view... and a more worthwhile project from a volunteer's perspective.

nessman wrote:WM = Western Maryland... they own the ex LIRR Alco FP-4 I think??
Its a FA-2...ExWM 302




Hell - look at the HH660 the WNYRHS group got and the time and expense to get it up here (only to sit on a siding and deteriorate). Nuff said!

I have heard that it (the HH660) may NOW have serious problems due to the stack being left uncovered. It ran right up to the time it was shipped to New York.

BTW, The NYC RS-3 in Glenmont WAS in running condition when acquired by the M&H. Now I understand that half the electrical cabinet is missing and many parts missing off the 244 engine.

Besides having seen the HH660 that was once intact and is now a waste, it was posted here some time ago that the stack was left uncapped for the time it kicked around in Buffalo (Frontier yard?) while it waited for clearance to be shipped south.

It was sitting on a siding with the door open, garbage in and out, and certainly damaged. I've never seen the WNYRHS people apologize for how they've allowed that unit to become garbage itself.

Perhaps the Mohawk people aren't the exception when it comes to equipment.

Dave Becker

IIRC, the HH660 was donated to the WNYRHS, along with donations of (or steeply discounted) means to get it to New York along the way. Only for what - to let it sit and rot on a siding. Some $27,000+ in donated locomotive, time and labor wasted. Last update on the WNYRHS's website regarding the locomotive was 5 years ago. Truly a shame.

I'd challenge anyone from that group to offer their comments. Anything other than soliciting bids from municipalities for the Pennsy steam loco in Hamburg for display.

Dave Becker

It's a damn shame there isn't a way to be sure that the recipient of a donated piece of equipment has the where-with-all to restore, maintain or properly store said donation. I know of many cases where a group or individual acquires a piece of rail equipment only to leave it sit or squirrel it away to never be seen again. In most cases well meaning and misinformed individuals donate time and money to the cause of moving and "restoring" a car or locomotive just to be let down in the end. There are a few museums in our area that do it right but sadly there are at least as many that don't seem to have a freakin' clue.
It's like asking school kids to donate their lunch money to buy a steam locomotive that they could someday ride and then locking it in a barn for 30 or 40 years...
Mike

Alcoman wrote:BTW, The NYC RS-3 in Glenmont WAS in running condition when acquired by the M&H. Now I understand that half the electrical cabinet is missing and many parts missing off the 244 engine.

This is probably true if the engine was acquired by the M&H at the time when Amtrak was purging its locomotive fleet of ratty old RS-3's.

When I last saw this locomotive, there were heads missing off the engine and hood doors missing on the engineer's side. I understand that the doors were being "reworked" in someone's garage. Basically this locomotive has been, yet another victim of, the take apart club.

I like old railroad equipment, it brings back many memories of my days
working on some of this stuff but today I can think of at least one and
probably more causes that I would much rather contribute my time and
funds to than a bunch of neglected old locomotives that are not going to
go anywhere worthwhile anytime soon.
Some of the above causes that I am thinking of are railroad and some
are not railroad.
Noel Weaver